Self-Control

“A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”

Proverbs 25:28

 

A city which builds walls around it does so to protect itself from its enemies. If the wall is in disrepair or broken down, it leaves itself open to attack. There is no longer any reasonable sense of security.

The comparison to a man without self-control follows. He has no reason to believe that he will be protected from his enemies. The interesting twist is that his enemies come from within instead of without. His lack of self-control keeps him unprotected from the evil that is within his heart. The things that Jesus talked about in Mark 7:21-22, “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.”

When we receive Jesus as the Lord of our life, he begins a work in our hearts which puts a hold on the evil that comes from within. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. It is the result and the evidence of a life that has been and is being transformed through faith in Christ. It is the power of God at work.

We need protection from ourselves. Without the power of God which is deposited in us and works in us through faith in Christ, we have no security against the enemies of our soul. We are on a path to self-destruction because no matter how good we are, we all lack self-control in some way or another. Thanks be to God who becomes our protector. He is our defender who guards us from the results of a lack of self-control.

Lord our Protector, thank you for giving us through the power of the Holy Spirit the ability to say “No” to ungodliness and to live self-controlled lives. It is the benefit of your amazing grace, and we are so very grateful. Amen!