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The Fruit of the Spirit - Self-Control
The Fruit of the Spirit - Self-Control
Mike Willis
The last fruit of the Spirit in Paul’s list in Galatians 5:22-23 is “self-control.” The Greek word from which “self-control” is translated is egkrateia, which is defined as “restraint of one’s emotions, impulses, desires, self-control” (BDAG, 274). The word only appears in three verses, but in one verse it appears two times. Here are the passages in which this word appears:
(1) When Paul spoke to Felix about becoming a Christian, Luke reports: “And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, ‘Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you’ ” (Acts 2:25).
(2) When Peter spoke of the things that a Christian should add to his faith he included, “. . . and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness” (2 Pet. 1:6).
Solomon wrote about self-control in the following proverbs:
- “Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city” (Prov. 16:32).
- “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end” (Prov. 29:11).
- “Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin” (Prov. 13:3).
- “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty” (Prov. 21:5).
- “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control” (Prov. 25:28).
Examples of Those Without Self-Control
Some of the notable Bible characters who created problems for themselves and in their relationship with God include the following:
Samson: Despite his great strength, Samson often lacked self-control, particularly in his relationships with women. His involvement with Delilah ultimately led to his downfall and death (Judg. 13-16).
King Saul: Saul’s impatience and lack of self-discipline led him to offer a sacrifice himself instead of waiting for the High Priest Samuel. The Old Testament Law demanded that only Levites could offer the sacrifices to the Lord. When King Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin, impatiently offered animal sacrifices to the Lord because Samuel was tardy, he sinned against God’s command. This act contributed to God’s rejection of Saul as king of Israel (1 Sam. 13:8-14).
King David: Although David was a man after God’s own heart, he struggled with self-control in his sexual affair with Bathsheba. He soon heard that Bathsheba was pregnant with his child. To cover his sin, David lied and sent orders to his captain Joab to put Bathsheba’s husband in the most dangerous part of the battle field and then to withdraw from him so that the enemy’s arrows might kill him. His lack of self-control brought severe consequences for him, his son born to Bathsheba and other members of his family (2 Sam. 11- 19).
Eve and Adam did not practice self-control in the Garden of Eden and disobeyed God (Gen. 2:15-17; 3:1-24). All of mankind suffers consequences from their lack of self-control.
Examples of Those Who Manifested Self-Control
Joseph: Despite being tempted by Potiphar’s wife, Joseph showed remarkable self-control by refusing her advances and fleeing from the tempting situation (Gen. 39:6-12).
Daniel and the Three Hebrew Children exhibited self-discipline by adhering to the dietary restrictions revealed in the Law of Moses, putting their own lives at risk (Dan. 1:8ff).
Paul often spoke about the importance of self-control saying, “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:27).
Jesus: Jesus is the ultimate example of self-control. He resisted the Devil’s temptations in the wilderness, despite being physically weakened by fasting for 40 days and nights (Matt. 4:1-11). Throughout His life, Jesus consistently demonstrated self-control in His actions and responses, living out His entire life on earth without committing a single sin (2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 1 Pet. 2:2; 1 John 3:5).
Conclusion
When men make excuses for their sins, they are refusing to accept responsibility for their own actions. God will hold all of us accountable for our sins. We are thankful to God that He has provided the means of human forgiveness through the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.