Self Control

and how to find it

Scripture Reading: Galatians 5:22,23

“The fruit of the Spirit is…self-control…”

In this passage in Galatians, Paul contrasts what he calls “the works of the flesh” with the “fruit of the Spirit.” For the sake of this article, I want to highlight the last fruit of the Spirit – self-control.

Some have defined being filled with the Spirit as being under the Spirit’s control. I think that is a good way of thinking about it. It is interesting though that if one is under the Spirit’s control, self-control is a fruit of that experience.

The redemptive and sanctifying work of God in our lives involves repairing our sin-broken souls and restoring them to God’s original design. It is a mistaken idea to think that Jesus’ Lordship is a slavish kind of thing. Instead, it is a liberating kind of life. When we place ourselves under His control, we are set free.

One way of thinking about this is to compare and contrast what we see in the Bible about people who are under the devil’s control and people who are under Christ’s Lordship. When you see someone who is under Satan’s control they are out of control. They have no self-control. An extreme example would be the Gadarean

demoniac. But even those not possessed in that same way are lacking in the moral autonomy to live good and holy lives. They are slaves to their passions and lusts. This is why Paul describes it as “works of the flesh.”  Work is wearying.

When Satan controls, we lose control of ourselves. Selfishness, fits of anger, and sinful debauchery take over. When the Spirit controls us, we get control back over our souls. Peace and calm reign. We think and act wisely. We do what we want and what we want conforms to the laws of love.

If you want to get control back over your life, let the Spirit of God control your life.