The Fruit of Self-Control

 “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” (Prov. 16:32). 

Every Christian believer goes through the experience Paul described in his epistle to the Romans, “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” (Rom. 7:19).  It is important that we go through this and not live there.  Self-control is possible for believers.  The type of self-control I am referring to is not human willpower or self-discipline.  It is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:23).  Peter listed it as one of the eight qualities required to “make our call and election sure” (2Pe. 1:10).  In my last article, we discussed ever-increasing love.  Our goal in pleasing God is to walk in genuine love.  The journey begins and continues with faith, but other qualities like self-control must be increased in us if we are to reach our goal (2Pe. 1:5-8).  

The way of victory is not easy, but it is achievable.  In these last days, many will choose an alternate path.  “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron… (1Tim. 4:1,2).  Why would someone give heed to deceiving spirits?  Because, in the flesh, it is easier to accept sinful weaknesses than to believe in the power of grace for righteous living.  Paul says that in the last days, men will be “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.” (2Tim. 3:4,5).  Doctrines of demons do not always look like they are from demons.  Take some teachings on grace, for example.  If they emphasize the mercy of God but deny its power for holiness, they are but half-truths, meant to keep people in sin.  There are so many variations of deceitful doctrines currently being propagated and their goals are always the same.  They deny the Lord, or what He has done (2Pe. 2:1).  Teachings on righteousness, for example, are not as popular as teachings on faith.  The reason is simple: teachings on faith tell you how you can have what you want; teachings on righteousness tell you how you can please God.  We cannot please God without faith, but faith which does not result in good works is not profitable for eternity (Jas. 2:14-17).  I do not think I can overstate that deception is a major assignment of the enemy in these last days.  “But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (2Tim. 3:13). 

Let us not be deceived into thinking that we will not be judged for our actions.  “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2Cor. 5:10).  God is merciful, but He is also just.  As we walk in the Way, we must be careful not to fall into the ditches, on one side or the other.

The message of the cross is how we can obtain control over our flesh.  “For the message of the cross is foolish to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1Cor. 1:18).  Note here that the Scripture says, “who are being saved”.  Our salvation begins with justification, but it does not end there, it continues unto sanctification.   Be not deceived; we will not see the Lord without holiness (Heb. 12:14).  

Our faith must be in God and what He has done through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  “For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him” (2Tim. 2:11).  “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Rom. 5:10).  To move past the experience Paul described in Romans Chapter 7, we must “reckon ourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 6:11).  It is a stand that we take by faith every time we battle sin.  We declare that we died with Christ, so sin no longer has any power over us (Rom. 6:6).  We also turn our faith to the life of Christ in us.   “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20).  These are not just words which we confess with our lips; we must be believe them in our hearts (Mk. 11:23). 

Some translations of Galatians 2:20 say “by the faith of the Son of God” instead of “by faith in the Son of God.  While it is true that we receive our faith from God, it is important that we also see ourselves “in” Christ.  At the occasion of our salvation, we were baptized “into” Christ by the Spirit (1Cor. 12:13).  That is when we were effectually crucified with Christ.  Having then been united with Him in His death, we were also raised with Him in His resurrection.  At the present, our spirit man has been raised with Him to a position of authority over evil (Eph. 1:20-21).  We can walk by faith in this reality as we submit to the Spirit of God with our members (body and soul).  This is the process of transformation which results in the renewing of the mind (Rom. 12:1,2).  As we see ourselves “in” Christ, we recognize that we have spiritual life in the Spirit, and we now choose to “walk” in the Spirit (Gal. 5:25).  As we do this, the fruit of the Spirit will develop in us; self-control being one aspect of this fruit.

The experience of having reckoned ourselves to be “dead indeed to sin, but alive to God” occurs through an act of complete surrender to Christ.  This is not a one-time event.  We must constantly come to this place of reckoning as a living sacrifice.  Maintaining a conviction of “having died”, we also die daily to the things of this world (Col. 3:1-5).  Victory in Christ begins with surrender, but it must be worked out through repentance and faith.  “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Rom. 8:13).