Fires can quickly get out of control.  I was planning on burning a pile of old scrap wood today, but in eastern Oklahoma we are experiencing 25 mph winds, so it looks like I will have to wait until they die down.  There have been a few times when I’ve seen fires spread, and it can be scary, especially when it creeps toward a house or a car.  When we lived in Oceanside (Camp Pendleton), California, it seemed like we were always under the threat of wildfires, and many in that state have witnessed the devastating effects they can have.

In the same way fire can quickly get out of control, so can our passions, lusts, and fleshly desires.  Yes, sin is a slippery slope, as slick as a moss-covered rock in a creek!  It will make short work of a person, family, pastor, church, or nation, as it does not discriminate.  In America we can attest to this probably more so than any other country in the world.  Why?  Partly because at every turn, every second of the day, and within arm’s reach is a smart phone that can get us whatever we want or need.  How ironic is it that opposable thumbs, which give us an advantage over nature, would be the things that practically turn us into animals?  Ooh, that was harsh!  But just think about it.  In our consumer-driven culture, you can get almost ANYTHING you want with one swipe or the press of a button…anything.  Other than turning us and our children into spoiled brats, this luxurious easy lifestyle has NOT led us to revival or a spiritual awakening.  No, it has led us to the worst epidemic of sin and corruption our country has ever seen.  Sin in our nation has become a wildfire that has gone out of control, and it is destroying our so-called “Christian” nation.  We are no more a Christian nation today than a cat is a frog!  Sin has become so all-consuming that I don’t need to elaborate on how, because you [the reader] already know and so do I.  Every one of us has witnessed the devastating effects of sin gone to seed in the world, in the church, in our families, and perhaps even in ourselves.

We can no more control what the world does than we can a California wildfire, but we CAN control what we do.  So, what is the counter?  With all the temptation in the world, what recourse do we have?  As followers of Jesus, how do we fight this inferno of sin that is raging before us?  Well, we don’t.  Our only option is to surrender.  Yup, just give up, because it is no use fighting the urges and temptations you face every single day.  If you waste your energy fighting this fire in your own strength, you will atrophy from overexertion, and you will be engulfed in the flames.  So quit trying.  Surrender…to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Self-control is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:23).  This means that if you have the Holy Spirit, you are ABLE to control yourself (mind, soul, and body) when it comes to sin, and this spiritual fruit is evidence that you belong to Jesus Christ (Galatians 5:24).  Does this mean that everyone who exhibits self-control is a follower of Jesus?  No.  Even unbelievers can exercise self-control, and an increasing number of them are.  Matter of fact, the most self-disciplined Marine I ever met was an atheist!  This is quite an indictment against Christ-followers who cannot control their fleshly impulses.  And yes, I have felt the shame of knowing a non-Christian who was more self-controlled than me.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  If you have GIVEN your life to Jesus Christ, you HAVE the ability to say emphatically “NO!” to sin!  You CAN quit drinking alcohol (and you should, but that’s another can of worms); you CAN abstain from porn and sexually suggestive material; you CAN control your tongue (ouch, that one hurt!); you CAN keep your temple healthy through diet and exercise; you CAN put down your phone and pick up your Bible; you CAN be the hands, feet, and mouth of Jesus to the world.  All these things and more the Lord has given you the ability – through the power of the Holy Spirit – to do!  “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, Who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” 1^st Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV). 

The key to experiencing victory over sin is walking or abiding in the Spirit.  Paul said in Galatians 5:16 (NKJV) “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh”; he said again in Galatians 5:25 “If we live in the Spirit…” – a REALITY for all who are in Christ – “…let us also walk in the Spirit.”  As we walk in the Spirit, we produce the fruit of the Spirit including “self-control”.  Let’s look at this word self-control.  The word in the Greek is egkrateia: eg or en is a preposition meaning “in”; and the root word is the adjective kratos meaning “having power over, mastering, controlling, curbing, restraining…”.  So, in the context, the word means to be in control, in power, in dominion, in mastery – of one’s self.  This spiritual fruit of self-control is a gift from the Holy Spirit to those who are surrendered to Him.  Yes, walking in the Spirit means surrendering to Him and letting Him lead.  When we TRY to overcome sin in our own power without surrender, we fail.  But as we surrender our self-serving desires to Him, He gives us the power to effectively resist the flesh, to dump water on that fire, and that rather easily.  The key is learning the art of surrender; that is, learning to submit every hour, every minute, every second of every day to Him.  Perhaps this is what Paul meant when he said to “…pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  Learning to surrender is a sanctifying work that the Lord has begun and will continue to perform in all believers until He calls us home (Philippians 1:6).  I encourage you to be a firefighter in this sin-engulfed place called the world.  Be a lighthouse for righteousness!  If you are a follower of Jesus and you are struggling with sin, stop it!  If you feel like you’re drowning, don’t fight the Rescuer.  Let Him do what He alone CAN do.  You have God’s Word.  You have the power of His Holy Spirit.  Jesus has saved you and empowered you to rise above sin, not to make excuses for it.  Repent, confess, and surrender.  If you fail again, repeat the process, and continue on the narrow path He has laid out for you.  Stay in the fight and be the victor, not the victim to the glory of God!