Living by the Spirit: Self-Control

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22 – 23.

It’s important to remember that as believers, all of the fruit produced is through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Once we surrender our lives to Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us. From there, our lives should be a daily surrender to the work of the Spirit to be more like Christ each day we live.

This brings us to the last fruit produced by the Holy Spirit: self-control. This might be difficult for some of us because we all still struggle with our fallen nature. We are forgiven, but not sinless.

What is self-control?

“Self-control-control of one’s actions or emotions by the will. The New Testament teaches that self-control is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). The Christian is to be governed by God, not by self.” (Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

It can be difficult to govern our actions and emotions in our own strength. Earlier in Galatians 5:19 – 21, Paul tells us about the works of the flesh.

“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

These are our sinful desires that we can battle because of our sinful nature. Temptation is something all of us can face daily. It is only through the work of the Spirit that we can resist and demonstrate self-control in these areas of our lives. None of us is perfect, and we are not immune to falling. Sometimes, I think we forget that we still have a sinful nature, and every day, we should pray for the power of the Holy Spirit.

“Sin has a power of its own operating against our best intentions, and it very quickly gets out of control and carries us along with it. Paul,……..knew only too well about the power of sin and the flesh, and he knew that the only power sufficient to keep it under control is the Holy Spirit. So he adds this final piece of the Spirit’s fruit. Part of the work of the Holy Spirit within us is the way he enables us to keep the sinful desires and impulses that still lurk within us under control. Self-control does involve effort of the will, but it is an effort inspired and empowered by the Spirit of God as his will bears fruit in our will.” (Wright)

One way to resist temptation and gain self-control is to start your day in the Word of God. This prepares your mind and heart for the day ahead. Putting God first sets you on a path to thinking first about Him, the more important part of our lives as believers.

Another way is to memorize Scripture. This is helpful for redirecting your mind when temptations arise and combating Satan and his tactics. Christ used Scripture when Satan tempted him.

He did not have a scroll in front of him; he had to memorize it. We should strive to do the same.

“So Paul has come full circle in his portrayal of the fruit of the Spirit. He began with love, which is a quality that directs our thoughts and actions outward toward others. And he ends with self-control, which is a quality that directs our thoughts and actions inward toward ourselves for our own good and that of others. And probably, Paul has in mind that unless we exercise this somewhat negative but necessary practice of self-control and live in a disciplined way (a way disciplined by the Holy Spirit), we will not be likely to bear the rest of the fruit of the Spirit.” (Wright)

All of the fruit of the Spirit is to please God, help others, and be good for us. It is not through our own efforts but through the work of the Holy Spirit in us. The more we live, trust, and follow the Spirit, the more we become like Christ in our daily lives.


Reference
Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary Editor Ronald F. Youngblood (2014)

GotQuestions: The Fruit of the Holy Spirit – What is self-control? https://www.gotquestions.org/fruit-Holy-Spirit-self-control.html

Christopher J. H. Wright, Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit: Growing in Christlikeness (Westmont, IL: IVP Books, 2017), 145–146.