Self-Control As the Fruit of the Spirit 

The final characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit that is listed in Galatians 5 is self-control.

Before we surrender to God, in our flesh, we are slaves to sin and do not have self-control. We cannot control ourselves even when we try. Our thoughts, words, and actions are untamed, unrestrained, and unruly. We give in to all sorts of temptations and fears for comfort, power, and pride before the Holy Spirit lives inside us. We give in to the desires of our flesh with excess food, drugs, or sexual misconduct. We give in to the temptations of our minds by entertaining thoughts of envy, worry, fear, and lies. We give in to the passions of our sinful, prideful selves through the use of words by mocking, lying, cursing, and having angry outbursts (see Romans 6:6; 1 John 2:15–17; Romans 8:5–8; Galatians 5:19–21). None of these things show self-control, and none of these are from God.\

No matter what personal struggles we face in regards to self-control, God is the answer.

God wants better for His children. He wants us to live in freedom and not be controlled by desires, temptations, passions, and fears. He wants us to have power over all of those things—so He gives His Spirit to those who surrender to Him. And that is a powerful gift because God’s Spirit is not a spirit of fear (that feels like it has to give in to temptations or else something bad will happen), but it is a Spirit of love and self-control. As the Classic Edition of the Amplified Bible puts it, “…God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7).

When we are without God’s Spirit, any seeming self-control we have is ineffective and temporary at best. But with God’s Spirit inside of us, we have a new ability that is effective self-control. We can be disciplined, show restraint, moderation, and composure. We have freedom from the sin that once controlled us. We have power over the flesh (Galatians 5:1; Romans 6:6). Granted, this may not be instant, but as we draw closer to God, and as we ask Him to develop the fruit of the Spirit within us, we become more and more like Him—even in this characteristic of self-control. 

He knows our struggles, so we can be honest with Him. No matter what personal struggles we face in regards to self-control, God is the answer. He will give us what we need to face any temptation in the best way possible—if we ask Him. There is no situation in which God cannot give you the self-control you need. “No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13, CSB).

You will no longer have to give in to the temptations around you, whether they are about food, worry, sex, drugs, anger, pride…all of it can be responded to with self-control. Surrender to God and invite His Holy Spirit inside you, and as His fruit grows within you, you will see your ability to have self-control and discipline grow.