our text this Lord's Day. As we continue in our series dealing with the fruit of the Spirit and we come to that last listed fruit of the Spirit that we will be considering this Lord's Day, temperance or self-control. We read once again from Galatians chapter 5 verses 22 through 23. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. And then Proverbs chapter 25 verse 28, He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls. What happens when the wall of self-control falls down in the life of a Christian? Dear ones, we are no different in this respect to those that are found in the pages of scripture. Noah becomes drunk with wine. Jacob lies to his father, Isaac, in order to secure the birthright. Aaron makes a calf of gold before which Israel worships. King Saul is filled with rage and throws a javelin at David. David lusts after and commits adultery with Bathsheba and then is an accomplice to her husband's murder. Peter fears and denies even knowing the Lord Jesus Christ three times. Who among us does not struggle to some degree in exercising a consistent biblical self-control over sins and weaknesses in one area or another area of our lives, over lusts and practices of the flesh, over fears and worries within our lives, over preoccupation with how we look before others, over indulging our appetites over succumbing to peer pressure and compromise due to family and friends, and over self-centered ambition and the desire to receive the applause of others more than the applause of God. Dear ones, when the wall That wall of self-control falls down at any one place. The enemies will rush in. They will find that breach, that little hole in the wall to rush in like a mighty army to exploit us. Our testimony for Jesus Christ will stand or fall to the degree that that wall of Biblical self-control stands or falls in our own lives. The last fruit of the Spirit, self-control. Temperance or self-control binds together all nine of these fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians chapter 5 verses 22 through 23. For if we are not growing in this last fruit of temperance or self-control and seeing God's Holy Spirit ruling and subduing our passions, our emotions, our feelings, our sin, and our weaknesses, The other eight fruit of the Spirit are going to be hindered in their growth within our lives. For without the wall of self-control standing firmly to protect us from the sinful desires and weaknesses that would attack and overwhelm us, we would live under the complete control and dominion of our worldly desires and following whatever the world offers to us or whatever pleases us most. God has given unto us a fruit of the spirit, namely temperance and self-control that protects us from sin that would otherwise invade us and overwhelm us like a mighty army. This may be the last listed fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 verses 22 through 23, but it is far from being the least fruit of the Spirit. The main points from the sermon this Lord's Day are the following. The fruit of temperance or self-control defined in Galatians 5.23. And secondly, the fruit of temperance or self-control applied in Proverbs 25.28. So let us consider the first main point, the fruit of temperance, or self-control, defined. This is listed as the ninth fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5.23, as temperance. The Greek word translated as temperance, ekrathēa in Galatians 5.23, literally refers to, quote, the power or lordship which one has either over oneself or over something. Various Greek lexicons and dictionaries translate this word as self-control, self-discipline, temperance, moderation, or continence. Temperance, as understood in Galatians 5.23, is the supernatural grace to rule over our desires, over our affections, over our passions and appetites, over our body, over our eyes, over our ears, over our tongue, over our hands and over our feet, and over our possessions. over our dreams and over our accomplishments to the glory of God rather than to the glory of self. Thus, the end of self-control is not to promote self, but is rather to subdue self that we might love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And it is not only a fruit of the Spirit that all Christians have, and that all Christians are growing in within their lives, but is especially a fruit in the character of one called to the ministry, as an example to the flock of Jesus Christ, according to Titus 1, verses 7 through 8, where it says, For a bishop, that is an overseer, must be blameless as the steward of God, not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre, but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate, temperate, exercising self-control. Although self-control, dear ones, is a supernatural fruit of the Holy Spirit that all Christians possess as a part of their inheritance purchased for them by the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a fruit like all the other fruit that grows in our lives in proportion to our prayer, to our care, and to our work to stimulate its growth in our life by the blessing of