Self-Control - “The ability to control oneself, in particular one's emotions and desires or the expression of them in one's behavior, especially in difficult situations.”
As Christ followers it is imperative that we have self-control and discipline when it comes to God and commands of God. Self-control is not something we can just attain but requires practice. Not just physical practice, but, practice and exercise of the mind. In the previous message I talked about being set apart.
We will now learn how we can preserve our set apartness with God. This is also one of the fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5:20. All battles we face all start in the mind. The body will not move without the command of our minds. In 2 Corinthians 10:5, we are shown how to take authority over our minds when things come in that do not please the Father through truth.
“We demolish arguments in every pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ, and we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience once your obedience is complete.”
Disobedience in every act of wickedness first, starts in the mind. Again, I say the body will only do what the mind tells it to do. So, if you're struggling not to do something; you may need to gain self-control in your mind over that temptation.
In Ephesians for 4:22 “you were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, to be made new in the attitude of your minds and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Paul tells us to put off our old self, what does that mean? That means to put off your old way of thinking. How do we put off our old way of thinking? By reading God's word, gaining an understanding for God's word and by gaining wisdom, and discernment on God's word.
When we gain wisdom and godly knowledge, we then have the weapon given by God to fight against the evils and deceits that can come through the mind. How do we gain this? By being set apart with God. Again, I want to emphasize that the body does not do anything without the agreement of the mind.
What we have to put into control is our mind, will and emotions; all these things together create your soul. You have a soul and a spirit; the spirit loves the things of God because he put the spirit in you. The soul (mind, will and emotions) is what needs to be trained to be exercised in the things of God. The soul is what needs the discipline, the body or flesh is what houses the soul and the spirit on the earth.
How do we fight and gain self-Control? I would first like to provide you an example of how to have self-control and gain the victory over your mind battles. I would like to use Jesus as an example. In Matthew 4 Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. Verse 4 we see that he rebukes Satan after he tries to tell him to make bread since he is God. Verse 7 we see that Jesus again rebuke Satan, after he tries to make Jesus test God. Verse 10, we see one last time that Jesus rebukes Satan because he tries to get him to worship another God. In every moment Satan tried to tempt Jesus, the very first thing that is consistent is Jesus providing truth.
So how do we win a mind battle or temptations? By giving that thought, that thing, the truth of God; then rebuking it and not receiving it as truth in your life. This is where we gain the victory over the enemy. Why? Because the enemy will only stand on the authority you give him.
In Matthew 26:41 Jesus tells us that our spirits are ready to listen and obey God but our flesh is weak. This also relates to our mental stamina, which has to be trained and exercised on the things of God. This way we will be able to properly fight off temptations and mind battles. Once we gain the victory in this area, we will gain self-control over the body through Christ. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
To conclude, to gain godly self-control; we first have to make a decision to serve God and to worship God. That first step is taken in the mind by choice. Once you make that first decision, in your mind to serve God the next step is set apartness; filtering what you put in to the temple of God.
Once you make your decision in your mind to serve God through set apartness, your actions or body will follow. What you put in through your eyes, ears and body through what we call gates; enters your mind, your mind makes a decision and then your actions follow. So, through set apartness, clinging and holding to the things of God through your gates your mind can make and educated move physically to serve the things of God. Then we can attain the godly self-control we need to fight temptations accordingly.
In Luke 6:45 we see that only evil and good come out of what a person has already placed in their hearts. “a good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
So, we first need to clear our minds of impure things through set apartness to gain control over them. Fill our hearts and mind with the things of God and his will. Then, once the tempter comes, we will be able to effectively speak truth and rebuke and the devil has to flee.
In Jesus Name Amen!
