Mitchell Landress

There are at least a dozen books in my pastoral library that deal with battling lust. It is true that this is a huge issue for men and a great source of stumbling to many men and many pastors for that matter - so on one hand I am glad they are there and I am grateful for the insight they have given to me. But I was really struck by a verse of Scripture this morning from 1 Peter 4:1b-2. "for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions, but for the will of God." Simply put, I believe Peter is telling us that those who are suffering for Christ's sake have their mind on Christ and suffering and not on the passions of the flesh. The reason so many men battle with lust and fleshly temptations (and I include myself in that group) is that our minds are far from the things of Christ. Suffering in the flesh is the direct opposite of indulging the flesh. The man who is getting lashes on his b

Self control is an identifying mark of a Christian. When the Apostle Paul lists the nine fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 self-control is on the list. That is, if the Holy Spirit lives inside us (and He does for all those who have believed in Jesus Christ for salvation) then you WILL produce self-control. It is not a possibility that you might, you definitely should and must! Self-control is not standard equipment on the human being. From our mother's womb we come forth screaming frantically until we get the things we need. Then in childhood our parents have to teach us to control our appetites, desires, and emotions - even if they cannot reach into our hearts they must attempt, as good parents, to at least govern our actions. But for the Christian this goes beyond simple behavior modification. If we have been born again by the Spirit of God, our heart is new and genuine self-control is possible. But it is not automatic. Simon Peter writes to us in 2 Peter 1:5-8, "For