Discipleship: Denial
Week 3 Devotional
OK Men,
7th Century Christian theologian Saint Maximus once said, “A person who is simply a man of faith is not a disciple.” Discipling Christ requires more than just belief. It’s modeled and proven in the way one lives his life. Discipleship is not just faith changing, but life changing, because the whole point is to become less like ourselves and more like Christ. This transformation gains it’s most powerful fuel when we fight to say “No” to our sinful thoughts and desires.
Obedience to Christ calls for self-sacrifice. This is done by denying ourselves. Arguably, this is the most difficult aspect of Christianity. It requires that we battle with our natural desires. And since we’re all fallen humans, those natural instincts are typically unholy. If there’s an element of the Christian walk that tends to be ignored, it’s this one. Self-denial doesn’t feel good, and our Western culture has a hard time being uncomfortable. But this necessary step comes directly from the mouth of Jesus. In Luke 9:23 he says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Must deny themselves. The true disciple of Jesus must do this, which of course implies that the man who doesn’t deny himself, cannot yet truthfully and Biblically, call himself a disciple.
Why is it so important for the Christian to deny himself? My pastor once said, “Whatever you feed grows. Whatever you starve dies. So feed your spirit daily and starve your sinful self.” It’s important to note that the Holy Spirit does the vast majority of the sanctifying work within us. However, when we take in something that isn’t of God, it feeds the sinful parts of our heart, and can stifle the work of the Spirit. Proverbs 25:28 says, “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.” Without telling the sinful temptations “No”, the heart becomes unsecure. The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. If it’s not trained to be fortified, it has no safeguards.
Self-control is a defense. If it’s not practiced and developed, it won’t be strong enough to help when the battles come. Jesus said that denying yourself is a daily choice. He’s of course, right, but denying the flesh and practicing self-control is not a one time a day choice. Denying the self in order to stay true to Christ is a decision we can make hundreds of times a day, as the battle against the flesh happens hour-by-hour, even minute-by-minute. But we’re not alone in this. 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us that the Holy Spirit “gives us power, love and self-discipline.” As a result of putting your faith in Christ, you’ve received the ability and power to practice self-control, but it needs to be cultivated.
If you’re suddenly remembering or feeling guilty for all the times you’ve failed to exhibit self-control, stop and realize this is everyone’s battle. Every man who’s serious about following Christ must fight to deny the ungodliness in his heart. For some, it’s lust and pornography. For others, it will be substance abuse and addiction. Some will struggle to deny their anxiety, unforgiveness, or rage. Some may be limited in their faith in God, and will have to work at denying their doubt. It is hard to deny fleshly temptations. Even with the Spirit, it’s much easier to deny elements of Christ and his teachings to increase personal comfort.
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The Apostle Peter had a moment when he didn’t just deny the teachings of Christ, he denied knowing him altogether. John 18:25 says, “Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, ‘You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?’ He denied it, saying, ‘I am not.’” After following Jesus daily, as one of his closest disciples, Peter would deny knowing Jesus three times that night because he couldn’t deny the fear in his heart: his fear of judgment, rejection, or what might happen to him for being a follower. He gave in to the fleshly desire to run from Christ because of what the world was asking and accusing. The temptations we struggle to deny, whatever they may be, do not have to be viewed as obstacles to our Christ-likeness. We can use them as a means to push us closer to God. Paul writes, “Join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace” (2 Timothy 1:8-9). Christ calls us to a holy life. He’s well aware we can’t achieve it on our own, he has the scars to prove it. He sends us the Spirit because we need the help. However, if the Christian man doesn’t attempt to deny himself in the way Christ teaches, he’s diminishing the Spirit’s power, and merely wants the grace of Jesus without having to live the life he’s instructed to.
Titus 1:16 says, “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.” This was one of the verses I held onto tightly in my own personal fight against pornography. I didn’t want my actions to deny God. I wanted to deny the wickedness in my heart, but for a long time I wasn’t starving it, I was feeding it. When the temptation was satisfied, it only became more difficult to close the floodgates. For too long I didn’t say “No” to the things that a disciple of Jesus should have, and it created an opening for the enemy. Like Peter, I gave in to my fleshly desires to reject, avoid, and run from the hard parts of following Christ. And as a result, I was simply a man of faith, not a disciple.
Today, I have to be very intentional about my own self-denial. The discomfort it brings helps me become aware of my pride. It reveals that I still have thoughts and desires that are not products of God, but of my sinful self, and that side of me can still live and thrive if I let it. The temptations of my heart and flesh put a physical feeling to the truth that I will always need Christ. I long for the day that I’m finally free of this rebellious heart, yet also grateful that God is good, and he can still use a bad season of life for our own benefit and his glory. But sin has consequences. It harms us in many spiritual, mental, and emotional ways. What happens to the heart when we turn to pornography at every lustful temptation? How does the mind get formed when we consistently judge and think negatively about others? How is a man’s marriage impacted when he simply fails to deny these two things? When the Christian lives like this, he’s denying Christ the access to transform his heart and life.
Now, you and I can never be perfect. The good news is that we don’t have to be because we serve the one who is. Jesus left his throne in heaven to live as a human, experiencing every trial and temptation we face. He denied his flesh constantly, not giving in to any one of them. His work didn’t just save us from the wrath of the Father, it also saved us from the grip of sin. There is freedom from the flesh because of the Spirit! We can experience some of that freedom when we feed the Spirit wisely, through Scripture, prayer, and saying “No” to that which hurts our own sanctification.
Beginning to deny my flesh helped create the biggest transformation in my faith and relationship with Jesus. While it will always have its difficulties, and I can still fall short because of how many different ways the flesh can steer me wrong, I’ve learned that saying “No” also brings an opportunity to invite Jesus into the areas of my life where my sin and weakness rule. It gives me the chance to honestly come to him and ask, “Can you take this? Because I’m not strong enough to overcome it on my own.” When we deny the flesh in order to remain obedient to God, we’re living and experiencing humanity the same way Christ himself did.
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