The Greatest Warrior

“[He that is] slow to anger [is] better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” (Pr 16:32 AV)

It is interesting that anger and taking a city in battle are compared.  One would think anger to be a common emotion when in the heat of battle.  One might even go so far as to say that waging a war without anger may not be profitable.  The point is, the person who can accomplish feats without anger is mightier than the one who relies upon anger.  Better yet, the person who can conquer himself is mightier that he who, with anger, conquers others.  Yet, I believe the Spirit does not want to limit self-control to one emotion.  Anger isn’t the only impulse we have.  We have many others.  To conquer self is the greatest of all battles.  The world can be avoided.  We can live in a cave!  The Devil can be resisted.  He can only be at one place at a time.  But Self is the enemy we carry everywhere we go.  From the moment we arise to the moment we fall to sleep, Self is there to push his own agenda.  His desires are in direct conflict with the LORD’s, and ofttimes, Self wins.  In fact, far too often.  To conquer Self is the greatest battle one could ever win.

Impulsive people receive much attention.  The above example is a good one.  Darius, who conquered Jerusalem, was advanced into a throne by his superior, Cyrus.  He was honored as a great warrior and received much because of it.  Today, if a quarterback sets a record, he is remembered for a generation.  Perhaps beyond.  They mold statues of him and place him in the Hall of Fame.  Yet, the faithful husband who takes care of a family, trains them in the things of the LORD, and falls to no obvious sin is seen as a boring Joe.  The former leaves a trail of poor choices no one notices because the feat is more important than the failures.  The latter is barely known.  Except for the product of his faithfulness, he leaves behind.  He leaves a family that loves the LORD, serves Him passionately, and changed more than a game or city.  They serve in a local church, surrender to the mission field, teach a Sunday School, become deacons, or serve in some other way.  They change their church, city, country, and the world in ways that are eternal.  Those who can conquer themselves, in the long run, produce lasting results than a mere portrait in a museum no one will visit after the sport has lost its popularity.

Solomon knows of what he speaks here.  Having amassed thousands of wives and conquered all his surrounding enemies, he knows that the greatest foe he ever faced was himself.  It wasn’t that Philistines who gave him the most trouble.  His father, yes.  David was always fighting them.  It wasn’t Egypt.  That was Moses’ foe.  It wasn’t Moab or Edom.  Those were the enemies of the Judges.  Syria, Nineveh, and Babylon were enemies of the future.  Under Solomon’s reign, he conquered all known threats to himself and the nation.  Except one!  Solomon was the greatest threat to the nation and himself.  He never met a pretty lady he didn’t like.  This would include those of pagan nations.  Eventually, these wives would tempt Solomon to worship false gods.  It would be Self that fell.  It would be the spirit Solomon could never constrain.  It may not have been anger that undid him.  The principle above applies to more than anger alone.  Any impulsive tendency applies.  Whether anger, lust, or envy.  It could be hatred, variance, or malice.  It matters not.  The saint who can conquer the greatest enemy of all is the mightier.  This enemy is unseen.  The battles are seldom known.  This warfare is often a private one.  Little outside help is available.  This warfare is the new man against the old man.  Our help is the Holy Spirit.  The man who can conquer himself is mightier than the greatest king to ever rule.  This, coming from the wisest man to ever live.