The apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians is one of the most personal and tenderhearted epistles in the New Testament. From the beginning Paul had a special relationship with the Philippians, and they consistently prayed for him, comforted him, helped in his ministry, and supported him financially. Their loyalty, kindness, affection, and generosity had been of great encouragement to Paul.
At the time of writing Paul was under house arrest in Rome awaiting his trial before Caesar, and as he reflected on his life, he provided rare insight into the attitudes of a spiritually mature Christian. Paul urged his beloved Philippians (and us) to avoid selfish ambition and to strive for unity in the body of Christ. He warned them against false teaching, and pointed them to several stellar examples for a godly Christian lifestyle.
Throughout this letter Paul encouraged believers to gain control of their thought life and to focus their minds on the things of God (2:2, 5; 3:15; 4:7-8). This is one of the most important battles of the Christian life, and Paul shared principles for having "the God of peace" bringing the "peace of God" into our lives (4:7-9).