Fruit Inspection Pt. 9 Temperance (Self-Control)
The Power of Self-Control: When Your Inside Matches Your Outside
There's a profound truth that often gets overlooked in our spiritual journey: the nine fruits of the Spirit don't just appear overnight. They live inside every believer, but they can either lay dormant or be actively developed. And of all these fruits, self-control might be the most revealing indicator of our spiritual maturity.
The Battle Within
Galatians 5:22-23 paints a beautiful picture of what the Holy Spirit produces within us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. But here's the reality check we all need: what's happening on the outside should reflect what's happening on the inside. If chaos reigns externally, it's a mirror of internal disorder. The Amplified Bible describes our flesh as "godless human nature." That's a sobering definition. Our flesh represents human nature operating without God's influence. Every day, a battle rages between the Spirit's desires and the flesh's demands. The question isn't whether this battle exists, but rather: who's winning?
Not Everything Is a Demon
Before we dive deeper, let's address something crucial: not everything wrong in our lives is demonic. Sometimes, we magnify Satan's influence when the real issue is simply a lack of self-control. Yes, spiritual warfare is real, but so is personal responsibility. Satan belongs under our feet, unemployed in our lives. Many times, what we're dealing with isn't demonic oppression but an underdeveloped fruit of self-control.
The City With Broken Walls
Proverbs 25:28 offers a striking image: "A person without self-control is like a city with broken down walls." In biblical times, city walls served as protection against enemies who wanted to steal, destroy, and take captives. Without these walls, a city was defenseless.
When we lack self-control, our spiritual defenses are down. We unknowingly invite unwanted company into our minds, wills, emotions, and physical bodies. Unchecked anger destroys peace. Impulse spending creates debt, which breeds worry, complaint, and stress. The pattern is clear: lack of self-control opens doors we never intended to unlock. Think about Samson. Called by God. Chosen by God. Anointed by God. God's power showed up in his life repeatedly. Yet Samson operated without self-control, and ultimately, he lost his vision and his life. Self-control isn't just about living better; it can literally save your life.
Real Freedom Operates in Self-Control
Our culture celebrates doing whatever feels good in the moment. But that's not freedom; that's bondage to impulse. Real freedom operates within the boundaries of self-control. How do you know you're truly free? You don't just say anything you want without considering the spiritual law that life and death are in the power of the tongue. You don't eat anything at any time simply because your appetite demands it. Freedom isn't the absence of restraint; it's the power to restrain yourself.
The Sowing and Reaping Principle
Galatians 6:8 lays out a sobering reality: if you sow to the flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh. If you sow to the Spirit, you will reap life everlasting from the Spirit. Every moment presents a choice about what we're building. When we collide with decisions, we must ask ourselves: What am I constructing with this choice? Corruption or life? Slavery to flesh or freedom in the Spirit? Your flesh has a mind of its own, and its job is to produce something. The critical question is: do you like what your flesh is producing in your life right now?
Bringing Your Body Into Subjection
Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 9 are revolutionary. He disciplines his body and brings it into subjection, literally into "slave ship." His body doesn't have rights; he tells his body what to do. Paul understood that without this discipline, he would become disqualified, a castaway, unapproved, worthless. The term "reprobate mind" appears in Romans 1, describing someone who no longer knows right from wrong. This condition doesn't happen overnight. It's the result of continuously yielding to the flesh, refusing to discipline the body, and rejecting God's truth. When people persistently choose their flesh over God's Spirit, eventually God gives them over to their choices. This isn't just ancient history. We're witnessing this unfold in our society today. The progression is clear: people knew God but didn't glorify Him, became vain in their imaginations, their hearts were darkened, they professed themselves wise but became fools, and God gave them over to reprobate minds.
The warning is stark: without renewing our minds and getting our flesh under control, we risk becoming reprobate ourselves.
Practical Steps Forward
**Establish Boundaries**
Self-control begins in your thought life. You need emotional boundaries so you're not crying or angry all day long. You need financial boundaries so you don't overspend. You need physical boundaries to honor God with your body. If you don't establish these lines, you don't know yourself, and you'll violate God's principles for convenience rather than covenant.
**Make the Word First Place**
Romans 13 instructs us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh. The reason many give in to temptation so easily is ignorance of God's Word. When Scripture doesn't govern your life, you become an easy target. The Word must be your boundary marker, your guide, your standard.
**Watch and Pray**
Matthew 24 gives us Jesus' instruction: watch and pray so you don't enter into temptation. Your spirit is willing, but your flesh is weak. Prayer keeps your flesh in check. The more you pray, the more alert you become to the Spirit's warnings and guidance.
The Higher Calling
God's goal isn't just salvation; it's transformation. He's developing character that will stand the test of time and eternity. When we stand before Christ, He'll judge us based on our character, not our accomplishments or possessions. The journey ahead requires operating in the Spirit, not the flesh. There's no way to walk in God's power while living in the flesh. He's calling us up and out to go higher—after power, influence, and impact that can only flow from lives under the Spirit's control. Your flesh will label you, limit you, and defeat you. But your spirit, yielded to the Holy Spirit, has no limits. The choice is yours: will you bring your body into subjection, or will you let your flesh continue winning?
