Click here for more messages from the Fruit of the Spirit sermon series.
Click here for more messages from the book of Galatians.
Click here to return to the Sermons page.

Galatians 5:22-23

“I will grow in self-control as I allow the Spirit to subdue my desires.”

INTRODUCTION: Today is the last day in our message series on the fruit of the Spirit. We have seen throughout this series that the fruit of the Spirit has to do with growing more like Jesus. Jesus perfectly displayed the fruit of the Spirit in his life, so when you grow in the fruit, you grow to be more like him. We have already looked at the rest of the fruit of the Spirit, so today we come to the last fruit in the list – the fruit of self-control. (Read Galatians 5:22-23 and pray.)

—————————–

Have you ever asked the question, “Who’s in charge here?” – perhaps at a busy restaurant, or on a frustrating service call, or maybe just at home with the kids. “Who’s in charge here?” Have you ever looked at your own life and asked that question? Who or what is in charge of your life? Would you say your life is under control or out of control? What areas of your life are out of control?

Today we come to the ninth and final fruit of the Spirit – the fruit of self-control. Self-control means having power over your body’s desires and passions. It is impossible to succeed in anything without some degree of self-control. We need self-control for health reasons, for completing everyday tasks and for positive relationships with other people. For the Christian, self-control is a necessity for living our new life in Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:6-8; Titus 2:2-6; 1 Peter 4:7, 5:8).

A lack of self-control will destroy your life. The Bible points out a number of areas where we especially need to exert self-control – areas such as overeating, greed and the accumulation of wealth, drunkenness, drug abuse, anger, emotional outbursts and sexual immorality. Many people’s lives have been destroyed even by one moment lacking in self-control.

Self-control keeps us alert and ready (1 Thessalonians 5:6-8; 1 Peter 5:8). It helps us to remain faithful and pray (1 Peter 4:7). It protects us from becoming easily swayed or weak-willed (2 Timothy 3:6; 2 Peter 2:14). It prepares us for action and keeps us from becoming ineffective and unproductive for the kingdom of God (1 Peter 11:13-16; 2 Peter 1:8).

Self-control has to do with your desires. “I will grow in self-control as I allow the Spirit to subdue my desires.” Outside of Christ my desires are controlled by my sinful nature. Only as I yield control to God through the Holy Spirit will I gain victory over my wrongful desires. And so, the key to self-control is giving God control. You gain self-control when you give God control of your life through the power of the Holy Spirit.

It’s been said: “There are men who command armies but cannot command themselves.” We all need to grow in self-control, so let’s look at this important fruit of the Spirit together.

I. Self-control and God

First, we want to see what the Bible tells us about self-control and God. We have seen that with each of the fruit of the Spirit, we always begin with God because the fruit of the Spirit are rooted in his character. Remember, God is the root, and we bear the fruit. And so, what does the Bible tells us about self-control and God?

   A. God is sovereign and in control of all things
      – Ephesians 1:11; Philippians 3:20-21

Well, first of all the Bible tells us that God is sovereign and in control of all things. God doesn’t actually need self-control the way we do because he is already in control. Ephesians 1:11 speaks of God as: “… him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.” (Ephesians 1:11) Philippians 3 speaks of: “… the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (Philippians 3:20-21)

So, just as God is a God of perfect love, joy, peace and all the rest of the fruit of the Spirit, God is also a God of perfect self-control. He is purposeful in all that he does, and he is never out of control. He is perfect in holiness and righteousness. He is perfectly consistent and holds true to himself in all things. God is completely sovereign over all his creation, and he is in control of all things.

   B. God’s wrath is his controlled and righteous anger against sin
      – Psalm 7:11; Romans 1:18, 2:5, 9:22

Sometimes people wonder about God’s wrath and self-control. Does God’s wrath against sin mean that he is not in control of his anger? Absolutely not! God’s wrath is his controlled and righteous anger against sin.

Psalm 7:11 says: “God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day.” (Psalm 7:11) Romans 1:18 says: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” (Romans 1:18) God is a righteous judge who displays his wrath against sin every day. God’s wrath against sin is never impulsive, capricious or overblown but rather always perfectly controlled and in exact proportion to the sin.

But God is also patient with us as sinners, and he does not pour out all his wrath at once. We read in Romans 2:5: “But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.” (Romans 2:5) Romans 9:22 says: “What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath – prepared for destruction?” (Romans 9:22) God is patient with sinners. He does not bring final judgment right away but gives us time to repent and turn away from our sins. God’s wrath is his controlled and righteous anger against sin.

   C. Jesus demonstrated perfect self-control in his life
      – Hebrews 4:15 (ex. desert; temple; garden; arrest; trial; cross)

And then, as with all the fruit of the Spirit, we also want to look at Jesus and see how he demonstrated the fruit of the Spirit in his life. Remember the fruit of the Spirit is a picture of Jesus who perfectly reflects the character of God. And when we look at Jesus, we see that Jesus as the Son of God demonstrated perfect self-control in his life here on earth.

We read in Hebrews 4:15: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) Jesus was tempted in every way just as we are, yet he was without sin. That means in all the trials and temptations of life, Jesus exercised perfect self-control.

We see examples of Jesus’ self-control in resisting the temptations of Satan in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11), in driving out the money changers from the temple (Matthew 21:12-13), in the Garden of Gethsemane when he chose God’s will over his own (Matthew 26:36-46), at his arrest when he could have called on legions of angels to rescue him but did not (Matthew 26:52-54), at his trial when he could have spoken in his own defense but chose to remain silent (Matthew 26:62-63), and on the cross when he chose to forgive those who were crucifying him (Luke 23:34). In everything that Jesus did, he demonstrated perfect self-control in his life.

