Let’s go back for a moment to the time of Moses and imagine we are there with the Israelites in the desert.
The Tabernacle was a very fancy tent. The Ark of the Covenant was in the most holy place of that tent and the very place where God’s presence dwelled. The Israelites treated this tabernacle with the highest level of care.
The high priest could only enter the Most Holy Place once a year, and if he was unclean or unworthy, he would be struck down. They literally put bells on him so they could tell if he was still alive while he was in there. That’s how serious it was to enter the dwelling place of God.
Imagine for a moment that YOU were put in charge of the Tabernacle. Would you handle it casually? Would you allow it to be polluted or dishonored? Of course not! You would be incredibly careful, ensuring that everything was pure, clean, and set apart for God’s glory.
There is another tabernacle today. It is the body you have been given by God, who began dwelling in it the moment you invited Him in and became saved.
And yet, do we treat our own bodies the same way? Some do, but many of us neglect, abuse, or defile our bodies through poor choices, iniquity, and impurity.
The Call to Holiness in Our Bodies
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says:
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your Spirit, which are God’s.
If we take these words seriously, it means we have a responsibility—a sacred duty—to care for, strengthen, and discipline our bodies so we can glorify God.
Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 6:15, “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ Himself?” This means our bodies are not just our own—they belong to Jesus.
1 Corinthians 6:15-20 is clear that we must flee from sexual immorality. We must avoid temptations that corrupt our bodies because they are sacred. But this doesn’t apply only to sexual sin—it applies to all the ways we dishonor the temple of the Holy Spirit. Some other examples are:
- Gluttony—seeking self-pleasure (junk food) and overindulging (even with healthy food) without self-control. This also includes overspending – especially on things we don’t need.
- Sloth—laziness, neglecting the body God gave us. Accelerated aging is said to be caused by, “The relentless pursuit of comfort.”
- Addictions—whether to food, substances, immorality, or even comfort and ease.
- Alterations—such as augmentation surgery, abortions, or other unnecessary medical procedures for our convenience.
Modern humans live a “thermostat life”—always seeking comfort, never willing to endure discomfort. But that’s not the life God calls us to! He calls us to discipline, endurance, and self-control.
A Balanced View: Enjoyment Without Excess
Now, don’t misunderstand me—God does not call us to misery. He does not tell us to reject all delicious food, drinks, or joy.
In fact, Ecclesiastes 9:7 says, “Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already accepted your work.”
But this is not an excuse for overindulgence in junk food, laziness, or addiction. And there are plenty of healthy foods that are incredibly delicious.
When the Bible tells us to “eat, drink, and be merry,” it is speaking about wholesome enjoyment in balance. It is speaking about healthy, natural, God-given nourishment, not processed garbage that has only existed for the last few decades.
Remember, when these verses were written, there was no such thing as junk food or even refined sugar. Those guilty pleasures didn’t exist yet.
Jesus Himself ate well—but He also fasted. He feasted—but He also lived a life of discipline.
Remember also that Jesus never expects us to be perfect like Him. He only expects us to do our best to be like Him and improve over time, with normal ups and downs along the way, but a general trend up as steep as possible with our best effort. Diligent EFFORT is the key.
Doing Hard Things: Strengthening the Temple
Now, let’s get to the heart of this message. God does not call us to a life of ease. He calls us to a life of strength, discipline, and endurance.
Jesus Himself fasted for 40 days in the wilderness, enduring hunger, thirst, and temptation from Satan. If Jesus, the Son of God, was willing to discipline His body to this extreme, what right do we have to seek comfort all the time?
His example of discomfort was a lesson to us – not just His fasting, but also His Life of poverty, and putting himself in very uncomfortable situations. God wants us to constantly become better and stronger. Change never happens within your comfort zone.
A. Physical Discipline Builds Spiritual Strength
- Exercise is uncomfortable and it’s not just for health—it is also training for discipline.
- Resisting unhealthy foods is not just about weight—it is training for self-control.
- Pushing through discomfort strengthens our endurance for when we face real trials.
1 Corinthians 9:25-27 says:
“And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus, I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
Paul compares Christian life to an athlete training for a race. Athletes don’t win by giving in to their cravings, avoiding hard work, or choosing the easy path. They win by pushing through discomfort, by training their bodies and minds, by suffering so they can be stronger.
Pushing through discomfort also creates courage which is needed in God’s kingdom – both within His kingdom to help strengthen those already there and outside His kingdom to help bring others into His kingdom. When we are courageous, we are bold for Christ. The opposite of courage is fear and fear creates timidity. Timid fearful Christians rarely do much for God’s Kingdom.
We’re not alone in this effort. The Holy Spirit is there to help us push through, develop courage, and conquer fear. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (some translations say self-discipline).”
B. The Danger of Comfort and Ease
We live in a world that encourages instant gratification. Everything is easy, fast, and convenient:
- Fast food and/or meal delivery instead of shopping, prepping, and cooking
- Entertainment instead of discipline
- Comfort instead of effort
But this weakens us—physically, mentally, and spiritually. We are LESS BOLD with our faith when we are weaker and a stranger to discomfort. We are also more fearful and prone to giving in to fear. Fear never comes from God, but is it an amazingly effective manipulation tool of the devil.
Think about all the discomfort the apostle Paul endured in his life as a result of his boldness with the message of salvation. He was beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked, and so much more without ever giving up, or even backing off.
When you always choose the easy way, you are training yourself to be weak. You are training yourself to give in to temptation, to quit when things get hard, and to let the flesh rule over the Spirit.
That’s exactly what Satan wants. He wants a church that is weak, lazy, addicted, fearful, and undisciplined.
The Consequences of Neglect
Satan loves to attack our bodies because he knows it weakens our souls. He uses insecurities about weight, beauty, or age to distract us from our mission.
But when we regard our bodies as a sacred creation of God, we stop listening to the lies of the enemy! We stop treating our bodies as objects of vanity and instead see them as tools for God’s glory.
How Do We Honor God with Our Bodies?
If we are to be stewards of this temple, what should we do?
- Do hard things—Exercise even when you don’t feel like it.
- Resist temptation—Avoid food and other addictions that weaken your body and self-control.
- Embrace discomfort—Learn to fast, to endure hunger, to deny cravings.
- Build endurance—Train your body and mind for real trials.
- Discipline yourself—Deny immediate gratification and build self-control.
Conclusion: We Have Been Bought with a Price
Christians, you are stronger than you think. You can resist temptation, push through discomfort, and train your body and soul for the glory of God.
Romans 12:1 says:
“Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”
Today, I want to challenge you: Are you honoring God with your body, or are you letting comfort, laziness, and lack of discipline weaken you—both physically and spiritually?
Let us commit today to discipline our bodies and our spirits—for the glory of God!