the Holy Spirit. In other words, dear ones, we must be diligent to exercise ourselves in godliness, to exercise ourselves in producing the fruit of self-control. But apart from the Spirit of God working within us both to will and to do His good pleasure, all our work will indeed be in vain. This hard work of bringing our desires, our thoughts, our plans, our gifts and abilities under the control of our new man in Jesus Christ, that new creation in Christ Jesus, is especially highlighted in the language of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 9, verses 24 through 27, where the Apostle Paul states that we should run the race of faith before us as an Olympian athlete who is, quote, temperate in all things. That is, as one who subdues all desires and passions that might hinder that one goal of running the race and finishing the race, seeking to win the prize. Growing in the fruit of self-control is growing in the grace of bringing even our thoughts and desires into captivity to the obedience of Jesus Christ, according to 2 Corinthians 10 5. Bringing them into captivity to the obedience of Christ, that's what self-control is. Seeking to bring our desires, our passions, our pleasures into obedience to Jesus Christ. Dear ones, growing in self-control, as I've said, is not easy work. It's very hard work, very strenuous, very taxing. For bringing our desires and plans and ambitions and affections under the control of the new creation within us is so contrary to the old man. So contrary to the old sinful man, which sees this fruit of self-control to be rightly his death and his demise, the more that we exercise and grow in the fruit of self-control, the more the old man will die. He is already legally dead. through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, because we were united with Christ in His death. He is legally dead, but He is still alive in our experience by self-control, by that fruit of the Spirit, not allowing the passions and feelings and the desires and the affections of that old man to continue unabated in our lives, we can see that old man die. Having given a definition of the biblical fruit of temperance or self-control, let us briefly distinguish this biblical fruit of temperance or self-control from its worldly counterfeits. First of all, the biblical fruit of self-control is not being led by your feelings. Biblical self-control is really not about the power of self, the power of our own feelings, but rather biblical self-control is actually about the power of Christ to control our feelings, to control ourselves. So it is perhaps more theologically accurate not to call this the fruit of the spirit of self-control, but rather the fruit of the spirit of Christ control. Because that's what is actually going on. It's not the self that's controlling, it's the self that's being controlled by the Lord Jesus Christ. This biblical view of self-control, dear ones, does not wait. for your feelings or my feelings to rise up to the point that those feelings then lead us into what is our duty to do. It's always nice when our feelings are there so that we want to do what we are called to do, but the biblical fruit of self-control doesn't wait for the feelings. It prays for the feelings. It prays that in due time the feelings would accompany that submission of our will to take the yoke of Christ upon ourselves, to deny ourselves, to take up His cross and follow Him. Yes, it's always great when the feelings accompany, but that doesn't mean that we ought to wait for the feelings. That's not hypocrisy. If we go out in faith in obedience to what God calls us to do, even when the feelings are not there, it is not hypocrisy. It is acting in faith. It is saying, I know what my duty is, and though I don't feel like it, God helped me to do my duty, to obey Thee, to follow Thee. There are many things that we do every day that we may not want to do, but we wouldn't consider it to be hypocrisy, simply because we don't have the feelings or don't want to do it. How many of us want to get out of bed every morning? How many of us can hardly wait to get to work? You see, that's not hypocrisy. That's being faithful. When we don't have the feelings and yet we do what we know to do, that's exercising self-control, the biblical fruit of self-control that God has given to us. Your feelings should be led, dear ones, by your faith, your love, and your submission to Jesus Christ and not the other way around. But you should always be praying to the Lord that sanctified feelings and desires would soon accompany your duty in your surrender to Jesus Christ. Secondly, the biblical fruit of self-control is not simply closing your mouth and biting your tongue when in public. when you are no longer in public, spewing forth all that anger and resentment, punching a pillow, hitting the wall when you are in the safe confines of your own home. The biblical fruit of self-control is rather bringing that inward anger under the control of the Holy Spirit, so that at the first awareness of that anger being stirred up within us, it is taken seriously. Before