Daily Devotional – Wednesday, October 5, 2022
Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.
Proverbs 25:28 (NKJV)
Ancient cities had protective walls around them. Rulers placed guards and watchmen at strategic points along the walls. Residents and visitors could only enter or leave the cities through manned and secure gates.
Fortified walls provided security from enemy armies and wild animals. The only way one could defeat and dominate the residents of the city was to infiltrate the walls. Rulers, therefore, invested in ‘impregnable’ walls.
A City Broken Down, Without Walls
Similarly, when Nebuchadnezzar’s army attacked Jerusalem, it destroyed the wall, killed many people, destroyed the temple and the city, and took people captive. In essence, once an enemy infiltrated a city’s wall, destruction followed.
King Solomon used the analogy of a protective wall to teach a powerful lesson on self-control and self-discipline. He said, “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.” (Proverbs 25:28).
If we cannot control our thoughts, words, and actions, we expose ourselves to devastating attacks by the devil. If Satan takes control of our faculties, we will be like broken down cities, without walls.
Of Self Control and Broken Cities Without Walls
Our lack of self-control can also cause ruin for other people. For example, if we fail to bridle our tongues and malign the characters of others, we are likely to poison and destroy relationships. Unfortunately, even after we repent and make amends, some of the effects of our recklessness cannot be undone.
How do we avoid a scenario where our lives are broken down without God’s protective power? The solution is to invite God the Holy Spirit into our hearts and lives (Galatians 5:22–23). When we do this, we develop the fruit of the spirit, which contains an ingredient called ‘self-control’.
Prayer
Holy Spirit, imbue me with self-control instead of becoming a city broken down, without walls.
Please leave a comment after reading this devotional. God bless you.
Amen…Self control and self denial are principles that we can learn from Christ ‘s life, especially during the 40days in the wilderness, He was tempted by the devil but was able to contain the wills of the devil. Without food for long but refused to change stone into bread for His food. By precept and example Christ lived as how we should live.
Being the fruit of the holy spirit,He would help us when we receive him.
Amen, Doc.