By Mark A. Horne
This week we come to the last gift of the fruit of the Spirit, the last grace that shows we are in union with our Lord Jesus Christ, that of self-control. Now self-control is probably one of the most difficult fruits to manifest. That is probably pretty evident. If you don’t manifest self-control then you are out of control.
Sanderson reminds us that Paul lists several out-of-control fruits of the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21). As we read that text, we find “sexual-immorality,” “fits of anger,” rivalries,” and “drunkenness,” are given, which have roots in lack of control.[1] One has to ask, then, what is self-control? What is it biblically? What does God expect from His children when He tells us He is giving us this fruit? Well, with all the things we study, we need to define what we mean.
The Greek word that Paul uses here for self-control is egkrateia and it literally means a holding oneself in or the ability to take a grip of oneself. This meaning reminds one of our modern slang expression “Get a grip”! Egkrateia refers to the restraining of passions and appetites that originate from the Old Self. The KJV translates this word as “temperance,” which is a good synonym.
In short egkrateia describes the personal rule or mastery over fleshly impulses that would be impossible without the Holy Spirit’s control. Notice that it is easy to fall into the trap of emphasizing the “self” prefix of self-control. Yes, the “en” in enkrateia does mean “in” and speaks of believers being controlled by an inward strength. This inward strength ultimately however is the power of the Holy Spirit in us, not our own intrinsic power. We absolutely cannot control the flesh in our own power, not now and not ever! Don’t fall into this trap. The only One who can control the fallen, anti-God energy of the flesh is the Holy Spirit! Our part is to walk by the Spirit (Gal 5:16) – acknowledging we don’t have the power; crying out to Him in the time of urgent need, when our fleshly impulses feel like they will overwhelm us, which they will without the Spirit’s help; trusting in God’s provision of power to walk, for what God commands, He always enables; submitting or yielding to the Spirit’s leading, guiding and empowering; and in the end experiencing the victory of Spirit enabled “self” control.[2]
To be self-controlled is to not live in bondage to the desires, passions and appetites of the flesh. The physical human body is a good servant but a miserable master! Think about it. Have you ever said after a sinful action, “I don’t know what happened. I just lost control of myself.” Norman Harrison has a word for you on this point: “One confesses sadly, ‘I don’t know why I act this way; I just lost control of myself.’ Fine confession! You are on the wrong side of the cross. Get over onto His Side and the Spirit will operate on your self-life that causes this lack of control; He will take you in hand. Spirit-controlled, you will be genuinely, inwardly self-controlled.”[3] (emphasis mine)
Hurt explains how this affected those of Greek culture. “To the ancient Greeks, self-control was in essence the proper ordering and balancing of the individual. For example, Aristotle said, ‘I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over self.’ (Not bad theology from an erudite pagan!). Plato believed that our animal urges must be governed or else they will produce ‘a feverish state in the soul, a city of pigs,’ which knows no limits. When we’re not self-controlled, our life is like a pigsty. That’s quite a word picture. Plato in another place wrote that egkrateia, ‘is the ordering or controlling of certain pleasures and desires … implied in the saying of ‘a man being his own master.’ Plato thus used egkrateia to refer to self-mastery meaning that it was the spirit which has mastered its desires and its love of pleasure.Then Socrates regarded egkrateia as a cardinal virtue and Philo described it as superiority expressed in self-restraint. Finally, other secular Greek writers used egkrateia to describe the virtue of an Emperor who never lets his private interests influence the government of his people. It is the virtue which makes a man so master of himself that he is fit to be the servant of others.
The rendering of egkrateia as self-control can be misleading if one places the emphasis on ‘self,’ deceptively thinking he can control the body through willpower and self determination. As most believers have discovered, self control is far from the world’s concept of self-help. Paul in fact alludes to this dilemma in Romans 7 writing…
‘I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.’ (Romans 7:18)
Greeks used this term especially to describe one who had his sexual passions under control, but the New Testament extends the meaning to all areas of life where the discernment between good and evil is important (1Th 5:21-22).
In his first epistle to the Corinthians (who lived in a “sex crazed” society) Paul uses the related verb egkrateuomai writing that…
‘if (the unmarried) do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn (to seethe inwardly with destructive lusts)’. (1Corinthians 7:9)
Paul implies that one needs to exercise self-control in regard to sexual behavior, which is quite applicable to believers in America, where even the commercials have become “R rated” and filled with sexual innuendos! In the present context however the self control is not just in the area of sexuality but in any area where one needs to exercise restraint (e.g., drunkenness, carousing and things like these… ).”[4]
I also think Hendriksen makes a valid point that this virtue “is a relation of the self to the self.”[5] In other words, the one who is in Christ, a New Creature, possesses the power to keep himself or herself in check. Notice how that is put? The believer possesses. One doesn’t make it, conjure it up, or find it. Self-control is a fruit of grace, a gift from God through the Son. It is a fruit needed, not only when others are around, but when one is alone.
