Psalm 119:9
How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.

In this passage of Scripture, the psalmist is asking a timeless question: How can we keep our way pure? In other words, how can we follow the will of God for our lives? How can we avoid sin and temptation? How can "our manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ?" [Philippians 1:27]

The answer given by the psalmist will be covered in the next several verses, but it begins with guarding our lives according to the word of God. We are to live in the way revealed to us through the Bible, and demonstrated for us in the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ.

Let me be clear: this is not to say that you or I are to somehow live a Christ-honoring life by our own power. Apart from Christ, we can do nothing [John 15:5], and the very fact that we could not keep the law of God is why we needed a Savior to begin with [Romans 3:21-26]. We are unable to practice holiness or resist sin without the Holy Spirit, our Helper [John 16:4-11].

However, this is not to say that God will make us holy without our involvement. Scripture does not teach that those who are now in Christ are to merely sit back and leave everything to God. We will all give an account for what we have done with what God has given us [Matthew 16:27; Romans 14:12]. As a result, we are to obey all God has commanded, and to "keep a close watch" on our live and our doctrine [1 Timothy 4:16].

The Holy Spirit has been given to help us, for it is His power that enables us to overcome sin, but He will not force holiness upon us. Let us be careful to obey all He has commanded, so that we do not "grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" [Ephesians 4:30].

We must know the word of God so that we can guard our lives by it. We read it and learn of the character and nature of God, the person and work of Jesus Christ, and the death-defying power of the Holy Spirit. Through God's word, we can rest confidently on His promises, convinced that "he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." [Philippians 1:6]