“That is why I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.” Acts 24:16

Christianity is a race, and exercise is a fundamental rule in the world of sports. Training leads to great accomplishments, for no one excels without exercise. Nothing moves without the application of external force. It is by force (upon oneself) that one enters the kingdom of God. Every object remains in a stable state of equilibrium (at rest) until an external force is applied to it.

Godliness is established through spiritual exercise. As long as you do not apply force to the issue of sin, it will remain in place. But the moment you forcefully resist and exercise yourself against all forms of sin and injustice, heaven declares you righteous. The reason your sins are still present is that you have treated them lightly and indulgently until now. Put an end to it, and the sooner, the better. Paul said to Timothy:

“Reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” 1 Timothy 4:7-8

Godliness is not easy to attain because the opposition is fierce. Therefore, you need more strength and exercise to overcome sin. Exercise yourself in godliness. Godliness is profitable, but it can only be established through serious spiritual exercises. It is time to take your position if you don’t want to be disqualified.

Purity is the fastest vehicle on earth to go anywhere in the world. That is why God is calling His Church to order. Sin is no one’s friend; it is a silent destroyer. It has kept many grounded for a long time, and many strong men of old have been struck down by this enemy of destiny.

“Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.” 1 Corinthians 9:25

And verse 24 says:

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.“

The race for righteousness and godliness is a spiritual sport requiring much exercise. It demands responsibility from you. Paul continues:

“Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:26

Your body can benefit from the grace of God and be connected to Him through the power of your will. ‘Keeping your body’ means exercising; exercise means saying ‘No!’ to immorality, ‘No!’ to corruption and bribery, ‘No!’ and ‘Silence!’ to all the negative impulses of your body. As anointed as he was, Paul said he had to discipline his body through rigorous exercise to reach great heights.

This means you must train yourself against bitterness, envy, animosity, lying, etc. Submit your body to God through exercise by saying to your mouth: ‘Silence!’ and to your eyes: ‘No! Look here, and not over there!’

Luck doesn’t exist in sports. Only those who train excel. If you don’t train, you will fail. No wrestler steps into the ring counting on luck, or they risk being destroyed. No matter what your horoscope predicts for the day, if you enter a boxing ring without enduring the rigors of training sessions, when your opponent’s punches rain down on you, your teeth and jaws will be shattered!

Boxers are highly trained tough individuals. They spend their days battling bags (sandbags or whatever) in training rooms so they don’t feel anything when the punches land during the fight. They are used to the pain of punching bags!

Receive now the strength against the snares of hell so that you can walk in a newness of life. Your destiny will not crash! Paul said to Timothy:

“Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.” 2 Timothy 2:3-5

“Fighting” implies endurance in exercise, and Romans 14:22 says:

“Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.”

Nothing happens in your life without your permission. When you say “No” to sin, hell obeys and yields. Eliminate corruption from your life from this moment and take a stand for practical holiness by opposing all the arrows and schemes of the kingdom of hell. In Philippians 3:12-17, Paul said:

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.“

All of this is the fruit of exercise. Be determined in your heart to follow the rule – the law of purity. Be determined to be like Jesus, to follow in His footsteps until you become like Him. If Paul continued to press on, how much more should we persevere! If he ran after the prize, then we must run too. If there is something he did, we must do the same to remain pure. 1 John 3:3 says:

“All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.“

Stop waiting for someone else to do it for you. You and I must purify ourselves. It was through positive reasoning that the prodigal son found his way home and a way out of poverty. Paul trained himself to reach glory. You too can find the way to glory. The exercise of godliness is the gateway to a worthy Christian life. James 1:12-15 says:

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

Every temptation can be overcome. It is just a hurdle to jump over. God does not tempt anyone. Each person is tempted by their own evil desire (James 1:14). So, before sin finishes with you, finish with it! Receive strength for the exercise of godliness now! Jesus said,

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation” (Matthew 26:41).

There are many ways to help you in the exercise of godliness. One of them is the Word of God….

This text is an excerpt from the book “WALKING IN THE NEWNESS OF LIFE” written by David O. Oyedepo.
We invite you to read the following article, “CRY OUT ‘ABBA FATHER!‘”.