Every Christmas we celebrate the arrival of the One Isaiah promised would be called “… the Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 NLT). We hear again the angelic chorus proclaiming “… peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased” (Luke 2:14 NLT). These messages form some of the most cherished themes of the season. Yet for many people, these beautiful words collide jarringly with the reality of a world filled with conflict, violence, and endless war. How can Scripture speak so confidently about peace when human history seems perpetually shaped by unrest? The Bible itself provides the answer, showing why peace is promised, why it has not yet been fully realized, and how it will ultimately prevail.
The root of the world’s turmoil is not geopolitical but spiritual. Scripture teaches that war is a symptom of humanity’s broken relationship with God. James offers a stark diagnosis: “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? … You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war” (James 4:1–2 NLT). Conflict flows from human desire unrestrained by righteousness. Isaiah offers a similarly sobering picture, declaring, “They have made crooked roads, and no one who follows them knows a moment’s peace” (Isaiah 59:8 NLT). So war persists not because God has failed to deliver peace, but because humanity has resisted the One who brings it.
The peace Christ offers begins not with political systems but with the human heart. When the angels announced peace at Jesus’ birth, they did not promise instant global harmony. The New Living Translation (NLT) makes this clear: “…peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased” (Luke 2:14 NLT [emphasis mine]). So peace is granted only to those who receive the Savior, it is not imposed universally on a world still resisting Him.
Through Christ, the deepest source of conflict—our alienation from God—will be healed. The Apostle Paul writes, “Since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us” (Romans 5:1 NLT).
Once peace with God is restored, inner peace and even relational peace become possible. But the world at large will remain restless because it remains unreconciled.
It is worth noting that Jesus himself corrected the expectation that His coming would immediately end all earthly conflict. In a startling statement, He said, “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34 NLT). Of course, by this Jesus did not mean that He delights in violence. Instead, He revealed that His message would divide people because some would welcome Him and others would oppose Him. The result is inevitable tension even within families, let alone nations. Until hearts yield to Christ’s reign, the world must continue to experience conflict.
But behind all our earthly wars lies an even deeper reality: spiritual warfare.
Paul reminds us, “We are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world” (Ephesians 6:12 NLT). Human battles are a reflection of a larger cosmic conflict between God’s kingdom and the forces of evil. Christ’s death and resurrection decisively broke the power of these spiritual enemies—“He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross” (Colossians 2:15 NLT)—but their final removal awaits His return. Thus, conflict will continue as the world moves toward God’s ultimate restoration.
However, scripture is equally clear that the story does not end in perpetual turmoil. The “Prince of Peace” who came in humility will return as the reigning King, and when He does, peace will become universal and unbreakable.
Isaiah paints a breathtaking picture: “They will beat their swords into plowshares… Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4 NLT). Obviously this vision has not yet been fulfilled, but it is still certain. The closing chapters of Revelation depict a renewed creation where Christ’s peace is fully realized: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4 NLT). War will finally cease, not because humanity discovers a lasting solution, but because Christ removes the very roots of conflict—sin, death, and evil itself.
Thus, the Christmas promise of peace is both present and future. It is present in the hearts of those who trust in Christ, who experience the peace that “exceeds anything we can understand” (Philippians 4:7 NLT). And it is future in the full assurance that one day the Prince of Peace will reign over a renewed world where conflict has been replaced by righteousness.
Christmas does not deny the existence of war; it announces that God has begun the work of ending it. The peace Jesus brings has already entered the world and will one day fill it completely.
Blessings (and peace) to you and yours, Jim Black
P.S. if you’d like to read previous ruminations of mine they can be found at https://blog.salvationarmyconcordca.org