it gets to that point that we are out of control, it sees and observes, it's beginning to stir within me. And Biblical self-control takes that seriously, confesses even that small turning within, confesses that, turns to the Lord, repents of that, and surrenders oneself unto Jesus Christ, seeking his forgiveness. So that it doesn't grow and enlarge and build up under pressure so that it explodes later on. Keeping the anger from striking others in public may indeed derail some terrible consequences and that's better than probably letting it all out for sure. But that alone is not biblical self-control. Biblical self-control is attacking it when it begins to foment even within us. Thirdly, the biblical fruit of self-control is not a raw and natural determination or resolution to make some change in your life. You see, this world strives to do exactly that on New Year's Day, New Year's resolutions, mere determination. not the fruit of the spirit of self-control, but merely a resolution to do this or that for some earthly or temporal end or goal. However, this biblical fruit of self-control is energized by the Holy Spirit of God within your life to subdue your life to the glory of Christ, thus putting to death that which hinders you in the race of faith that God has set before you, so that you can run that race with patience, with endurance, and with perseverance in Jesus Christ. The biblical fruit of self-control, dear ones, is not about controlling your response to the agitations of this world so that you can retreat to some inward nirvana of peace and contentment. Biblical self-control does not make its primary focus upon self, but rather upon Christ and upon his power to overcome and to control our lives to his own glory. You see, once again, biblical self-control is not being consumed with self. Whether with your sins and weaknesses, or with your perceived strengths, or with your own thoughts and ways and desires. Biblical self-control, and again, just the name self-control can convey that you're just really preoccupied with yourself. But it's not Self that's exercising control. It's God that is controlling self. And so our focus, in order to grow in the fruit of self-control, is not to focus upon self, but to focus upon the Lord Jesus Christ, his power, his promises, his mercy, his grace. The death, we died with Christ. His life, we were raised with Christ. It's one of our faith, it's one in which our faith is looking, looking to Christ and His promises. Our love is looking to Christ and His commandments. And our hope is looking to Christ and His coming when all of this war and the battle with sin will be finally done away. There is not help or growth, dear ones, in being consumed with self. There's not help in being consumed with our sins. There's certainly not help in being consumed with our unrighteousness. Certainly we must be aware of, we must examine our hearts, we must continually check our weaknesses, our sins, those enemies that have overcome us. We must be aware of them. We must know that they're there and how they have causes to fall time and time again. But our focus, dear ones, cannot be upon the enemy. If there is to be actual hope and help, our focus must be on the power of Jesus Christ to overcome. So biblical self-control is not being filled with self, but rather denying ourselves taking up our cross and following the Lord Jesus Christ. Fifthly, the biblical fruit of self-control is not a religious asceticism wherein you deprive yourself of all earthly comforts and necessities in order to earn some benefit from the Lord, as is typically done in all religions except Biblical Christianity. Biblical Christianity does not teach this type of religious asceticism. We are, according to God's word, to enjoy what God has given to us in this world. To the glory of Jesus Christ, who has given them unto us. Not to enjoy them more than we enjoy Christ, but to enjoy them as God has given them unto us. And so, we Rather, take in biblical Christianity, we're not earning the favor of God by way of denying ourselves. We realize that everything we have is of God's grace. Even the grace to deny ourselves is God working within us both the will and to do His good pleasure. And then when we obey Him, He rewards us freely for what He gave us the ability and grace to do, so that He receives all the credit and all the glory, even for our obedience. So we are not earning anything by way of our obedience, by way of our taking up our cross and following Christ, by way of exercising Biblical self-control. It is not religious asceticism. It is, indeed, the work of God's Spirit and His grace working in our lives to bring forth this fruit to the glory of Jesus Christ. He receives all the glory. In religious asceticism, we receive the glory because we earn something by what we do. In biblical Christianity, Jesus Christ receives all the glory. Sixthly, the biblical fruit of self-control is not one of marching against the use of alcoholic beverages Perhaps you may remember in past history, temperance societies and temperance marches, those were conducted