Proverbs 25:28
"He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls."
God says that a person who does not control their own spirit is like a defenseless city.
In ancient times the only way a city had to defend itself was to build a wall around its borders. You may recall that there is much written in the Scriptures about the walls of Jerusalem. Those walls were there to protect that city from outside sources. God likens a city without walls to the person who does not control their own spirit.
The greatest kingdom you will conquer in life is your own spirit. I have watched people conquer the financial kingdom, but have it destroyed because they never conquered their own spirit. I have watched people climb the ladder of success only to destroy it by not controlling their spirit. It does not matter what kingdoms you may conquer, if you don't conquer the kingdom of your spirit then you will find that every success will eventually be destroyed. There are some definite spirits you need to conquer in your life.
First, the spirit of bitterness will destroy your life. Bitterness has destroyed the best. One of the people I think of in the Scriptures who did not conquer the spirit of bitterness was Saul. He was bitter because David got more recognition than he, and it literally destroyed his kingdom. I certainly don't pretend to know what has happened to you in your lifetime, but you must never let anything cause you to become bitter. You must learn to forgive, for forgiveness is the wall that protects you against bitterness.
Second, you need to conquer the spirit of haughtiness. Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." Many people have allowed success to go to their head only to see their haughtiness destroy them. I have watched financial success, education degrees and position cause many to become haughty. The only way to conquer the spirit of haughtiness is to stay humble before God and realize that you are truly nothing without Him.
Third, you must conquer the discouraging spirit. There are people who are negative about everything. This type of spirit will destroy your family and future. A discouraging spirit doesn't change your surroundings, but it will destroy you. The only way to conquer a discouraging spirit is to allow your joy to come from within. If you don't let outside circumstances control your spirit, then you can conquer the discouraging spirit.
Fourth, you need to conquer the know-it-all spirit. A know-it-all is truly an annoying person. It doesn't matter what you have done, the know-it-all has always done it better. At the core of the know-it-all spirit is pride. Pride causes a person to think they know more than another. Always remember that everyone knows something that you do not know, and your journey with others should be to learn from them what you do not know. The best way to conquer the know-it-all spirit is to stop looking at what you do know and look at how much you do not know.
These are just four spirits a person must conquer in life. What spirit is it that you need to conquer? Being in control of your own spirit is imperative to your future. One of your daily prayers should be to ask the Holy Spirit to control your spirit so that you don't destroy the work that God wants to do through your life. Don't live your life with broken down walls, but with God's help conquer the greatest kingdom you can conquer in life, your spirit.