Day 17: Self-control

1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV) Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith….

The Bible clearly describes the devil as our adversary, the personification of evil looking for every opportunity to do us in. Satan is actively seeking Christians he can attack and devour.

The Apostle Peter tells us that self-control is a key to resisting and overcoming these attacks. When we are self-controlled and alert, there is less room for temptation and deception to take hold in our hearts and minds. We recognize the lies of the devil for what they are and “we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). In contrast, a man who lacks self-control is “like a city whose walls are broken down” (Proverbs 25:28), unprotected and vulnerable to all kinds of destructive assaults.

Fasting is an exercise in self-control. It helps develop the discipline of saying “no” to ourselves and the devil’s schemes and “yes” to righteous thinking and desires. The result is greater resistance to ungodliness and a firm stand of faith in God.

Prayer: Father, we recognize the devil’s agenda to steal, kill and destroy and we actively resist him. During this time of fasting, teach us the power of self-control as a weapon in this warfare and a tool for building our faith in You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.