In verse 7 Paul goes on to say that “the peace of God, which surpasses every man’s understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.” The Greek word rendered “guard” may also be translated “mount guard over.” The God of peace patrols or stands guard before our hearts and thoughts in Christ. The heart is the source; the thoughts are the issue. The peace of God guards both our hearts and our thoughts. This means that in Christ Jesus the peace of God patrols our hearts and our thoughts, keeping us calm and tranquil. Even though we may have many troubles and much anxiety, nothing will disturb us. The peace of God infused into us through His dispensing keeps us calm.
In our prayer to God there must be the essence of worship and fellowship, and there must also be petitions for particular needs. Even if we do not have specific needs, we still need a time of prayer day by day to worship the Lord and have fellowship with Him. As we worship the Lord and have fellowship with Him in prayer, we enjoy communion with Him and practice the organic union with Him.
The issue, the result, of practicing the organic union with the Lord is that the peace of God guards our hearts and thoughts in Christ Jesus. The peace of God is actually God as peace (v. 9) infused into us through our fellowship with Him by prayer. This peace is the counterpoise to troubles and the antidote to anxiety (John 16:33).
Bad news or difficult situations may cause us to worry or be anxious. We find the antidote to this anxiety when we pray, practice communion with God, and enjoy the organic union. Then spontaneously, even unconsciously, the peace of God is transfused into our inner being. This transfused peace becomes the counterpoise to troubles and becomes the antidote to anxiety. From experience we know that through prayer we receive this antidote to anxiety when the peace of God is infused into us.
In Philippians 4:11 Paul says, “Not that I speak according to lack, for I have learned, in whatever circumstances I am, to be content.” This verse indicates that Paul had learned to be content in all circumstances. The word content means “self-sufficient, satisfied in oneself.” This is a word used by the Stoics, who taught that a person should be content in all circumstances.
In verse 12 Paul continues, “I know also how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to hunger, both to abound and to lack.” The phrase I have learned the secret is an interpretation of the Greek word which literally means “I have been initiated.” The metaphor here refers to a person’s being initiated into a secret society with instruction in its rudimentary principles. After Paul was converted to Christ, he was initiated into Christ and the Body of Christ. He then learned the secret of how to take Christ as life, how to live Christ, how to magnify Christ, how to gain Christ, and how to have the church life, all of which things are rudimentary principles. The secret of the Body is to take Christ as our life, to live Christ, to pursue Christ, to gain Christ, to magnify Christ, and to express Christ. These are the basic principles of the church, the Body of Christ. As one who had been initiated into the Body, Paul learned the secret.
Christ is our secret and power. When we live by this secret and power, we can solve whatever matter comes to us. Because we know the secret, we do not care whether we are rich or poor or whether we are abased or abound. Because Christ is our secret, we know how to face any kind of situation. Whether people honor us or despise us, we know the secret and have the power.
Paul learned the secret of sufficiency in Christ. When he was in want and was tempted to worry about his situation, he applied the secret. Then, in his experience, this secret eliminated his worry. Therefore, he could have the boldness to testify that he knew both how to be abased and how to abound. The fact that Paul knew how to be abased indicates that he experienced feelings of abasement. He knew what it was to have worry and anxiety in times of suffering, but at those times he applied the secret of the indwelling Christ. Paul was a person in Christ, and he experienced Christ and applied Him in all his circumstances. Paul could be content because he applied the Christ in whom he lived and in whom he remained. This Christ is real, living, near, available, and prevailing. This Christ became Paul’s secret.
In Philippians, a book that speaks about Paul’s circumstances, we see the secret of the Christian life and the practical way for the church life, that is, the indwelling Christ. No matter what the circumstances are, we have a wonderful person living within us who bears all our burdens. We need to learn to turn to Christ, take Him as our person, and let Him replace us. All our circumstances teach us to learn the secret of living by Christ; all our circumstances force us to give up ourselves and take Christ as our person. This is the main lesson of this Epistle.