Fruit of the Spirit: Self-Control

Intro

Jonathan Edwards – Resolution One: I will live for God. Resolution Two: If no one else does, I still will.

One of the greatest lessons we see on self-control in scripture (or lack of) is found in 2 Samuel 11.

A Sluggard Lacks Self-Control

David’s spiral into sexual sin started with being a sluggard and not being active where he was called to be, “the time when kings go out to battle (v. 1)”

Scripture mentions this detail and gives no justifiable reason for why David was not fulfilling his kingly duty.

The simple fact of the matter is David was being lazy (a sluggard) and complacent

When we choose laziness we stop practicing self control, and slowly start drifting towards disaster

Scripture has clear warnings against these practices:

Proverbs 21:25–26 ESV

The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. All day long he craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back.

When we let laziness rule in our lives, we stop structuring our lives in a productive manner

When we neglect the godly duty of productivity we are inviting chaos into our lives

We start listening to our fleshly desires, that slowly physically and spiritually kill us

Galatians 5:19–21 ESV

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Our descons start get to be made off of what is easy and enjoyable

Zephaniah 1:12 ESV

At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts, ‘The Lord will not do good, nor will he do ill.’

Self control at many times we neglect in complacency because we fall into the lie God is going to be complacently towards us

When we believe God is going to be indifferent towards us we start to make what ever decision we feel like and stop basing decisions on the wisdom of God

Application:

Work and responsibilities takes self-control

These are things that we do not just do haphazard

David had the position of king but in a season of lack of self-control he failed to carry out his duties

Complacency causes us to neglect the wisdom of God

When we get comfortable where we at we stop looking at the wisdom of God

Proverbs 2:6 ESV

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Time with the Lord does not come from complacency. You have to be intentional in setting time ot the side, you have to intentional about reading, you have to be intentional about listening

To make one thing clear much sin would be avoided if we addressed our laziness and complacency. Laziness is the birth place of much sin.

Laziness drives us to be apathetic about our faith

Self-Control and the Body

After David neglected his duties, we see his sins quickly multiply

As David wallowed in laziness ultimately he choose to stop controlling his actions

David had the opportunity to turn his eyes, but he choose to linger and choose to seek out to fulfill his lust by any means

David should have followed the wisdom he read in Genesis of how Joseph responded when presented with the opportunity to fall into sexual sin, day after day she made advances but he refused and when she tried to force herself he fled

And I want to point out something here Scripture says nothing about the devil made him do it

David choose to do it, just like you choose to do it

The devil made me do it is just a way for us to separate ourselves from responsibility and to convince ourselves that we could not be that awful of people

The devil did not make you do it because one as a believer he has no control over you.

Only thing the devil may do is amplify what is already there in you unchecked

See when we have a lack of self-control we stop taking every thought captive

2 Corinthians 10:5 ESV

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you. -John Owen

See David did not take the thought captive of whatever the process of staying home was

David did not take captive his lustful thoughts, the moment he saw Bathsheba should have been the ultimate red flag

He should have got whiplash from turning his head so fast

As he was whipping his head around he should have been falling to his knees, then got up grabbed palace soldiers and headed to the frontlines

See part of repentance is restructuring your life, taking back the control you handed over to sin

So often we get in these spirals of returning to the same sin again and again because we do nothing to address the spiritual environment that led to the sin

This morning how do you need to restructure your life, what are some areas of laziness you need to address.

Are their duties you are neglecting?

Are their spiritual practices you are neglecting?

Do you give yourself to too much rest?

In a Lack of Self-Control The Depths of Depravity Are Shown

David instead of repenting turns into trying to fix his own problem, tries to atone for his sin by his own means

Finds himself doing things he probable never thought he would do such as taking advantage of another mans wife and then murdering him to cover up his sin.

Again the devil did not make him do it, the unchecked wickedness of David’s heart led to this moment

Matthew 15:10–20 ESV

And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

I am capable of these things, you are capable of these things, no one is exempt, David was known as a man after God’s own heart but even David when trusting uin his own self was capable of failing to the greatest depths of human depravity

When we fall to the “I would never” sins stop and hit your knees, do not try to atone by your own means because your own means is what got you there, so why would your means get you out of the mess

When We Neglect the Gift of Self-Control We Displease the Lord

2 Samuel 11:27 ESV

And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

What is the thing Austin has done to displease the Lord? What have you done to displease the Lord?

What simple act of relinquishing self-control in our lives led to the downward spiral in your life?

What is the divine plan you need to enact to allow the Spiritual discipline of self control to become strong in your life again?

David’s sin with Bathsheba did not begin with lust—it began with laziness. Neglect of duty bred complacency, complacency gave way to lust, lust gave birth to sin, and sin spiraled into destruction. The absence of self-control will always create the presence of chaos.

Application Points

Examine your areas of complacency.

Where are you failing to be diligent in your walk with Christ/

Address sin at the root, not the fruit.

David should have dealt with his laziness before it grew into lust. You must deal with unchecked thoughts, habits, and neglect now.

Restructure your life for repentance.

Repentance is not just saying “sorry,” it is rearranging your priorities, routines, and environment to honor God.

Reject the lie of spiritual indifference.

God is not complacent about sin—He is holy. Don’t deceive yourself into thinking He overlooks laziness or indulgence.

Embrace Spirit-driven self-control.

Self-control is not simply willpower, it is the fruit of the Spirit. Only when we submit to the Spirit can we conquer laziness and sin.

I encourage you this week to examine your life and find a place where laziness creeps in and how can you place spiritual discipline there