Fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:22-23 Self-control

The final two aspects of the fruit of the Spirit are related in a very interesting way: gentleness is more about the control of the power available to us through the Holy Spirit, while self-control is more about the control of our sinful nature. Culturally, self-control is a pretty dicey subject. Our culture has become a highly hedonistic one. It leaves us with a difficult choice as followers of Jesus; we either jump right in and join in on the hedonism, or we resist and find ourselves labelled “prudes” and “buzzkills”.

The Greek word we translate as “self-control” found listed in Galatians 5:22 is the word egkrateia and literally means dominion or mastery within; it describes an internal control of behaviour. When we’re not self-controlled, our life is like a pigsty. The apostle Paul touches on this “pigsty” feeling in Romans 7:15-25.

Romans 7:15-25 “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do— this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Notice that Paul relates his failed attempts at controlling his sinful nature. The secret to any success begins in an acknowledgement of our inability to control our sinful nature and a plea for help to Jesus Christ.

Olympic victors use words like discipline, focus, and goals to describe their victories. The Apostle Paul uses very similar language when describing the life of the Christian. “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.” (1 Corinthians 9:25-26) Paul doesn’t wallow in the sty or throw up his hands and let come what may. No, he indicates that he chooses to run “not aimlessly. The Christian life is based upon self-control.

The secret of biblical self-control is that it is in giving over control to the Holy Spirit that we find the power to control our sinful nature. Biblical self-control is best understood as “Spirit-controlled”. “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.” (Proverbs 25:28) We are defenseless against attack and we are open to assault from every direction when we live without self-control. Without self-control, we have no defense against anger, lust, and the other unbridled emotions that often destroy us.

Biblically, sex, spending, drinking, ambition, anger, are all presented within the light of self-control. “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:11-14) Notice that there’s a process of learning to reject worldly passions; it’s often not instantaneous. Notice that the grace that saves us is also the grace that shapes us as Christ’s followers. It is the Holy Spirit’s presence in the believer that enables self-controlled, “Spirit-controlled” living.

Application Applying all of this becomes a challenge because we are so attuned to our cultural understanding of self-control. The Parable of the Coachmen What’s wrong with living life on the edge? Christ makes it clear that it is our attitude toward sin that is as important as actually committing the sin itself. There is a relationship between a desire to push the limits and proclivity to sin; approaching the edge opens greater possibility for going astray.

We must find a balance between mission (engaging the sin in our world) and self-control. When our world beings to see us exhibiting self-control while engaging in mission, our ability to see people come to know Christ and our ability to effect change in our community will improve. We must recognize that self-control is gained by giving up control to the Holy Spirit. There comes a time when must “be still and know that He is God”. Finally, self-control allows us to be the people of God that we are called to be. In the end, self-control is an act that honours Jesus and glorifies His name among those yet to know him.