Self-control is the ability to govern one’s actions, desires, and thoughts in obedience to God’s Word. It is a mark of spiritual maturity and a fruit of the Holy Spirit, essential for living a life that honors the Lord.
Galatians 5:22–23 identifies self-control as a fruit of the Spirit:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace… self-control. Against such there is no law.”
This shows that self-control is not produced by sheer willpower, but by walking in the Spirit. It is God’s power working within a believer to resist sin and live righteously.
Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 9:25–27 that the Christian life requires discipline:
“And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things… I discipline my body and bring it into subjection…”
Just as athletes train their bodies, Christians must exercise control over their impulses to remain faithful and useful to God.
Self-control applies to speech, emotions, sexual desires, anger, and consumption. Proverbs 25:28 warns:
“Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.”
Without self-control, a person is vulnerable to sin and spiritual defeat. But with it, one can walk in purity, wisdom, and peace.
Titus 2:11–12 teaches that God’s grace instructs believers to live in self-control:
“…teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.”
