The Apostle Paul compared life to a race: “…in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step….I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, New Living Translation).
In the greatest of all races, the race for eternal life, everyone can be a winner. Paul listed nine godly virtues that constitute the fruit of God’s Spirit—the effect of having the gift of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. They are “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). The New King James Version mentions “self-control,” while the earlier King James Version used the word “temperance,” meaning self-restraint, which usually has the narrower sense of moderation or, when referring to alcoholic drinks, total abstinence. Therefore, as commonly understood today, temperance is only a small part of self-control.
The first of the nine godly virtues listed is love, which is clearly the most important (1 Corinthians 13:1-2 and 13:13). But self-control is not listed last because it’s least important. In fact it is vital for every Christian to develop. Paul emphasized it alongside “righteousness…and the judgment to come” (Acts 24:25).These nine virtues work together.
In some cases the best form of self-control may be fleeing sin. When confronted with temptation, we must strive, as far as possible, to get away from it. Consider some of the things we are told to flee: “Flee” from a “stranger” (a teacher of lies), “flee sexual immorality” (as Joseph had to literally flee (Genesis 39:12), “flee from idolatry,” flee “all kinds of evil,” “flee also youthful lusts” (John 10:5; 1 Corinthians 6:18 and 10:14; 1 Timothy 6:10-11; 2 Timothy 2:22).
We need self-control to avoid not only outright evil, but also too much of the good things. Proverbs 25:16 cautions: “Have you found honey? Eat only as much as you need, lest you be filled with it and vomit.” People often lack the self-restraint to stop when they should. We must rule over our appetites rather than letting our appetites rule us. Overindulgence can lead to intoxication and/or addiction. In either case, the person is then out of control.
Self-control is essential in resisting sexual temptations, a subject addressed many times in the Bible. Tragically, standards of morality and modesty are plunging. Sexual sins are especially damaging—physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually (1 Corinthians 6:13-20). Jesus and the Apostles made it clear that God holds us strictly accountable for even sinful thoughts as well as sinful actions. We must wage spiritual warfare, “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
Jesus warned, “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). We should follow the example of Job, who said, “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl” (Job 31:1, New International Version). Women also need to understand how easily they can be partly responsible for men sinning with their thoughts. When a woman exposes parts of her body only her husband should see, others can be tantalized and tempted. Women who want to please God should not “… put a stumbling block [a temptation] or a cause to fall [into sin] in our brother’s way” (Romans 14:13).
The human mind is not capable of being in complete subjection to the law of God. Paul plainly says “the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so” (Romans 8:7, Holman Christian Standard Bible). We need the power that comes from God through His Holy Spirit to have truly effective control over our lives. Jesus said, “The spirit [one’s attitude] indeed is willing but the flesh [human willpower] is weak” (Matthew 26:41).
Just before Jesus’ ascension to heaven, He told His disciples, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8). Luke 24:49 adds that the disciples were to wait in Jerusalem until they received this “power from on high.” Ten days later when 120 of Christ’s disciples were together observing the annual festival of Pentecost, suddenly “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” and God’s power was spectacularly demonstrated (Acts 2:1-4).
A vast crowd of people gathered, and Peter explained to them what a person must do to receive God’s Spirit: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission [forgiveness] of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Having the Holy Spirit is crucially important because it enables spiritual understanding—the capacity to truly understand the Bible (1 Corinthians 2:9-14).Then, once we have spiritual “knowledge,” we must add “self-control” (2 Peter 1:5-8). In other words, God’s Spirit imparts the strength of character to apply and live by that knowledge.
Jesus also said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). Jesus was not suggesting penance, asceticism or a monastic life, but very often, we need to say no to selfish desires in order to say yes to God’s will. God will not take away a person’s free will to make choices in life, but He will empower you “to will and to act according to His good purpose” (Philippians 2:13, NIV).
Two proverbs draw a stark contrast between not having self-control and the priceless value of having it. The first was quoted at the beginning of this article, “Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control” (Proverbs 25:28, NIV). The second states: “It is better to be patient than powerful. It is better to win control over yourself than over whole cities” (Proverbs 16:32, GNB). Each of us must rule over self before we can, as promised to those who overcome in Revelation 3:21 and 20:6, reign with Christ in His Kingdom!
