"Like a city that is broken into and without walls, is a man who has no control over his spirit." Proverbs 25:28

"and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." -Ephesians 4:24

Put on the new self! New... does this strike a chord with anyone else? For me... it's a great relief to know that I can put on the NEW self... instead of trying to patch up the old one! We were dead in our transgressions and sins, but we have been made alive through Christ. We are a new creation in Christ Jesus. This means that, no matter what we've done, there is forgiveness and newness of life when we come to Christ.

The new self is supposed to be one of righteousness and holiness, a life that glorifies God in every aspect. So... self-control... glorifying God. These things go hand in hand. I cannot be an effective example of Christ without self control. Look again at what Proverbs says, "Like a city that is broken into and without walls, is a man who has no control over his spirit." A city without walls cannot defend itself against an attack by the enemy. In the same way, I cannot defend myself against the desires of the flesh (anger, swearing, harsh words of criticism, etc...) without the Armor of God.

Friends, truly the armor that God gives us is our best defense against an un-controlled temper. The helmet of Salvation, the breastplate of Righteousness, the belt of Truth, the feet prepared with the Gospel of Peace, the shield of Faith, and the Sword of the Spirit. Let's look at these things individually:

The helmet protects our head... our minds... from being fed lies by those who would seek to question our faith and our salvation. The helmet redirects and blocks against these doubts and fears that would otherwise penetrate to our minds. Put on the helmet of Salvation!

The breastplate guards our heart... our vital organs... what causes us to function properly and effectively. Righteousness is the same guard against us becoming ineffective and having our hearts filled with sin. Righteousness is basically an intentional lifestyle that glorifies God.

Belts are typically used to support what we are wearing... the belt of truth is essential in supporting our faith in Christ. "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32. Not only does the truth set us free, but it holds up and supports our faith. Truth is also essential, because we can very easily take Scripture out of context if we are not seeking truth for the sake of truth. If we are trying to make Scripture fit our agenda, then we are not applying the belt of truth to our warfare and we WILL fail. Seek truth in your times of studying God's Word.

Feet represent movement... advancement. Feet prepared with the Gospel of Peace are the feet that will advance the Gospel message to the furthest parts of the earth. Know the message of the Gospel of Peace... "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." John 3:17. "...but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence..." 1 Peter 3:15.

Shields are used for defense against the blows of the enemy. When we are engaging the world in combat (or basically living everyday life), we will encounter opposition by those whom we come into contact with who do not agree with us. The conflict we find there can potentially cripple us, if we don't know how to defend our position... Faith is our shield... faith is our defense. Don't leave home without it!

The Sword is for battle... our only weapon of destruction that is mentioned. "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 2:16-17. It equips us to reprove others... to correct. It is our offensive weapon, used for the revealing of sins... the conquering of sins. The Word of God cuts through our misconceptions and fears, our doubts and our unrighteousness... it brings healing. Just as a skillful physician cuts away at the disease within our bodies, so the Word of God cuts away at our sinful pride and arrogance. The Sword is our effective offensive for advancing the Gospel.

I'm sorry if that was somewhat of a large tangent to take... But it's important that we understand the roles that this armor plays in our lives. We will not learn to be self-controlled on our own. We will need to search the Scriptures... we will need to get on our faces and beg God to deal with our impatience, with our lack of self-control, with our sinful tendencies...

Another helpful tool in self-control is Scripture memory. Memorize the verses that will help you in your defense against the areas you struggle with. You can usually find applicable verse by either looking them up in a concordance, or an online Bible... I use biblegateway.com for a lot of my studying by topic. If you have problems dealing with anger... type in "anger" and start reading what the Scriptures say about dealing with anger and about it's destructive tendencies... Memorize the verses that stick out to you about controlling your anger.
This is obviously just one example... no matter what your problem is, look through the Scriptures to find comfort and direction on dealing with it.

Memorizing Scripture is extremely effective for self-control because the verses will come to mind when you are tempted to lose control.

So, today's lesson in a nut-shell... Memorize God's Word and apply the Armor of God to your everyday life. This is your most effective tool in becoming a self-controlled and obedient child of the Most High God.
Wow! So simple, and yet expanded to take up a sizable amount of the screen. Not to mention to provide a bit more insight and direction!

Friends, may the Armor of God be yours, may His Word never cease to be written upon your hearts! Memorize His promises and instructions, that you may LIVE!

Grace and Peace!

Questions or Comments? E-mail me at afflquestions@yahoo.com .