Remix: Student Devotionals

Fruit of the Spirit Pt. 3 - Week 2, Day 2

Day 2
I SURRENDER

Paul says in Romans 7:24-25, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Real self-control is not self in control it is self under control. Under the control of God, you find the strength to overcome the areas of your life that are out of control. Surrendering your life to God is a daily deal, and do you know why? It is because the temptation to be out of control is always there.

If you are out of control in spending, guess what? There are stores everywhere. Go to the computer, and you can purchase anything. They even track your searches to get you to buy things. So you can shop and blow it 24 hours a day.

If food is the area where you are out of control, guess what? Food is everywhere. Pictures of food, commercials of food, food in your kitchen, food out with friends. And it is always delicious food.

If pornography is the area where you are out of control, you can always access whatever pictures or videos you want to see on a computer or your phone.

Let’s face it, the opportunities to be out of control are everywhere, and if you don’t want to live your life for God, there will be plenty of opportunities to live for something else. If you are sick of living in your sin, if you are sick of feeling like God is a million miles away from you, that self-control starts with a real-life conversation with God where you say, “God, I have a problem; I can’t control this. I’m powerless, and today I give up, and I surrender control of my life to you.”

Now once you do that, God controls your life, and He will help you, but I can hear some of you say now, “Well, then what’s my problem? I’ve done that. Why am I losing my battle?

Galatians 3:3 answers that question. It says this:

“Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?”

We surrender our lives to God, and then tomorrow morning, we go out into the world to face the battle alone. Paul says, “Have you lost your senses?” He’s saying don’t you remember what helped you in the first place? You admitted you were powerless, so why are you trying to do it in your power once again?

I love the story of David and Goliath. Goliath came out every day and taunted the armies of the Lord and blasphemed God, and the Israelite army was defeated before they even entered the battlefield.

But not David. With holy anger in his gut, he looked at the giant and said, “I’ll take him on. For God is with me!”

Did you catch that? David said, “God is with me.” You have to settle the issue in your heart when the giant tells you that you will never win. The giant is a liar. You have to settle the issue in your heart that you will beat this thing because God is with you.

The same power that sets you free is the same power that can keep you free. So, what do you do to access that power in your life?


Spend time with God daily. Maybe several times a day for a few minutes each time.

Pour your heart out to God in prayer.

Pick out a verse or two to memorize and meditate on.

Make church a priority and show up every week.

Get involved in a ministry

Get in a small group.

And finally, hold onto God with white-knuckle intensity.

It’s a battle every day. First, you have to surrender your will to His will. Sometimes it’s a daily surrender, and sometimes you have to surrender several times a day, but it’s worth it. Then, you can be set free, and it all starts with surrendering your will to God’s will.

Time Out:

Are you relying on God each moment of each day to overcome your weakness?

Why do you think so many people rely on their strength rather than the strength of God?

Why was that David was able to defeat Goliath? Look up 1 Samuel 17:47. Who does the battle belong to?

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13