Galatians 5:22-25 (NKJV):

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified

the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Self-control, or egkrateia (from the Greek), means self-mastery, self-restraint, and continence. It

is the strength with which an individual governs their own desires and passions. But, in the

Christian faith, this mastery is not merely a personal exertion of will; it is a fruit of the Spirit,

meaning that it is produced as we yield to the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Self-control is also an extension of love (agape), the highest form of love described in the

Scriptures. Agape is a selfless, goodwill-driven affection toward God and, by extension, our

neighbors (Matthew 22:36-40). Thus, self-control is a way we demonstrate esteem for God and

those He has qualified as our neighbors. It is a restraint on the desires of the flesh that, left

unchecked, would cause us to violate the terms of our confession of Christ.

The fruit of the Spirit as we know it is not simply a list of virtues; it is an indicator of the Zoe

life—the divine life that we, as believers, possess in Christ, therefore, walking in self-control

suggests that we are walking in the Spirit, living out the eternal life granted to us by God. So we

see that self-control is more than just a moral trait; it is a manifestation of the divine nature at

work in us, showing that we have been transformed and are no longer slaves to the flesh

(Romans 6:6).

The flesh is continuously at war with the Spirit, pulling us toward desires that lead to death.

These desires are categorized in three broad aspects, as described in 1 John 2:15-17 (NKJV):

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father

is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride

of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it;

but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Here, we are warned against three powerful pulls of the world:

1. Lust of the Flesh – Desires that originate from our carnal nature.

2. Lust of the Eyes – Covetous desires triggered by what we see.

3. The Pride of Life – A preoccupation with status, accomplishments, or material possessions.

The word “lust” (epithumia) means an inordinate or forbidden desire. It is a noun, much like

self-control hence it is not a mere action or fleeting impulses; they are personalities that we

either become or embody, depending on the direction of our lives. Thus, if we embody the fruit

of the Spirit, particularly self-control, we weaken the influence of lust. However, when we yield to

lust, we allow it to strengthen its hold over our lives, progressively shaping us into its likeness.