basically to deny even the lawful use of alcoholic beverages, the moderate use that we find given to us in the scriptures. The command is not to be drunk with wine. There is a lawful use of those things that God has given to us. The biblical fruit of self-control firmly believes that nothing of a material substance created by God is sinful in itself, but rather the sin is in using that and abusing that which God has given. And it proceeds from the sinful heart of man in abusing what God has given to us, whether it's alcohol, whether it's money, whether it's possessions, whether it's our family, whether it's sex. The abuse of all those things is due to the sin of man, not because that which is physical material is sinful in itself. The Lord Jesus says in Matthew chapter 15 verses 19 through 20, For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashing hands defileth not a man. Having then defined the biblical fruit of self-control and having also noted the worldly counterfeits to biblical self-control, let us move on to our second and final main point. The fruit of temperance or self-control applied. Look with me again at Proverbs 25 verse 28. He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls." I'm sure at different times all of us have probably felt like that, that city whose walls have been broken down and the enemy has rushed in and overwhelmed us. In order that we may know the necessity of the biblical fruit of self-control in our Christian lives, Solomon here gives to us the terrible consequences of ignoring and neglecting this biblical fruit of the spirit of self-control. It is like, Solomon says, a city which is under siege by an enemy who find some breach or opening through the walls, and once that entrance into the city through the walls is found, there will be a substantial attack until those walls begin to crumble and the full force of the enemy can then rush into the city and destroy it. In ancient times, the walls of a city were its chief defense against the attack of its enemies. With modern warfare, that's no longer the case, obviously. But in times past, the walls of a city were its chief defense. Not only did fortified walls keep enemies out of the city, but also from high above in those walls, looking down upon the enemy, the battle could be continued by way of arrows shot down from a high point down upon those below. Cauldrons of scalding oil that are set aflame could be poured out upon the enemy below. Huge rocks could be cast down upon the enemy. And so it was a very important part that walls played in defense against enemies in ancient times. Therefore, the one object of the enemy that was outside the walls of the city was to get through the walls by way of battering ram or by way of something that was very weak in the walls to be able to find some weakness and to get through the walls. That was the primary goal. How do we get around or through these walls into the city? And once the walls of the city were finally breached, by an invading force, and the city subsequently conquered, what would the conquering army do to those walls? They would bring them down. They would destroy those walls. And this would render the people not only defenseless in that particular occasion, but defenseless for time to come. for the attacks of that strong enemy now would have nothing to prevent at all, delay them, hinder them from getting to the city. Once the walls were broken down, resistance to the forces of the enemy became a moot point. Of course, they're going to overrun. If that enemy could overcome when the walls were standing, once the walls are down, what's going to prevent them? Thus the point of Solomon's proverb is that the biblical fruit of self-control is our wall of defense against sinful thoughts, various enemies, sinful thoughts and desires and passions and lusts and worldliness and idolatry, bitterness, worry, doubt, and on and on. But once the biblical fruit of self-control, dear ones, is compromised, breached, falls down, we will find enemies to our souls seeking to rush through the breach and seeking to lead us captive to their evil designs. Beloved, Our work in defending our lives against the attacks of the enemy is not finished once that wall of self-control is initially established by the Lord at our regeneration. Because that's when it is first established, at our regeneration. But that's not the end of the story. The Christian is to make it his or her constant duty to watch for the signs, the first signs of weakness in the wall of self-control, where our passions, our desires are making headway into our lives, finding some type of a breach in the wall of self-control. If lustful temptations come your way, or if worry, fear, pride, idolatry seek to overcome you and overwhelm you, what are you doing, what are you doing, dear ones, to fortify the wall of self-control against those enemies? It is that to you to defend you, to prevent those enemies from breaking through to overwhelm you. Walking around the walls, as it were, inspecting the wall of self-control each and every day so as to repair some weak