The attitude of present-day enlightened humanity toward war indicates that the leaven of spiritual truth is irresistibly operative in world thought. Various human theories and means designed to outlaw war have been promulgated and welcomed by peace lovers. The only way to insure peace, however, was indicated clearly by Isaiah when he foretold that many people would be taught of God and would walk in His way: "And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." Again, when prophesying the coming of the Messiah, Isaiah said that he should be called "The Prince of Peace." This title belongs distinctively to Christ Jesus because his spiritual teachings uncover humanity's warprovoking thought-tendencies, and reveal their falsity and impotence.
The Jews' hope had been that the expected Messiah would lead them in successful battle against Roman domination. But Christ Jesus understood human nature so thoroughly that he discerned that the Jews' enforced subordination to Rome was but one of the visible manifestations of mortals' subordination to such satanic taskmasters as selfishness, greed, pride, jealousy, animality, and injustice. The Master's work, therefore, was directed against these warprovoking phases of the carnal mind, not against people.
To those who humbly and trustingly received Christ Jesus and his message he was indeed "The Prince of Peace." To those who were harassed by fear, depressed by injustice, lack, discord, or bound by hereditary beliefs, he proclaimed the liberating and harmonizing truth about God and His law. To those who had been struggling vainly against sin and its effects, against blindness, deafness, disease, depravity, he brought redemption and healing. In doing all these works he depended solely upon spiritual power. Furthermore, he rebuked recourse to material means of defense when a zealous disciple used a sword against one of those who came to capture Jesus in Gethsemane. His reflection of Love, which immediately healed the injured one, protected him from fear, hate, and resentment. Jesus' demonstration of disarmament, despoiling evil and error of their imaginary power and attraction, was eminently successful in spite of contrary material sense testimony. He completely vanquished—proved to be nothing—every animal tendency and material belief which confronted him, as was shown in his resurrection and ascension.
