It is interesting that the last aspect of the fruit of the Spirit is “self-control” (Galatians 5:23). Many Christians, in seeking to become submitted to the Holy Spirit or to eschew glory for anything that is accomplished through them spiritually, often say such things as: “That was not me—that was the Lord.” This may be a noble attempt to not take glory for things accomplished by the Lord, but it reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of how the Spirit actually does His work. Even worse, this often comes across to others as something between supreme arrogance and ridiculous.
I once saw a professional golfer make a shot which did seem borderline miraculous, but when he claimed in an interview, “That wasn’t me—that was the Lord,” I could not help but to think that if the Lord was operating through his golf game like that, did the Lord get that double bogey, too? In fact, wouldn’t the Lord get a hole in one on every shot?
My point is that, though there are obvious miracles which have nothing to do with our power or ability, even in those the Lord uses people to work through and accomplish them while someone at least prays. It is a basic misunderstanding of the way in which the Spirit operates to think that man is not involved at all in His works. We are called “His body,” (see Ephesians 5:30) because He works with us and through us. This is why self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. It is self control, and we must be involved, but He works with us.
When children are very young, you must tell them what to do or not to do almost continually. However, as they mature, you expect them to understand and use their own wisdom more and more to make such decisions. As a parent, you rejoice when they start using their own good judgment and do not have to ask you about every little thing. The Lord is the same with us. Having to be continually led by the Lord in every detail is not a sign of spiritual maturity, but immaturity.
As we mature, we do not need the leading of the Spirit in every little thing because our minds have been renewed, and we should have grown in wisdom and discernment. This is why the apostles were not led around by the hand, but sent by the Spirit. They were mature enough to make decisions, and only received prophetic revelation for direction when the Lord wanted to change their course or send them to a place they were not intending to go. That is the way the spiritually mature operate, using their own judgment, but always being open for the Lord to change or modify a decision or direction.
That may sound unspiritual to some, but the other is actually pseudo-spiritual, or at the least, very immature. God does His work on the earth through men, and it is the devil who tries to make men into mere puppets. This is why such immature people also tend to blame all of their mistakes on the devil instead of just confessing them. God does not forgive excuses—He forgives sin that is confessed.
To have self-control is obviously to be in control of yourself. This implies not letting your emotions control you, but rather you control your emotions. It also means that you do not allow external things to control your behavior. Of course, this is an essential characteristic of any who are going to walk in the Spirit and have the fruit of the Spirit. We should have peace in the midst of any conflict or chaos. We should have faith when there is fear; love where there hatred. For this we must be controlled from our inner man and not from any outside source.
The requirement for people to have self-control is the true conviction of sin, and also can be a primary factor in people coming under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, as we read in Acts 24:24-25: But some days later, Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. And as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, ‘Go away for the present, and when I find time, I will summon you.’"
It is self-control which compels us to the discipline that is required for a mature and victorious Christian life, just as we are told in I Corinthians 9:24-27: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.”
We see that a lack of self-control can cause us to lose our reward, canceling out the good that we may do. How many ministries, after years of faithfulness and endurance through the various trials that all ministries go through to grow, unravel because of a single indiscretion of the leader? Has this not also been the case in many political campaigns as well? As Paul uses the metaphor of running a race, great runners do not just run to the finish line, but set their goal past it so that they run at full speed through the finish line. We must do the same so that we, too, will not be in danger of being disqualified.
In II Timothy 3:1-5, we read that the condition of people in the last days. “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; and avoid such men as these.” Those who are without self-control will be controlled by the evil one, who will always seize that opportunity.
On the other hand, God will not dominate anyone, but will help them to control themselves. This is why we are told in II Peter 1:5-7 that “self-control” is such an integral step in spiritual maturity:
and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness;
and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
Self-control is listed as the last characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit, but it is by no means the least important. Self-control is essential if we are going to exhibit any of these characteristics with consistency, and therefore abide in the Holy Spirit.