Daily Devotional
Fruit of the Spirit: SELF-CONTROL
Sunday, April 13 - Thursday, April 17
Sun., April 13
A Spirit of Fear and a Sound Mind
By Danny Saavedra
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“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”—2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)
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Did you know there’s a difference between fear and fearfulness, or a spirit of fear? On the surface, there doesn’t seem to be much of a difference, right? But when you peel back the layers and dive a little deeper, you discover there’s actually a huge difference.
You see, fear is the visceral, raw, instinctual, and natural emotion we feel when threatened or under duress. It’s a reaction to perceived danger. Everyone feels fear; it’s completely natural and unavoidable. And it’s something that comes in a moment and can be overcome, dispelled, and cast out.
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A spirit of fear or fearfulness is different. Fearfulness is the state in which we linger in fear and allow fear to dominate and consume our lives. It takes the natural emotional response and turns it into a lifestyle. Fear is a feeling; a spirit of fear is a way of life.
To show the difference, I’d like to point you to the contrast in Daniel 1 between Daniel and the administrator placed over him. You see, Daniel had “resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine” and asked the chief official “for permission not to defile himself this way” (Daniel 1:8 NIV). In response to this, we see that this man was operating out of a spirit of fear. He was fearful of his reputation, his status, and his life. He lived in a constant state of fear, particularly as it pertained to King Nebuchadnezzar.
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And truthfully, friends (and I say this with much gentleness and with a delicate heart), nonbelievers have cause for operating out of a spirit of fear. Why? They have no hope, no confident assurance, nor any security or peace to cling to, walk in, and rest on. They have no power to draw strength from and no foundation to stand strong in. But contrast the modus operandi of this official with that of Daniel and his friends (Daniel 3:16–18, 6:10–16). Do you see the difference? Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had a true and living hope because they had put their trust in the true and living God. They may have experienced fear as the threat of a fiery death and being locked in a hole with ferocious lions loomed, but they didn’t operate from an attitude of anxiety or allow the spirit of fear to fester.
How? Romans 8:15 (ESV) declares, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” 1 John 4:18 (NIV) says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.” And my favorite, 2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV, emphasis added), tells us, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
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You see, Daniel and his friends could demonstrate the self-control necessary to refrain from defiling themselves, from bowing before an idol or praying to anyone but the Lord because God had given them power peace, and confidence. As believers, we don’t have to live in a spirit of fear. We can live in victory and freedom. We can cast out fear and overcome anxiety by the power of the Holy Spirit and the transforming work of Christ, which enables us to stand firm, flee temptation, and live faithfully.
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Pause: What’s the difference between fear and a spirit of fear? How does a spirit of fear erode our self-control? How have you seen this to be true in your life?
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Practice: If you’re struggling with anxiety and fearfulness, know that there’s hope for you and that you can overcome this. Today, I encourage you to pray about what your next steps should be—speaking to a pastor, seeking biblical counseling, etc. There’s no shame in this. There’s nothing wrong with you. Freedom is waiting. If you need to reach out, I’m here! E-mail me at DanielS@CalvaryFTL.org.
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Pray: Father, the power of the Spirit that is in me, which is greater than the Spirit that is in this world, I ask that You would daily pour Your power, love, and peace into my life so I may walk in self-control, courage, and with a sound mind. When my thoughts race and my mind defaults to a spirit of fear, may Your perfect love cast out fear so I may stand firm and unwavering and live with conviction in a world of compromise. Amen.
Mon., April 14
A Controlled Self
By Pastor Dan Hickling
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“Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.”—Proverbs 25:28 (NIV)
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We’ve all done it. There’s something we shouldn’t do or say. We’ve rehearsed over and over to ourselves in the mirror, “Don’t do it . . . don’t do it!” We steel our nerves and tell ourselves we won’t make the same mistake we’ve made in the past. Today is going to be different.