spot is necessary in your Christian life if you would keep those enemies from establishing a beachhead or a foothold in your life. Dear ones, where are you weak and resisting the attacks of the enemy? Are you daily inspecting and fortifying the walls of self-control against these attacks? The last time they attacked in that particular spot, did you go back? Did you repair it? Did you seek to fortify it, or did you just forget about it and move on? For we take not such steps as just mentioned. Dear ones, we will have no excuse when we are overwhelmed. In fact, such an unrepaired or broken down wall of self-control is like an open invitation to the invaders, to the enemies. It's like saying, the walls are down, come on in. There's nothing to resist, you're coming in. If our hearts, dear ones, are known to be however well fortified against the enemy, the constant repelling of the enemy by means of Biblical self-control will have the effect of fortifying and re-fortifying the wall against those wicked thoughts, against those wicked words, those deeds that tempt us. You see, a weak wall of self-control welcomes the enemy, but a strong wall of self-control sends the enemy away. As in the temptations of Christ that we discussed a few Lord's Days back, after Satan had tempted the Lord Jesus Christ with these three temptations, we read in Luke 4.13, And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. Yeah, he came back but he departed. He saw there's no advantage to continuing to attack. The walls are so up and fortified, there's no reason to continue, and so he tried again at a later date. But we will find, I submit to you the same thing, when the wall of biblical self-control is up rather than down, The enemy may certainly try to find that breach, but in not being able to find the breach, it will go, and it will leave us alone for a season. There are two general areas in our lives that we should check daily to see that the wall of self-control is strong and fortified against the enemy. These are more broad, general categories. We're going to, in subsequent sermons, break them down a little bit and look more particularly at subcategories under these general categories. But these are the two main categories that we need to inspect daily. First of all, the body. And second, the heart. Body, first of all. Think of the many ways that the enemy seeks to break down and break through the walls of self-control in regard to the body by means of what we look at with our eyes, those who are immodestly dressed, or pornography, TV, or the internet. By means of what we hear with our eyes, sensual and profane music and jokes that we listen to. and are humored by, by means of what we say and utter with our tongues, part of our body, by way of angry outbursts and lying and boasting, by way of gossip, by way of unwarranted criticism that we bring against one another, and by means of what we use our bodies for. Do we use our bodies to flirt with others' affections? Do we use our bodies to encourage sexual desires by way of immodest dress and behavior? Do we use our bodies for that which is impure in sexual behavior? What do we use our bodies for? All of these, dear ones, fall under the category of the body and that is why we must daily inspect the body to see that the wall of self-control is up. With regard to the heart, likewise we need to inspect the heart. We need to see that the wall of self-control is up against the heart. Think of the many ways that the enemy seeks to break through the walls of self-control in regard to the heart by means of our affections, by means of our desires, by means of our ambitions and goals, by means of our compromises, by means of pride, by means of our fears. By means of our idols that no one else may even see, but they're in our hearts. And we are bowing down to them and we are loving them and cherishing them more than we do the Lord Jesus Christ. Or by means of hatred that is within our hearts. By means of self-pity that's within our hearts. by means of discontentment and we can go on and on and on with regard to matters related to the heart that the enemy is going to use to attack us and will overwhelm us if the wall, the biblical wall of self-control is not up. What steps, and I'm closing with these points that I would like to make at this time. What steps should we be taking to fortify the walls of self-control in our lives? Let me give you a number of steps that we can take to fortify the walls of self-control around our lives. First of all, rest. in the promise of God's grace and power to build the wall of self-control, to maintain the wall of self-control. Without Christ, you can do nothing, Jesus says in John 15, 5. But you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you, Philippians 4, 13. No matter how many times the wall has fallen, You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Do not despair. Do not throw up your hands and quit. There is grace available. Rest in God's power and in His mind and in His grace. It is by God's grace, dear ones, from start to finish that the wall of self-control is