Proverbs 25:28
He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
If I were to ask what is the greatest conquest one could obtain in life, many, if not most, would come up with the wrong answer. The greatest conquest of life is to have complete control of your spirit. To be in control of your spirit means that you control your disposition and outlook in life. Psalm 18:14 asks, The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear? God knows that if your spirit is not under control that you will likely not do much for Him.
God says the one who has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. God is saying that your spirit has no defense against what affects it if you don't rule it. You will never live by faith if you don't rule your spirit. You will never be faithful to serving God if you don't rule your spirit. You will never have a steady disposition if you don't rule your spirit. There are too many people that I try to help who are up one day and down the next because they allow outside circumstance to rule their spirit instead of them getting control of their spirit and ruling it. The greatest conquest you will achieve in life is to conquer your spirit. To rule your spirit so you can conquer it means you must do several things.
First, you must live by principle if you are to rule your spirit. If you let your feelings dictate what you do, your spirit will be out of control and likely damaged most of the time. A person who lives by principle lets principle dictate their spirit instead of their feelings.
Second, control your information. Your information portal must be narrow and controlled so that it doesn't let the wrong information wound your spirit. You must learn what discourages and frustrates you if you are to rule your spirit. You must learn who gives you the wrong information that damages your spirit and not spend much time with them. Get control of the information portal of your life and only let the information that will not hurt your spirit in.
Third, govern your spirit. Don't let your spirit ride the roller coaster that life’s circumstances try to get you to ride. At the initial onset of information received, don't allow yourself to get too excited or too depressed. Likely what you hear is not as good as you think it is, and not as bad as you initially thought. Stay off the roller coaster that life’s problems try to get you to ride; instead, let the dust settle from the information received, and you will find that you can rule your spirit.
Fourth, order your spirit. There will be times when you will have to tell yourself to get over your complaining and whining. We are all prone to feeling sorry for ourselves when we think life is not fair, but you must tell yourself to get over it if you are to rule your spirit. If you are going to rule your spirit, you must stop seeking sympathy and tell yourself to get over feeling sorry for yourself.
Fifth, direct the focus of your spirit. Direct your spirit to get joy from that which changes not, and you will always have a good spirit. If you focus on the unchanging God who promises never to leave you, and if you focus on your salvation which can never be taken away, you will find you always have something to be joyful about. Rule your focus, and you will rule your spirit.
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