Disciplines of a Godly Man

1. Godliness Demands Intentional Discipline and Effort.

No discipline no discipleship! No sweat no sainthood!

Discipline is everything. Accomplishing anything significant in life requires discipline, whether in athletics, arts, business, or academics. This is doubly true in spiritual matters, where none of us has an innate advantage; we are all equally disadvantaged by our fallen nature. Therefore, spiritual discipline is paramount for children of grace.

Train yourself. The biblical call to "train yourself to be godly" (1 Timothy 4:7) uses a word related to "gymnasium," implying strenuous exercise and sweat. Just as athletes strip away hindrances, we must shed anything impeding godliness – habits, associations, tendencies. This requires intense, focused energy, not aimless effort.

Value in all things. Godliness holds value for both the present life and the life to come. Discipline frees us from worldly gravity, allowing us to soar spiritually. It builds an enduring soul that withstands judgment. While legalism is self-centered, discipline is God-centered, motivated by love and a desire to please Him.

2. Guard Your Purity: Sensuality is Godliness's Greatest Foe.

Godliness and sensuality are mutually exclusive, and those in the grasp of sensuality can never rise to godliness while in its sweaty grip.

Pervasive sensuality. Our culture sweats sensuality, from crude media to artful advertising, making purity a significant challenge. Statistics show alarming rates of sexual sin even among professing Christians, highlighting sensuality as a major obstacle to godliness. This "Corinthian" state weakens the Church's holiness, discipline, relevance, and power.

Pathology of a fall. King David's fall (2 Samuel 11) illustrates the descent:

• Desensitization: Accepting "legal" sensualities (like excessive TV, coarse humor).
• Relaxation: Letting down moral guard when feeling safe or successful.
• Fixation: Allowing a sinful look to become a burning, lustful leer, causing God to fade from reality.
• Rationalization: The mind controlled by lust finds infinite excuses.
• Degeneration: Leading to adultery, lying, murder, and devastating consequences.

Discipline for purity. Purity is God's will (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8). Cultivate disciplines like:

• Accountability: With a spouse or same-sex friend.
• Prayer: Daily, specifically for purity.
• Memorization: Filling the mind with God's Word (Psalm 119:9, 11).
• Mind/Eyes: Guarding what you see and think (Job 31:1, Mark 9:47).
• Tongue: Avoiding obscenity, foolish talk, coarse joking (Ephesians 5:3, 4).
• Hedges: Setting boundaries in relationships, especially with the opposite sex.
• Divine Awareness: Remembering you sin against God (Genesis 39:9).

3. Discipline of Marriage: Love Your Wife Like Christ.

Marriage is a call to die, and a man who does not die for his wife does not come close to the love to which he is called.

One flesh mystery. Marriage is a profound mystery, making two people "one flesh," reflecting the union of Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:31-32). This deep psycho-spiritual bond involves an exchange of soul and requires specific disciplines of love from the husband.

Sacrificial love. Husbands are called to love their wives "just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25). This is a call to radical, sacrificial love, a willingness to die to self, rights, time, and perceived pleasures. It involves suffering with her, sharing her injustices and despairs, and making intercession for her through passionate prayer.

Sanctifying and self-love. A husband's love should elevate his wife toward Christlikeness, being a man of the Word who prays and sacrifices for her spiritual growth. He is responsible for seeking her sanctification. Furthermore, he is to love her "as his own body" (Ephesians 5:28), granting her the same importance and care he gives himself. This involves physical, emotional, and social incarnation, cherishing her as his constant soul.

4. Discipline of Fatherhood: Nurture and Instruct Your Children.

Men, the mere fact of fatherhood has endowed you with terrifying power in the lives of your sons and daughters, because they have an innate, God-given passion for you.

Terrifying power. Fathers possess immense power in their children's
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Last updated: May 3, 2025