II. Self-control, temptation and desire

So, we have seen what the Bible tells us about self-control and God. Next, we want to see what the Bible tells us about self-control, temptation and desire. We have already seen that self-control has to do with your desires. “I will grow in self-control as I allow the Spirit to subdue my desires.” Well, the Bible tells us that temptation has to do with your desires as well.

   A. Temptation attacks you through your old sinful desires
      – James 1:13-15

In fact, that’s the whole way temptation works. Temptation attacks you through your old sinful desires. We read in James 1:13-15: “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:13-15) The whole reason temptation works is because of your old, sinful desires. God is not tempted by sin, nor does he tempt anyone else, because he does not have any sinful desires. If you didn’t have sinful desires, you wouldn’t be tempted either.

   B. The Holy Spirit gives you new and right desires
      – Galatians 5:16-18

The good news is that when you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit gives you new and right desires. We read in Galatians 5:16-18: “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.” (Galatians 5:16-18)

When you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit comes to live in you, and the Spirit gives you new and right desires. You are a new creation in Christ, and you have been given these new and right desires through the Spirit, but you still have to deal with your old sin nature. And so, there is this constant spiritual tug-of-war going on inside you between what the Spirit desires and what your old sinful nature desires. And without self-control, temptation wins every time.

   C. Part of self-control is setting your mind on what the Spirit desires
      – Romans 8:5-7

A big part of self-control is simply setting your mind on what the Spirit desires rather than what your old sinful nature desires. We read in Romans 8:5-7: “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.” (Romans 8:5-7)

Did you notice the repetition of the word “controlled” in those verses? Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God, while the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. When you set your mind on what the sinful nature desires, you lose every time. But when you set your mind on what the Spirit desires, you live in accordance with the Spirit. “I will grow in self-control as I allow the Spirit to subdue my desires.”

III. Growing in self-control

So, we have looked at self-control and God. We have looked at self-control and temptation. Finally, we want to see what the Bible tells us about growing in self-control. As Christians, how can we grow in this final fruit of the Spirit?

   A. Practice self-discipline
      – Proverbs 25:28; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 2 Peter 1:5-6

One way to grow in self-control is to practice self-discipline. Proverbs 25:28 says: “Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.” (Proverbs 25:28) Without self-control, you are a sitting duck for the enemy and open to attack, and so you need to practice self-discipline regularly in your life.

Self-discipline in one area of your life leads to discipline in other areas as well. The apostle Paul knew this, which is why he made it a priority to practice self-discipline in his life. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 9: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) If you want to develop self-control in your life, you need to go into strict training. Paul did not want to be disqualified, and so he practiced self-discipline regularly in all areas of his life.

2 Peter 1:5-6 says: “Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control.” (2 Peter 1:5-6) All self-discipline in life is important, but maintaining the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible reading and regular church attendance are especially important when it comes to growing in self-control. That’s the first way you can grow in self-control – practice self-discipline.

   B. Beware of addictions
      – John 8:32; Galatians 5:1

Another way to grow in self-control is to beware of addictions. People suffer addictions in so many areas of life, whether food, alcohol, drugs or sex. Jesus said in John 8:32 that when you hold to his teaching: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) Galatians 5:1 reminds us: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)

The bottom line is that God wants you to be free. So, watch out for anything that can become an addiction or snare in your life. Hold fast to the truth of Christ, and the truth will set you free.

   C. Don’t give in to anger or fear
      – James 1:19-20; 2 Timothy 1:7

A third way to grow in self-control is not to give in to anger or fear. James 1:19-20 says: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” (James 1:19-20) We talked about being slow to anger several weeks ago when we looked at the fruit of patience. Being slow to anger is also a part of the fruit of self-control. Just as God’s wrath is his controlled anger against sin, so we need to be in control of our tempers. God is slow to anger, and we should be slow to anger as well.

We also need to be careful not to give in to fear. 2 Timothy 1:7 says: “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
It takes courage and self-control to keep going and do the right thing even in the face of fear.

   D. Ask God to develop the fruit of self-control in your life
      – Titus 2:11-12

And then, finally, as with all the fruit of the Spirit, you need to ask God. God is the one who grows each of the fruit of the Spirit, so ask God to develop the fruit of self-control in your life. Self-control is a gift of God’s grace that he gives you in Jesus. Titus 2 tells us: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.” (Titus 2:11-12) Ultimately, all the fruit of the Spirit are gifts of God’s grace, so ask God to develop the fruit of self-control in your life.

CONCLUSION: And so, we come to the end of our series on the fruit of the Spirit. Over the last nine weeks we have looked carefully at each of the fruit of the Spirit and seen how they all relate to God, Jesus and ourselves.

We have seen that the fruit of the Spirit is the character of Jesus that God grows in you. Together the fruit of the Spirit paint a beautiful picture or portrait of Christ. Jesus perfectly reflects the character of God, and God wants you to reflect the character of Jesus.

The fruit of the Spirit begins with love and ends with self-control. Love comes first because it is the first fruit which contains all the others. Self-control is important, but it means nothing without love – love for God, love for Jesus, love for other people.

“I will grow in self-control as I allow the Spirit to subdue my desires.” I pray that as a result of today’s message you will have a new understanding of the importance of self-control in your life. I pray you will be encouraged knowing that self-control is available to you through God and the Holy Spirit. Remember, the key to self-control is giving God control. I pray that all of us will seek to grow more like Jesus in this area of self-control.

© Ray Fowler

You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this message provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For any web postings, please link to the sermon directly at this website.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copies:
By Ray Fowler. © Ray Fowler. Website: https://www.rayfowler.org

Click here for more messages from the Fruit of the Spirit sermon series.
Click here for more messages from the book of Galatians.
Click here to return to the Sermons page.