One of the things I dislike the most in life is conflict, especially with someone who hates me or wishes me harm. Thankfully, this has not been too common of a scenario for me in my life. Indeed, I have worked at being at peace with most people I come in contact with. Recently, the thought of being able to smile in the face of your enemy because of a lack of fear has been going through my mind. The thoughts went like this. God brings peace to those who set their minds on Him (Isaiah 26:3). But what if there are external unresolvable conflicts in your life? How do you still have peace then? God must have a way to bring peace, real peace, even in the midst of enemies who have your harm in mind. This is something I don’t think I have ever experienced. It is one thing to say “I had peace because deep down I know God will take care of me” and another to have real peace in a situation. Knowing someone has it in for me really disturbs me. I’ve never been much of a bully, and don’t think I ever did anything out of the enjoyment of cruelty. People like that are the ones who have experienced being in a situation where someone hates them but is powerless to hurt them. But the Bible makes it clear that there are demons out there who follow us around in our lives, attempting to tempt us, who probably know all of our weaknesses through observing us. But God restrains them, only allowing us to be tempted as much as we can handle (I Cor. 10:13). So there are always those around us wishing us harm, and there is no way to get around it. God does bring peace in the midst of that. So with God, we can say “Go ahead and try all you want, you can’t hurt me.” to the enemy. I am reminded of David, who knew this situation all too often, and said “He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies”. There are a number of others Psalms where David is crying out to God because people are trying to kill him, and yet he is finding peace in God, who is His refuge. The next time you are in a difficult situation, instead of running away or fighting, remember that God can be your refuge if you run to Him. He can bring peace in the face of your enemies. Remember, our true enemies can’t be seen.