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9th Fruit of the Spirit:
Self-Control
The last characteristic listed in Galatians 5:22-23 as a fruit of the Spirit is self–control (temperance). The fruit of the Spirit is the modification in our character that comes about because of the Holy Spirit’s inner working in believers. “Self–control” (temperance, King James Version) is the translation of the Greek word “enkrateia”, which means “possessing power, strong, having mastery or possession of, continent, self–controlled”. Another Greek word, “nephalios”, has the same general meaning, but it generally covers a more specific area of self-control. It is often translated as “temperate” or “sober.” The word also refers to the mastery of one’s desires and impulses and does not in itself refer to the control of any specific desire or impulse. Self–control is comprehensive in practical application to life, but the Bible does not use the word extensively. It is implied, however, in many exhortations to obedience, submission and sinless living. We do not become a Christian on our own, and we cannot grow on our own. Every effective, fruitful and productive thing we do is the fruit of the Spirit’s work in our lives. Also, self–control (temperance) is the ability to control or governor oneself. It involves moderation, constraint, and the ability to say “no” to our corruptible and desires that comes from within our fleshly lusts.
Due to our fallen and sinful natures, humanity is weakened to some degree in the quality of self–control. God the Father, our Creator made sure to have this fruit listed as one of the 9 fruits of His Holy Spirit. Every believer is in need of God’s self–control operating in our lives and in our personalities if we are going to have any hope in getting prepared and properly sanctified to the degree that He would like to get us to in this life. The Bible tells us that our spirits and our flesh will always be at war against one another in this life. Our flesh wants immediate self–gratification at all costs and will stop at nothing to try and get it. Our spirits know that some of our fleshly desires are not right for us and as a result, there will be a tug of war between the two, however, sometimes it will be a consistent opposition and struggle. And the only thing that will be able to curb and control some of the desires of our flesh is the quality of self–control. Self–control also known as temperance is the active effort we put forth to resist the temptation to go back to the ways of the world around us once we’ve been shown God’s spiritual way of life. One of the proofs of God’s working in our lives is the ability to control our own thoughts, words, and actions. It’s not that we are naturally willfully weak, but our fallen nature is under the influence of sin.
The Bible calls it being a “slave to sin”. “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin” Romans 6:6 (NKJV). One definition of sin is satisfying an authentic need through corruptible, deceitful and immoral means. Without the power of the Holy Spirit, we are incapable of knowing, choosing and recognizing how best to meet our needs. Even if we knew what would be best, there will always be another need produced from our carnal desires that will try to take precedence over our will and enslave us again. “I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin” Romans 7:21–25 (NKJV). There is a good example of self–control specified in Proverbs 25:28, “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.” Like a defenseless city, we must have emotional, physical and spiritual defenses at all times. A wall around an ancient city was designed to keep out the enemy. Judges at the gates determined who should be allowed in and who should remain outside. Soldiers and gates enforced those decisions. In our lives, these defenses might include avoiding close and toxic relationships with sinners, fellowshipping with other believers, and meditating on daily on the Word of God.
The quality of self–control is all about exhibiting temperance, rational restraint of natural impulses. Sober, temperate, calm and dispassionate approach to life, having mastered personal desires and passions, which calls for a self–disciplined life following Christ’s example of being in the world but not of the world. Also, having restraint or discipline exercised over one’s behavior. We don’t exhibit self–control if we continually linger with that which would enslave us. Self–control (temperance) naturally leads to perseverance, as we value the longstanding uprightness instead of the instant gratification of the world. “To knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness” 2 Peter 1:6 (NKJV). Self–control is a gift that comes from the God’s spirit that gives us freedom from our old sinful nature. It frees us to enjoy the benefits of a healthy body and moral spiritual lifestyle. It frees us to rest in the security of good stewardship. It frees us from a guilty conscience. Self–control (temperance) restricts the tolerance and understanding of our foolish desires, and we find the liberty to love and live as we were meant too. Many sinless things are “weights” and “burdensome” simply because they are so time and mind –consuming. Because we do not want to fail in accomplishing the highest purposes for which we were called, we must run light to endure the length of our course successfully. On the surface, being a Christian appears easy to do, in as much as a Christian is basically a man that trusts in Jesus Christ. No one is worthier of our trust, and He is fully able to bring us into the Kingdom of God. But this is a mere surface observation.
The truth is that being a Christian can be very difficult because the real Christian is one who, because he trusts Christ, must set his heel upon human nature within him and subordinate the appetites of his flesh and the desires of his mind to the aim of pleasing Him. No indecisive, irresolute, vacillating, lukewarm, disorderly and unrestrained Christian will bring pleasure to the Lord nor glorify our Father. The only true thing that will give us complete self–control, which we will not fail at according to Luke 11:13, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” We must trust Jesus Christ while allowing the Holy Spirit to governor our words, thoughts and deeds throughout the day. When we as Him for more of God’s Holy Spirit, and assistance to help us to control ourselves against the wiles evil one. Remember, II Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” He will not fail in what He has promised because the request fits perfectly into God's purpose of creating sons in His image. We must not allow self–control to be condemned in our minds to be of minor importance because we are persuaded that “Christ did it all for us.” Nor can we allow such a deprecation to lead us to abuse God’s mercy. Self–control is an attribute of our Creator that Jesus exemplified in His life and that Paul strongly exhorts us to exercise in ours. If we are to be made in our Father’s image, we will yield to God in this matter to glorify Him with our moderation in all things and unyielding resistance to sin.