The fruit of self-control isn't just another nice spiritual quality. It's the guardian of all the other fruits, the protector of your destiny, and the evidence that what's inside you truly matches what others see on the outside.
The Battle Within
Galatians 5:22-23 paints a beautiful picture of what the Holy Spirit produces within us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. But here's the reality check we all need: what's happening on the outside should reflect what's happening on the inside. If chaos reigns externally, it's a mirror of internal disorder. The Amplified Bible describes our flesh as "godless human nature." That's a sobering definition. Our flesh represents human nature operating without God's influence. Every day, a battle rages between the Spirit's desires and the flesh's demands. The question isn't whether this battle exists, but rather: who's winning?
Not Everything Is a Demon
Before we dive deeper, let's address something crucial: not everything wrong in our lives is demonic. Sometimes, we magnify Satan's influence when the real issue is simply a lack of self-control. Yes, spiritual warfare is real, but so is personal responsibility. Satan belongs under our feet, unemployed in our lives. Many times, what we're dealing with isn't demonic oppression but an underdeveloped fruit of self-control.
The City With Broken Walls
Proverbs 25:28 offers a striking image: "A person without self-control is like a city with broken down walls." In biblical times, city walls served as protection against enemies who wanted to steal, destroy, and take captives. Without these walls, a city was defenseless.
When we lack self-control, our spiritual defenses are down. We unknowingly invite unwanted company into our minds, wills, emotions, and physical bodies. Unchecked anger destroys peace. Impulse spending creates debt, which breeds worry, complaint, and stress. The pattern is clear: lack of self-control opens doors we never intended to unlock. Think about Samson. Called by God. Chosen by God. Anointed by God. God's power showed up in his life repeatedly. Yet Samson operated without self-control, and ultimately, he lost his vision and his life. Self-control isn't just about living better; it can literally save your life.
Real Freedom Operates in Self-Control
Our culture celebrates doing whatever feels good in the moment. But that's not freedom; that's bondage to impulse. Real freedom operates within the boundaries of self-control. How do you know you're truly free? You don't just say anything you want without considering the spiritual law that life and death are in the power of the tongue. You don't eat anything at any time simply because your appetite demands it. Freedom isn't the absence of restraint; it's the power to restrain yourself.
The Sowing and Reaping Principle
Galatians 6:8 lays out a sobering reality: if you sow to the flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh. If you sow to the Spirit, you will reap life everlasting from the Spirit. Every moment presents a choice about what we're building. When we collide with decisions, we must ask ourselves: What am I constructing with this choice? Corruption or life? Slavery to flesh or freedom in the Spirit? Your flesh has a mind of its own, and its job is to produce something. The critical question is: do you like what your flesh is producing in your life right now?
Bringing Your Body Into Subjection
Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 9 are revolutionary. He disciplines his body and brings it into subjection, literally into "slave ship." His body doesn't have rights; he tells his body what to do. Paul understood that without this discipline, he would become disqualified, a castaway, unapproved, worthless. The term "reprobate mind" appears in Romans 1, describing someone who no longer knows right from wrong. This condition doesn't happen overnight. It's the result of continuously yielding to the flesh, refusing to discipline the body, and rejecting God's truth. When people persistently choose their flesh over God's Spirit, eventually God gives them over to their choices. This isn't just ancient history. We're witnessing this unfold in our society today. The progression is clear: people knew God but didn't glorify Him, became vain in their imaginations, their hearts were darkened, they professed themselves wise but became fools, and God gave them over to reprobate minds.
The warning is stark: without renewing our minds and getting our flesh under control, we risk becoming reprobate ourselves.
Practical Steps Forward
**Establish Boundaries**
Self-control begins in your thought life. You need emotional boundaries so you're not crying or angry all day long. You need financial boundaries so you don't overspend. You need physical boundaries to honor God with your body. If you don't establish these lines, you don't know yourself, and you'll violate God's principles for convenience rather than covenant.
**Make the Word First Place**
Romans 13 instructs us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh. The reason many give in to temptation so easily is ignorance of God's Word. When Scripture doesn't govern your life, you become an easy target. The Word must be your boundary marker, your guide, your standard.
**Watch and Pray**
Matthew 24 gives us Jesus' instruction: watch and pray so you don't enter into temptation. Your spirit is willing, but your flesh is weak. Prayer keeps your flesh in check. The more you pray, the more alert you become to the Spirit's warnings and guidance.
The Higher Calling
God's goal isn't just salvation; it's transformation. He's developing character that will stand the test of time and eternity. When we stand before Christ, He'll judge us based on our character, not our accomplishments or possessions. The journey ahead requires operating in the Spirit, not the flesh. There's no way to walk in God's power while living in the flesh. He's calling us up and out to go higher—after power, influence, and impact that can only flow from lives under the Spirit's control. Your flesh will label you, limit you, and defeat you. But your spirit, yielded to the Holy Spirit, has no limits. The choice is yours: will you bring your body into subjection, or will you let your flesh continue winning?
The fruit of self-control isn't just another nice spiritual quality. It's the guardian of all the other fruits, the protector of your destiny, and the evidence that what's inside you truly matches what others see on the outside.
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