Most Christian leaders and laymen struggle daily to bring some sort of balance to their lives and wrestle to achieve a sense of spiritual victory. Just when it seems one battle has been won another battle assures us that we are perpetually engaged in ruthless, never-ending conflict for spiritual survival.
The antagonists in this contest are easy to spot. They are:
•    The Devil- the evil prince.
•    The World- the evil system.
•    The Flesh- the evil traitor.
As believers, we know this axis-of-evil to be our constant adversary, ever seeking our demise. These are things of which we are certain. The not-so-easy part is how to defeat them.
The Scripture instructs us; however, that for each member of this evil trio there is an appropriate spiritual weapon. Against:
•    The Devil—Determination, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
•    The World—Discernment, “Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
•    The Flesh—Discipline, “Exercise yourself unto godliness.”
But where do we get the courage to resist? How do we develop a discerning mind? How can we discipline the flesh against wrong desires? If you think back to the life of Christ, you will find the secret. Jesus, though God-in-flesh, exercised Himself unto godliness by regularly practicing certain spiritual disciplines. Among these were solitude, prayer, study, fasting, celebration, service, etc. These disciplines were part of His daily life and serve as a fine example for us.
The most common New Testament word for exercise is gumnazo, which not only occurs in I Timothy4:7-8, but also in 2 Peter 2:14 and Hebrews 5:14 and 12:11. It is associated with our English word gymnasium and conjures images of physical exercise and discipline. With this picture in his mind, Paul encouraged Timothy to give himself more strenuously toward godliness. It implies regular, specific, disciplined living. Three key principles guide in the development of discipline for godliness.
1)    Slow Down- Scripture frequently admonishes us to be still, to wait, to listen. But our calendars are so crowded that we scarcely make time to wait upon the Lord. God speaks, but we can’t hear Him. God manifests Himself, but we don’t recognize His presence. A.W. Tozer believed that “God waits to be wanted.” Do we want Him enough to wait?
2)    Give up- In short, prioritize! It’s impossible to be the life of every party and live in close communion with the Lord. The pastor who attends every meeting, enjoys every luncheon, and participates in every collective preacherly event, is likely spread too thin to be very deep.
3)    Look within- The heart of the matter must become the heart of the matter. David was once identified as “a man after God’s own heart.” During that season of his life, his heart burned to know His God and he would not be satiated otherwise.
Performance is a poor substitute for purity. So let’s discipline ourselves toward godliness!