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And then the day gets going. Our inner resolve recedes into the background. The clouds gather, the wind blows, and then before we know it, the perfect storm is upon us. We’re caught in the moment and despite all our preparations we do or say that one thing we told ourselves we wouldn’t! As a result, something gets damaged in us or our relationships with others. And sometimes, the damage is so deep it can take years to repair what’s been broken.
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Again, we’ve all done it. But do we all have to keep on doing it? The Holy Spirit’s answer to this question is a clear and resounding, “No!” And we know this because God’s Word specifically says in Galatians 5:23 that it’s His Spirit’s purposed desire to produce the fruit of self-control in us.
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The original Greek word used for self-control is egkrateia, which is defined as “the power over one’s desires, passions and physical appetites.” It’s the very thing that’s lacking when it comes to the “we’ve all done it” scenario. Without it, the Book of Proverbs warns us that our lives will quickly resemble a city whose walls are broken through and has lost its strength. None of us wants that. But if we’re to experience this self-control, we need to understand something about its operation in our lives.
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God has created us with three separate and distinct parts: we all have a body, a soul, and a spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Our body is easily understood because it’s the part of us that’s most observable. We also have a soul, and this is the immaterial part of us that encompasses our will, emotions, and thoughts. It’s where our personality comes from. And then we have a spirit, which is invisible like the soul but is different because it relates us to God and His working in our lives. This is where our spiritual character, like self-control, is produced in us.
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Now, our natural instinct is to prioritize our bodies and all of its desires as we choose to satisfy and appease its demands. Next in line is usually our soul, particularly when it comes to our emotions and thoughts because both can be powerful drivers in our decision-making. And then there’s our spirit, which is often given the least consideration.
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When our lives are prioritized this way (body, soul, then spirit), we’re really controlled by our bodies and we do what we vow not to do. But if the order is reversed, if we prioritize our lives in terms of spirit, soul, and then body, we allow God’s Spirit and His work to control us.
As we choose to yield to Him instead of our bodies and souls, we find an ability beyond ourselves and a strength we could never summon within us. The power of God Himself is present to control the desires of our body and soul that damage us and others. It’s not our power, it’s His power . . . but it’s our choice to allow ourselves to be controlled by Him.
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Pause: Why aren’t we powerless to keep on doing the things we know we shouldn’t do?
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Practice: What are you prioritizing in terms of your body, soul, and spirit? Identify changes you can make to walk in greater self-control.
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Pray: Father, thank You for giving me the ability to overcome the things I could never overcome on my own. Continue Your good work in me, and teach me how to put the things of the spirit first. May I choose to allow You to work in and through my life so my life grows more and more into what you desire it to be. Amen.
Tues., April 15
Swift and Slow
By Deb Marsalisi
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“So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”—James 1:19 (NKJV)
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Imagine a world where everyone on the planet subscribed to this teaching? The impact would be astounding. There would be fewer broken hearts, more intimate relationships, and a more connected community.
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James is giving counsel to all believers. Be “swift to hear" is so much more than just listening. The application of this Scripture has layers. Being swift to hear is about having a heart and a hunger to understand and obey God’s Word. Listening to understand empowers us to become action-oriented Christians, which James will address later in this chapter.
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We’re called to be doers of the Word, not just hearers of the Word (James 1:22). God wants us to be swift to hear Him as well as others. This allows us to be teachable. A teachable person keeps a humble heart and views setbacks as an opportunity to learn lessons. When we become doers of God’s Word our relationships greatly improve.
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When we’re swift to hear others, we’re able to keep the mindset that says, “What can I learn from this interaction?” This practice honors the speaker and is at the heart of fruitful communication. Proverbs 18:13 (NIV) teaches us that “to answer before listening—this is folly and shame.”
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And what does the Bible say about being “slow to speak”? Proverbs 18:2 (NIV) tells us “Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.” Wow, leave it to the Book of Proverbs to cut to the chase! Have you ever wished you could literally catch careless words from stumbling out of your mouth or is that just me? Being slow to speak is a learned and practiced skill. Taking the time to understand what has been said instead of jumping to respond may need divine intervention from the Holy Spirit. We should utter, “Close my mouth Lord,” as an internal whisper to the Spirit. Just think of the improved communication we’d have with God and others if we can master this Scripture.
