Word 19 – Self-Control

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

The Easter season is, as we’ve seen, a time to examine ourselves in the matters of sin, the flesh, and temptation. Much of this falls under the umbrella of a word that pops up frequently in Scripture-self-control.

The King James version of the Bible translates the word as “temperance” or “moderation”, which has acquired a Victorian sense and sensibility-the importance of being proper and restrained, coloring ourselves inside the lines.

If we delve more deeply into Scripture, we find a larger context for understanding what self-control more accurately means.

Greek philosophers loved to write about the qualities of a good person. So it’s no surprise that there are several different Greek words for the quality we call self-control. Socrates, Plato, and later Stoic philosophers prized the ability to control human passions. Don’t let your whims run your life, they would say.

They coined the word “enkrateia”-internal power. (The “krat” part lives on in ords like “autocrat”, one who rules by oneself. A person with “enkrateia” rules his or her own inner life.)

This word is used in a couple of New Testament lists of virtues, including the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23; see also 2 Peter 1:6). It’s interesting that Paul used the term in his defense before Roman governor Felix: “Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come” (Acts 24:25).

“Sophron” is another “self-control” word used by Greek philosophers and apostles alike. Here the emphasis is on a healthy, balanced, sane mind. Paul uses this word in describing our response to God’s grace, which “teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled “sophronos”, upright and godly lives in this present age.” (Titus 2:12).

As you process this, put yourself in the mind of the Greek philosophers. They saw people driven mad by anger, lust, or pride. (A number of the great Greek myths tell these stories). Because of these passions, people lost control of themselves. Or at least they lost their awareness of the world around them. So the philosophers urged their students to govern their own minds, to maintain a sane balance, to stay alert and sober. The best citizens of the city-states were self-controlled.

Now fast-forward to the New Testament writers. The Hebrew language didn’t really have a word for self-control, but this culture knew a lot about wisdom. And the Jesus movement was discovering the wisdom and guidance of God’s Spirit. So it seems the early Christians borrowed this powerful Greek concept of self-control as a key selling point of their faith: “You want to create good citizens with self-control? That’s hard to do, but when we yield to God’s Spirit, this quality grows within us, like fruit.”

So, references to self-control in the New Testament were intended to emphasize to Greek and Roman cultures that Christians were responsible citizens of internal self-mastery and special wisdom.

The idea is not, as we sometimes make “self-control” to be, about becoming meek and nondescript, simply living within the accepted lines. Christians are to be distinctive and powerful citizens in our culture. That does not mean we must homogenize our personalities so we all act the same.

During this Easter time, this understanding may cast new light on those matters of sin and flesh and temptation. We do well to consider the verse: “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline (sophronismou)” (2 Timothy 1:7).

The Bible pictures our Christian life in terms of Jesus’s walk to the cross, His crucifixion: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24). Just as Christ died for us, we are called to “die to self,” to put our personal desires aside and to become shining examples of Christ’s life-altering power to the world.

Preparing Your Heart for Easter

“Lord God, I know if I cannot master my own self, I will not have influence in my world. I confess I struggle with self-control in a particular area of my life. Help me, Lord, to come to grips with this.”