Galatians 5.22-25
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
Self-control is the capstone virtue of the Spirit, and it is the key to your spiritual integrity. It is the virtue that determines how effectively you build all the other spiritual virtues into your life. Without self-control, you will not operate with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness.
As I wrote several weeks ago, self-discipline is the Greek word egkrateia, which means the self-discipline to exercise power over yourself. It is keeping yourself under control. It is Spirit-empowered self-mastery over your inner desires, thoughts, actions, and words. It is the cornerstone spiritual virtue in your battle against the old nature.
I believe this is one of the great spiritual issues of our generation. It is possibly the issue of our time. It is a choice — a decision — you must repeatedly make. The Galatians passage began this way: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” (Galatians 5:16-17)
Your spiritual integrity is largely determined by your commitment to biblical self-discipline. Without this foundational virtue, there will be very little growth in grace. Before other disciplines can be applied, whether in the home, business, community, or church, there first must be Spirit-empowered self-control.
The biblical virtue of self-control is taught throughout the book of Proverbs. “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Proverbs 16.32). The word for “spirit” is ruach, and in this context it refers to your inner thoughts, emotions, and impulses. The Proverb challenges us to manage our emotions and not let our emotions manage us. The fruit of the Spirit is produced when you respond to God working in your life and you learn to “rule your spirit.”
Proverbs 25.28 states it this way: “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” Without self-discipline we are left wide open to the attacks of the enemy and the impulses of our sin nature. Without self-discipline we are vulnerable and at great risk of defeat. Without self-discipline we are easily “broken into.”
Here it is again in Proverbs 29.11: “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.” The word used for “holding back” your temper is the Hebrew shabach, which means “to soothe or subdue” something. It is used in this Proverb of anger that rises up within us.
Mature Christians learn to hold back their spirit when they feel the impulse to react emotionally. In other words, when you walk in the Spirit you exercise self-control and are able to soothe and subdue impulsive emotions.
This is the core message of Galatians 5 and the key factor in the inner battle between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. The sin nature wants you to react impulsively, but your new nature wants you to respond with intention. You must choose between the two natures. You must choose between the impulses of your sin nature and the promptings of the Spirit. You must choose between what feels good and what is good. You must choose between what is wrong and what is right.
Biblical self-discipline is both the act and the process of training yourself to make the Spirit-driven choice. To put it another way, self-discipline is all about what you do at life’s decision points. If you are seeking God in prayer … if you are a disciplined student of scripture … if your heart is truly submitted to the lordship of Christ … you will be aware of the promptings of the Spirit at those decision points. As you respond in faithful obedience, he will give you power.
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10.27)
The spiritual fruit of self-control — egkrateia — is the discipline you must exercise over your life. Powered by the Holy Spirit, it is the cornerstone virtue for spiritual growth and your battle against the old nature.
The Lord is calling.