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And finally, there’s slow to wrath. Christianity often uses anger and wrath interchangeably, but they’re not the same. Anger is a necessary and proper moral response to injustice. As moral beings, we want and even expect society to be angry with injustice. That’s why we’re drawn to stories where good triumphs over evil. This is what the Bible calls righteous anger. The Lord tells us, “’Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil'' (Eph. 4:26–27)
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Sustained human anger, motivated by pride, can turn to wrath. And that’s where the enemy wreaks havoc in our lives. The wrath of man leads the soul into the depth of bitterness, raging revenge, blinding hatred, and gripping unforgiveness.
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It’s amazing how a single verse can be packed with such powerful, practical wisdom! Like so many Scriptures, we can look to it as a blueprint to build deeper intimacy with God and others (James 4:8; Jeremiah 33:3; 1 Peter 4:8; Ephesians 4:29).
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Pause: Reflect on your communication with God and others. Do you listen to understand or to respond? Do you seek to learn from your interactions? Do you think before you speak or do you speak too quickly? Have you ever let righteous anger turn to wrath?
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Practice: Memorize today’s Scripture by reading it aloud and writing it 4 to 5 times a day for the next two weeks
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Pray: Dear Lord, I want to be a person who is swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath. Only Your Spirit can empower me to live this way. As I practice these principles, please grow my level of intimacy with You and others. Help me to reflect Your character all the days of my life. I love You Lord. Amen.
Wed., April 16
Freedom and Self-Control
By Danny Saavedra
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“‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but I will not be mastered by anything.”—1 Corinthians 6:12 (NIV)
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Freedom . . . I believe the Western culture has a wildly different, self-centered viewpoint of this idea. For example, just because freedom of speech says I can express opinions, criticize, and have the right to write scathing, mean-spirited reviews without fear of legal recourse doesn’t mean it’s right. Likewise, just because I have the legal freedom and right to eat whatever I want, smoke, or gamble with my own money doesn’t mean it’s good for me. Just because I can doesn’t mean I should. This thought, requires the Christian to practice the fruit of self-control.
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In today’s passage, Paul says, “I have the right to do anything.” Another translation says, “all things are lawful for me.” (ESV) This is our Christian freedom. You see, in Christ, we’re fully forgiven, innocent, justified, and set free from sin and death. A believer who is sealed with the Spirit and made alive in Christ can do nothing to lose their salvation because no sin can separate us from the love of God in Christ. Thus, in the economy of eternity, we’re legally “free” to do anything without fear of hell. However, just because we can doesn’t mean we should!
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While yes you can do anything without fear of hell, not everything is beneficial. You can commit any sin and still be forgiven, but by doing so you’re 1) living in rebellion to God, which grieves His heart because He loves you and desires the very best for you, 2) not walking in His perfect, good, and beneficial purposes, plans, and designs for your life which enable you to live the best life humanly possible, and 3) subject to earthly repercussions even if you’re not subject to eternal judgment.
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What do I mean by this? Simply put, sin has consequences. Some “expressions” of Christian freedom (eating, drinking, smoking, sexual sin, exposure to certain forms of entertainment, financial irresponsibility, etc.) may lead to potentially serious physical or temporal complications, and all sinful lifestyles will eventually lead to deep brokenness in your soul, broken relationships, loneliness, bitterness, unmet expectations, and a distortion of your identity, belonging, worth, and purpose. And not only that, but these expressions of Christian freedom can also be detrimental to another believer’s walk. For example, you may have no issues with drinking or watching certain things, but another believer may struggle in these areas. It's not beneficial in those moments for you to exercise your freedom, but to instead practice self-control and serve and edify that person by abstaining in their presence.
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So, Paul implores us to not be mastered by anything, but to practice Holy Spirit-dependent self-control as we bring all our freedoms, rights, and desires captive under the mastery of Christ and His Word (2 Corinthians 10:5), to be led by His Spirit in what we say, think, and do (Galatians 5:25), to live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ (Philippians 1:27), and to not “use [our] freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love” (Galatians 5:13 NIV). You see, unrestricted freedom without Spirit-directed self-control is actually bondage as we give mastery of ourselves over to the things we allow to consume us. May we receive this wise counsel with humility and put into practice the fruit of self-control for both our good and the good of those around us.
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Pause: Why does freedom without self-control actually turn into bondage?
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Practice: How can you exercise your freedom in Christ in self-control with the mindset of glorifying the Lord and serving others humbly in love? How can you keep yourself from being mastered by anything? How can you know if something is beneficial or not? Ponder these questions and talk it over with a trusted believer, leader, or pastor. You can also reach out to me at DanielS@CalvaryFTL.org and I will help you in any way that I can!
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Pray: Father, I desire to bring all things captive and make them obedient to Christ. Help me to walk in self-control by the power of the Holy Spirit in every expression of my God-given freedom as I seek to glorify You, to serve You, to serve others humbly, and to draw others to You. Amen.
Thurs., April 17
Self-Control and Epiphanies
By Danny Saavedra
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“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”—Titus 2:11–14 (NIV)
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Today, we close out our nine-volume study on the fruit of the Spirit with a final word on self-control. But before we get started in breaking down our passage, I want to ask you to open up your Bible and read the entirety of Titus 2. I’ll wait . . .
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Okay, we’re back! Why did I have you do that? I’m hoping you spotted a pattern. Did you notice how often Paul said “self-control” in just 15 verses? Four times! Why? Because self-control is essential for the flourishing of the Christian, both in life and in mission!
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You see, self-control flows out of a heart that's yielded unto the Holy Spirit. Paul is instructing all believers to live a life dominated by the Spirit and not by the flesh. This was important in a culture of treachery, violence, dishonesty, and sexual corruption—and it’s important today! In a culture of instant gratification, walking in self-control is so important because it’s so easy to fall short in this area. It’s literally as easy as the push of a button.
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In the same way that discipline and self-control are necessary components of a healthy diet and exercise program, they’re also a necessary component of true gospel living! Gospel living? Look again at this chapter. In the first 13 verses, Paul gives instruction to a variety of people in different seasons and stations of life. And with each instruction, he caps off his instructions on how they should live with statements like:
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·“So that no one will malign the word of God.”
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·“So that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.”
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·“So that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.”
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What this shows us is that true gospel living (a self-controlled life yielded to the Holy Spirit) enables us to be faithful witnesses and effective ambassadors of Jesus Christ to the watching world.
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Look back once more at verse 11, which says, “For the grace of God has appeared . . .” The word translated as appeared here is epephanÄ“. It means “to bring light to, to make visible, to become clearly known.” It’s where we get our English word for epiphany! 2 Corinthians 4 tells us that the eyes (hearts) of those who don’t believe in Jesus have been blinded by the enemy; they reject the truth and walk in darkness because they can’t see or understand the truth. And you and I were there, too! At one point, we couldn’t see the light of Jesus until, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we had our epiphany, until the light of the gospel broke through the darkness and shone into our hearts!
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And now, as He works in us, as we walk in the fruit of the Spirit, as we learn to say “‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age,” the Holy Spirit uses our lives to enable others to have their epiphany! Regardless of gender, age, societal standing, or season, when we live with self-control and walk in the truth of the gospel, our lives can be the catalyst God uses to bring the light of Jesus into the lives of the people around us, to make the love of God through Christ visible to them, and to make the power of the gospel clearly known to them!
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Pause: How does God use your self-control and godly living to draw others to having an epiphany?
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Practice: Think about someone whose example and godly life helped draw you to salvation. If you’re able, share an encouraging word with them about how their life demonstrated the fruit of the Spirit and how the Lord used them to minister to you!
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Pray: Father, I desire to be used by You to draw others to Your kingdom. By Your Spirit, help me live the kind of life that demonstrates the fruit of the Spirit, that is self-controlled, upright, and godly, and that will bring people closer to Your Son. Amen.