There is a rising epidemic of depression and suicide in America, and the Christian church is not immune to it. Finding true peace, we see, can be a struggle no matter a person’s walk of life.

Published for such a time as this, a new book by iconoclastic Christian thought leader Erwin Rafael McManus, founder of Mosaic, a millennial-centric church in Southern California, presents a spiritual strategy to win the fight for peace.

“….inner peace will not come without a battle,” McManus writes in the introduction. “It is the way of Jesus that is the ancient path to inner peace. In choosing to follow him, I have chosen the way of the warrior…The way of the warrior is a discipline of the soul. It is a journey toward enlightenment. And ultimately it is the outcome of a relationship with the Creator of the universe. The world in which Jesus lived never knew peace, yet no matter how hard the powerful tried, they could never steal his peace. It should not surprise us that it was an act of violence that became for us our way to peace. The cross points the way, but we must choose the path. The Bible speaks of darkness and light, reminding us there is a war that rages within us all.”

With biblical scriptures as his foundation, McManus offers a step-by-step journey to conquer inner turmoil by unveiling eight Codes of the Warrior. These codes outline how to establish peace through practices of humility, focus, ownership, clarity, strength and vulnerability. For reference, McManus draws upon his own life experiences, and also from the oft-troubled but ultimately victorious ancient heroes of Scripture, including Adam, David, Solomon, Job and Elijah.

One of Kathie Lee Gifford’s favorite things for March, The Way of the Warrior is a call to self-examination, self-mastery and the journey to spiritual wholeness. The book aims to help readers gain the courage  needed to overcome emotional bondage and create the future they long for.

It is also an exquisite reminder that, as McManus writes, “you cannot give up on yourself when God considers you worth the fight.”