In Proverbs 25:28 we read, “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”  Remember that in biblical times, the wall of a city was its primary means of defence against outsiders.  It was hard to tunnel under the walls.  It was hard to climb over them, but if you could break down the gate or knock down part of the wall, an invading army could pour into the city and destroy it from the inside out.  Think of the story of the fall of Jericho.  God told the people to march around the city for seven days blowing their trumpets.  And at the end of the seventh day, after marching in silence all day, when they blew the trumpets, God caused the falls to collapse and the Israelites swarmed over the city and destroyed everyone in it.

And so Solomon tells us that just as a city without a wall is easy prey for an invading army, so a man or woman who lacks self-control is easy prey for any and all kinds of temptation.  It’s too bad that Solomon didn’t heed his own device...

[This series of sermons is adapted from Jerry Bridges’ recent book, Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins we Tolerate.]