by Greg E. Gifford, PhD
Ancient Greek philosophers considered self-control (i.e., temperance) to be a cardinal virtue. If you were a person that possessed self-control, then you were disciplined, focused, restrained, and intentional. We often think of self-control in similar terms—we must deny, we must discipline, we must restrain, and we must focus. Scripture nuances self-control a bit more to distinguish it from self-mastery by showing that self-control is a work of the Spirit of God to enable a person to deny themselves. In this blog, I’ll demonstrate how self-control is an evidence of salvation and a protection of our faith.
Self-Control as Evidence of Salvation
Galatians 5:22-23 demonstrates that when a person walks in the Spirit, they will bear the fruit of the Spirit. It’s the fruit of the spirit that is antithetical to the desires of the flesh and it’s also the fruit of the Spirit that demonstrates being in the Spirit. In verse 23, Paul says that one of the aspects of the fruit of the Spirit is “self-control.” Literally, the “restraint of one’s emotions, impulses, or desires.”[1] What Paul is saying is that when a believer is walking in the Spirit, led by the Spirit, and
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