The "Mean Streak" in Self-Control

To quote again from Ed Welch's book, "Addictions", on the matter of self-control - Dr. Welch observed a characteristic of biblical self-control that many Christians seem to be unaware of:

"...there is a mean streak to authentic self-control...Self-control is not for the timid. When we want to grow in it, not only do we nurture an exuberance for Jesus Christ, we also demand of ourselves a hatred for sin...The only possible attitude toward out-of-control desire is a declaration of all-out war...There is something about war that sharpens the senses...You hear a twig snap or the rustling of leaves and you are in attack mode. Someone coughs and you are ready to pull the trigger. Even after days of little or no sleep, war keeps us vigilant."

We should apply these words from Dr. Welch carefully and thoughtfully. How many of us, as Christians, are honestly "vigilant" about remaining sin (Rom.7:17-23)? Are we on the constant watch for this enemy within our members? Think of it this way: if I knew that as I went to bed there was a rattlesnake lurking somewhere under the covers, would I rest easy? Of course not! I would find that nasty snake and kill it. Well, there is something worse than a snake that we must be ready to kill - it is what the apostle Paul described as "sin that dwells in me" (Rom.7:17). It is that residual propensity toward evil, which though dethroned in the Christian, yet remains as a subtle deceiving enemy of our souls. And what's worse, this enemy knows nothing of sleep or vacations. Sin is always at work to tempt us and draw us away through our thoughts, affections, and desires. Thus, we must develop by God's grace a genuine "mean streak" against sin in every and all forms.

This means affirming that the Christian life is war. It is a war not against other people, but an all-out combat against every sinful impulse I find in myself. Moreover, my hatred for sin will only grow as I keep before me what God says about sin in His Word. I need to see sin as God sees it! I need to see that it is a transgression of God's law (I Jn.3:4). It is therefore always in rebellion against God's revealed will, and hence, it defies His sovereign authority. Furthermore, sin kills. It kills man's soul. It kills human relationships. There is nothing in sin as sin that serves to redeem humanity. No matter how much sin may fill us with pleasure - it is a fleeting pleasure that is deceiving and destructive. Armed then with these biblical principles about sin, a violent streak will grow in our hearts by God's grace which will serve to strengthen the self-control that we have been given by the Holy Spirit (Gal.5:23). So wage war, Christian! Fight by the Spirit and the Word and may we give sin no quarter but only what it deserves - death for the glory of God (Rom.8:13).