But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
1 Corinthians 9:27
As believers, with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we have the strength and ability to bring our body and mind into submission with God’s will. Through His divine power through the Holy Spirit, we are able to apply strength to overcome our personal weaknesses. While it does still take work and fortitude, if we are relying on Christ, we will overcome our weaknesses. Galatians 5:22 states that one of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control, along with the first fruits named as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness. Christian character is produced by the Holy Spirit, not merely by human moral discipline. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit results in these Christian virtues. Sometimes self-control can be difficult because we constantly have the devil trying to persuade us to fall back into our old ways. Daily, though, we must seek to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us in revealing these Christian virtues, for we cannot live one way and preach another. Lord we pray for your guidance and will in our lives that we may demonstrate the virtues of the Holy Spirit in every situation so that others can see you through our life.
—Written by The Lighthouse mentors.