built and fortified by the Holy Spirit. So often, when something in our life fails, we have this fix-it mentality. The wall of self-control is down, I must fix it. But dear ones, I submit to you, that's getting the cart before the horse. No, you first need Jesus Christ. in all of His glory, in all of His power, in all of His grace, you are more than conquerors through Christ, through His death and resurrection, through His power to overcome the grave. You are more than conquerors through Christ who loved you and gave His life for you according to Romans 8.37. Dear ones, In haste to fix the breach in the wall, don't skip over this first and most important step. Rest in the promise of God's grace and His power to build and fortify the wall of self-control. Secondly, As we noted in the sermon, examine every day the wall of self-control in your life. Walk around and inspect where the wall of self-control in your life is strong by God's grace, but also where is it weak and vulnerable to attack? Where does it need to be fortified? Where did the enemy come in last time? Inspect it. Make it a study by way of awareness and serious inspection. Apart from that, dear ones, I dare say there's not going to be on our parts a desire to fortify the wall. We need to do that inspection. every single day if the wall of self-control is to be fortified and to stand. Number three, pray fervently daily and throughout the day that God would grant you the desire, the perseverance, and the strength to fortify the wall of self-control, especially the places in the wall that you have already identified as being very vulnerable in your life. vulnerable to attack in the past. If fortifying the wall of self-control, dear ones, is the revealed will of God, and I submit to you based on what I've already said, it is the revealed will of God that you fortify the wall of self-control in your life, then it is a good gift, is it not? It is a good gift for which you can constantly plead with your Heavenly Father to give to you Because He only gives to us that which is good for us. And that is a good gift. In Matthew 7 verse 11, Jesus says, If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him? And keep on asking Him. Through prayer, dear ones, enjoy your communion. with Christ privately, enjoy your communion with Christ as a family, and enjoy your communion with Christ as we are gathered together each Lord's Day in prayer. You see, prayer is about communing with Jesus Christ. Certainly, prayer is about petitioning and supplicating God for our needs. But I submit to you the first and most important thing is communing with Jesus Christ. That is of the essence of prayer, that we are in fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Enjoy that fellowship. Grow to enjoy and when you are delayed or hindered, that you actually feel like you have missed time with your very best friend. Fourthly, read and memorize specific passages of scripture that apply to that spiritual enemy that has breached the wall of self-control many times before, and that you now want to fortify that part of the wall against that enemy. Read and memorize scripture. You see, scripture, dear ones, is the sword of the spirit to do battle with the enemy, according to Ephesians 6.17. For example, your wall of self-control is vulnerable to the attacks of lust. Galatians 5.24 says, And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. You see, find a particular passage of scripture It doesn't have to be a whole chapter, but a verse, a passage of scripture that speaks to that particular enemy. Memorize it, put it up in conspicuous places. On your mirror, on the dash of your car, wherever, on your refrigerator, wherever you're going to see it. Because the Word of God has that effect in our lives. It's sharper than any two-edged sword. It pierces even to our innermost being. Or what if that enemy that has made your wall of self-control especially vulnerable is fear? What about Hebrews 13, 6? So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. The Lord is my helper. Who can stand against God? I'm not going to fear man when God is standing with me. Or what about the enemy of pride? that has made that portion of the wall of self-control very vulnerable. In 1 Corinthians 10-12, Wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth take heed, lest he fall. Pride is always exalting itself, always thinking that it can withstand anything, it can do anything. in its own strength, in its own gifts and abilities and resources, but beware, when you think you're standing, lest you fall. The fifth point that I would give to you with regard to fortifying the wall of self-control Exercise yourself to godliness and self-control, in 1st Timothy 4.7. Exercise yourself in all matters related to godliness. Dear ones, exercise may not always be fun. In fact, it usually isn't fun. It's hard work. It's painful. But we must exercise ourselves. Go down to the gym, as it were, spiritually. to endure the pain of bringing forth godliness in our lives by putting to death the old men, by looking to Christ to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit, and particularly in this regard, the fruit of self-control. Sixthly, take your burden to other Christians that you trust that you might have their help in accountability, you might have their prayers, you might have even their correction and their encouragement in fortifying the wall of self-control and self-discipline. Galatians 6, 1-2 says, Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual Restore such an one in the spirit of meekness. Considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted, bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Seventh, don't flirt. with the enemy outside the walls. Don't taunt and tease the enemy outside the walls. Rather, despise and hate the enemy outside the walls and give no occasion to the flesh to break through the walls by a kind of relaxed and casual approach to the enemy. Dear ones, it is the enemy Exclamation point, it is the enemy. The enemy is not that with whom we flirt, tease, taunt. The enemy is one with whom we do battle through the power of the Lord our God. Eighth, don't wallow in unrepentant sin for days. if the wall goes down and the enemy invades. Do not wallow in unrepentant sin for days, for if you do so, it will lead likely to weeks. of unrepentant sin, months of unrepentant sin, and in some cases years of unrepentant sin. Repent quickly. Rebuild by God's grace. Resting in Him, rebuild the wall of self-control immediately. Turn to the Lord. Seek His forgiveness. You see, the longer you remain in an unrepentant condition, And the longer the walls of self-control remain breached or have fallen down, the more likely the enemy will infiltrate with even greater forces in other areas because vices are connected one to another. Vices aren't independent. If we give way to one vice, isn't it much more likely we're going to give way to another vice? But by the same token, Virtues are connected. When we build the wall of self-control, we are going to see, at the same time, the other fruit of the Spirit growing, because they're not hindered, because the enemy is not attacking, destroying. Proverbs 24, 16 says, For a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again. but the wicked shall fall into mischief. They despair. They fall into mischief like Judas Iscariot. They despair and do not repent. And finally, the last one, ninthly, look in hope. Look in hope to that eternal city that needs no walls of defense to keep the enemy out. Revelation 21 verse 25 says, and the gates of it shall not be shut at all. There was without hope of final victory over these enemies that look for and breach the walls of self-control in our lives presently, we would throw up our hands in despair and quit if we did not know that there is a city that awaits us, which does not need walls. What a blessed and certain hope is ours in that everlasting city of peace. whose king, whose wall, and whose fortress is our great God and Savior. And in that city, there will never be another breach, for there will never be another attack from an enemy in that city. In that city, we will be safe, secure, in perfect peace, forever set apart from sin and temptations, forever set apart from tears, sorrows, and failures. Dear Christian, it is time to cast your eye of hope very often upon that city where the only walls in that city are the walls of salvation and deliverance. from sin and from all the enemies that we face in this life, through, and always through, the finished death and completed resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Let us stand in prayer. Our Heavenly Father, build and fortify, Lord, around our city, around our spirit, the wall of self-control. Lord, we plead with Thee. We seek, Lord, Thy strength, Thy power, Thy grace. Work within us both the will and to do Thy good pleasure. We plead with Thee, our Lord, that thou would grant to us grace, that in our battle against the enemies that would seek to invade us and do at various times break through the walls of self-control, that Lord, we would not lose hope, that we would continue in hope to look to that everlasting city that needs no walls except the walls of salvation. O Lord, our God, many, O Lord, who are hearing this sermon no doubt need the encouragement that thy word does provide in order to take up, Lord, again to fortify those walls that have fallen many times. Lord, may they not fall into despair. May they find courage and strength in looking to Christ and loving Christ and in hoping in Christ. We ask these things in Christ's name. Amen. For much more information on the Puritans and Reformers, including the best free and discounted classic and contemporary books, mp3s, digital downloads, and videos, please visit Still Waters Revival Books at PuritanDownloads.com Stillwater's Revival Books also publishes The Puritan Hard Drive, the most powerful and practical Christian study tool ever produced. All thanks and glory be to the mercy, grace, and love of the Lord Jesus Christ for this remarkable and wonderful new Christian study tool. 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