Chapter 248—Self-Mastery
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth
his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Proverbs 16:32
.
The highest evidence of nobility in a Christian is self-control. He who
can stand unmoved amid a storm of abuse is one of God’s heroes. To rule the
spirit is to keep self under discipline; to resist evil; to regulate every word
and deed by God’s great standard of righteousness. He who has learned
to rule his spirit will rise above the slights, the rebuffs, the annoyances, to
which we are daily exposed, and these will cease to cast a gloom over his
spirit.
It is God’s purpose that the kingly power of sanctified reason, controlled
by divine grace, shall bear sway in the lives of human beings. He who rules
his spirit is in possession of this power.
The body is a most important medium through which the mind and
the soul are developed for the upbuilding of character. Hence it is that the
adversary of souls directs his temptations to the enfeebling and degrading
of the physical powers.... The body is to be brought into subjection to the
higher powers of the being. The passions are to be controlled by the will,
which is itself to be under the control of God.... Intellectual power, physical
stamina, and the length of life depend upon immutable laws. Through
obedience to these laws, man may stand conqueror of himself, conqueror of
his own inclinations, conqueror of principalities and powers of “the rulers
of the darkness of this world,” and of “spiritual wickedness in high places”
(
Ephesians 6:12
)....
The spirit that possessed Daniel, the youth of today may have; they may
draw from the same source of strength, possess the same power of self-
control, and reveal the same grace in their lives, even under circumstances
as unfavorable. Though surrounded by temptations to self-indulgence,
especially in our large cities, where every form of sensual gratification
is made easy and inviting, yet by divine grace their purpose to honor God
may remain firm. Through strong resolution and vigilant watchfulness they
may withstand every temptation that assails the soul.
[257]
356