The first phrase that we need to look at in this verse is “…the peace of God…” This simply means that inner calm or tranquility is something that is promised to any Christian who has a thankful attitude that is based on our unwavering confidence (or faith) that God is able and willing to do what is best for us.
Similarly, look at Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Look also at the phrase, “surpasses all understanding.” There are things about God that we won’t understand. Things that we are not designed to be able to fathom – and while it can be frustrating to try to think about them, ultimately you need to understand that it is good that we don’t understand God completely.
In order to fully understand God, that would mean that we would need to be His intellectual equals, something that we’re told in the Bible that a) is impossible and b) God doesn’t tolerate the pretense of anyone who claims to understand anything on the same level that he does (Job 40:6 – 41:34).
So when we read, “surpasses all understanding” this is a great thing, because it means that the origin of the peace that we will experience is divine in origin. That this peace will transcend all human intellect, analysis, or insight should bring you unbelievable comfort.
“…will guard…” the original word for this is similar to English in that it was a military term that means “to keep watch over.” As John MacArthur puts it, “God’s peace guards believers from anxiety, doubt, fear, and distress.”
“hearts…minds” In this last half of the verse, we see Paul making a clear distinction between the two terms. In fact, what he is doing here is giving us a comprehensive statement that refers to the entire inner person.
To put this verse in the terms as we’ve talked about: Because of a Christian’s union with Jesus, He guards his inner person with His peace.
As you go about your day, I want you to think about this verse and what it means. Think about the peace that we’re able to feel and comfort through our belief in Jesus as our savior. It’s incredible.
