Legalism, love, and the gospel—three powerful forces that often collide in the heart of every believer. Understanding how they interact is vital for a life rooted in Christ.

This is a widely known and talked about scripture, but I think we take it for granted. Take a walk through this passage with me as we look at it from a practical perspective.

Who is my worst enemy?
It isn’t the person who hurt me, lied to me, or wronged me.
It isn’t even the devil himself — though he gets more credit than he deserves most days.

Fear.
Not the passing worry of what tomorrow might bring — but true, unadulterated fear.
The kind that freezes you in place, steals your breath, and clouds your thoughts.
The kind that makes you question your sanity, your safety, and even your faith.

It is better to be mute than to spew nonsense and curses from your mouth.

That sounds like something straight from the Psalms — and indeed, the psalmist wrote, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Psalm 141:3)

Have you ever read Psalm 88? It’s not exactly uplifting. Most scholars call it the darkest psalm in the Bible. There’s no happy ending, no breakthrough moment, no “but then I praised the Lord, and everything was fine.” It ends in silence.

How do we know what Jesus is calling us to do? In Matthew 4, the call was plain. Jesus looked at Simon Peter and Andrew as they worked along the seashore and said, “Follow me.” Without hesitation, they dropped their nets and followed Him.

What do we do when we have to face our greatest adversaries—our most difficult insecurities, the things that expose our weaknesses, the battles that threaten to destroy us inside and out?

As young men, we often lead with confidence rooted in knowledge. We think we know enough to guide others—because I know. Yet knowledge without humility can be shallow, and wisdom without experience can be dangerous.