Bible Verses About Self-Control
Verses on temperance and a ruled spirit — strength that governs itself.
The Bible ranks self-rule above conquest and lists temperance among the Spirit's own fruit. These verses are for appetites, tempers, tongues, and habits that need a governor.
He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
The ungoverned self pictured: a city broken down, without walls.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Temperance — self-control — grows on the Spirit's tree.
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Ruling your spirit outranks taking a city.
And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
The athlete's discipline, applied to eternal things.
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Grace itself teaches us to live soberly and godly now.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
Add to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience.
A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
The fool vents everything; the wise keep some things in.
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
Watchfulness and sobriety — the posture of the children of the day.
Self-control is not white-knuckled willpower; it is fruit — grown by the Spirit in the soil of daily dependence. Ask for the growing, and build the walls back one decision at a time.