Brian Bill highlights this “alone self-control” versus “in the presence of others self-control” when he writes, “Nestled among the Spirit’s produce is the seemingly out-of-place fruit of self-control. This characteristic of a Christ-follower seems to focus more on me instead of on my relationships with other people. I can exercise self-control when I’m the only person in the house. In fact, sometimes the hidden, private moments when no one else is looking is precisely when I need self-control the most. However, if we properly exercise the fruit of self-control, it will benefit those around us. In some ways, we might consider this virtue the most important because without self-control the works of the flesh cannot be overcome and the other elements of the Fruit of the Spirit will not be evident.”[6]
One then can see that self-control is a fruit of utmost importance because character is built upon it. It is discipline in action. There is no child of God who feels that he or she has it all together. No one feels that they are so strong that they can overcome all trials and sins and temptations. However, we don’t despond. Self-control is a means to battle pride and a “testimony against self-devised spiritualism.”[7]
Sanderson concludes his discussion of this fruit with some good how-to encouragement for cultivating the fruit of self-control. Self-control is a character trait manifested in its fullest form when one has a focus, something to aim towards, an ambition. “Left to ourselves we will always choose actual evil or lesser good as our goal. The fruit of the Spirit gives us the best of all goals, God’s glory, and the power to make progress.”[8]
One means in which Paul illustrates how the fruit of self-control manifests itself is the way an athlete trains. In the ancient world, self-control characterized athletes who sought to be self-restrained and self-disciplined, qualities which were crucial in their quest for victory in the intense competition of the elite Olympic Games.
In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul used the cognate verb egkrateuomai to describe the attitude believers need in order to win the prize, comparing them to Olympic athletes explaining that…
...everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control (egkrateuomai) in all things (How many things? Why do they do this?). They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. (1Corinthians 9:25-27)
Paul argues that athletes exercise self-control because they are motivated by a clearly defined goal and understand that in order to achieve that goal, they must (at least for a time) resist the distractions that originate from their bodily passions and desires. However, remember Paul’s running and boxing and buffeting were not a reflection of self effort but were grace based, Spirit empowered effort, for as he said elsewhere (1Corinthians 15:10).“by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.”
In a similar way, believers are charged to control their flesh, not the physical body but the evil disposition that still lives in our mortal bodies, with its corrupt, deceptive passions and desires, rather than allowing themselves to be controlled by them. However, what is referred to as self-control is actually (and only) the result of letting the Spirit take control (Spirit enabled “self” control), so that one is walking in Him, walking by the Spirit, keeping in step with the Spirit.[9]
Remember that when we take time off from disciplining ourselves for godliness we don’t remain “static” spiritually, but we begin to drift back toward the subtle, seductive lures of the world, the flesh and/or the devil. Do not be deceived thinking you are “okay” if you are taking a “spiritual hiatus”! In fact, you are in grave danger, for fleshly lusts continually wage war against your soul (1Pe 2:11). Paul understood the critical importance of the necessity of maintaining a program of spiritual discipline.
You see, the Holy Spirit has planted within each one of God’s children a seed that will flower with self-control. Yet, just as the Emperor had a slave who constantly whispered in his ear, “you are human!” The child of God has the Holy Spirit whispering in his or her heart something much greater, “You are not your own. You are bought with a price” (1 Cor 6:19-20).
I pray these blogs on the Fruit of the Spirit have given you much to meditate upon and grow in the Lord. If nothing else, I hope they have given you some resources in the footnotes to help you in your studies. Stay tuned as the next post will be in the year 2020!!
[1] Sanderson, John W. The Fruit of the Spirit: A Study Guide. Philipsburg: P&R Publishing, 1985, p.134.
[2] Hurt, Bruce. https://www.preceptaustin.org/galatians_523
[3] Harrison, Norman. His Side Versus Our Side – Overview of Galatians: Or, What is a TRUE Christian? Harrison, 1947, p. 8. (~ out-of-print and in the public domain ~ http://www.baptistbiblebelievers.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=kPIALkTcAOo%3d&tabid=203&mid=665)
[4] Ibid., Hurt.
[5] Hendriksen, William. New Testament Commentary: Exposition of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2001, pp. 225.
[6] Bill, Brian https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/seizing-self-control-brian-bill-sermon-on-christian-disciplines-58740
[7] Lange, John P. Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Critical, Doctrinal & Homiletical. Translated from German by Philip Schaff. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1968, p. 145.
[8] Ibid., Sanderson, p. 138.
[9] Hurt, Ibid.
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