It seems in many ways that the world is out of control. When one looks at the nations of the world, one is tempted to think that they have lost control of their expenditure so that living standards are deteriorating. Watching parliament on television gives the impression that some politicians have lost control of their senses and of the comments they make against other politicians in the parliament.

Or we could look at situations where domestic violence and sexual violence have led to shattered lives. We might ask “Why can’t people control their emotions and their temper?”

WE need to get control of our thoughts for the ruler over this world, Satan, the devil, or the accuser, is called as such by Jesus in John’s gospel, Jhn 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. Jhn 14:30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me.  (Jhn 16:11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. He can feed thoughts into our minds, which affect our relationships and our behaviour.

Humans who were once under the control of Satan in the darkness of ignorance, sin, and evil can be delivered from that darkness. Colossians 1:13-14: He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Being in His kingdom by the grace of God we begin to have the mind of Christ and become aware of spiritual realities and of truth. 1Co 2:15-16, The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Most people in the world long to see people act with self-control. But how can it be attained?

The Bible indicates one sure way humans can exercise self-control. It is by being filled with the Holy Spirit of God where self-control is part of the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Paul wrote in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” That comes by receiving Christ into one’s life as Saviour and Lord and asking Him to fill us with His Holy Spirit. It means allowing the Lord to take control of our lives as we surrender them to Him so that our behaviour and whatever comes out of our mouths is controlled by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit and thus is pleasing to Him.

In practice, that means taking every thought captive to Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5: For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” Life is made up of moments and in those moments we make choices for which we are responsible. A bad choice may lead to a series of bad choices and eventual disaster, whereas the right choice leaves us with many options. It is in those moments that we can surrender our thoughts to the Lord and allow Him to influence our decisions which will be consistent with the other parts of the fruit of the Spirit.

Imagine a community where the behaviour and speech of all people were characterised by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Self-control, enabling people to take their thoughts captive to obey Christ, who can break the power of adulterous, murderous and destructive thoughts and replace them with love, patience, and forgiveness for hurts they perceive they have received.

Humans can have victory over sin and evil as St. Paul wrote in 1Co 15:56-57, The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. That comes from presenting all we are to God to allow Him to change us by renewing our minds. Rom 12:1 -2, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” The renewed mind does not act independently of God but takes thoughts captive to Christ who can modify them to become those that are indeed “good and acceptable and perfect.”

This transformation by the renewing of our minds enables us to conform more and more to the image of God so that we begin to see things more from His perspective rather than our own. That will affect how we think about situations and about people, and His Spirit imparts to us the self-control we need to think, speak and behave wisely. As St Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. Ongoing transformation by the Holy Spirit enables us to more fully have the mind of Christ, 1 Corinthians 2:16, and exercise the selfcontrol that the Lord wants to show in all the difficulties and uncertainties of today’s world.

In the study below we will note that 2 words are used in the Greek New Testament to describe self control. They are: enkrateia, ἐγκράτεια meaning “I have mastery over myself.” The other is sophron, σώφρων meaning I think clearly and wisely, and therefore live in a disciplined way.”

For those who are interested in knowing more about self-control [and hopefully living it], I have included below the words used for “self-control” in the New Testament.

SELF CONTROL IN THE BIBLE

There are two main Greek words associated with “self-control” in the New Testament, with a few related words.

They are ἐγκράτεια [enkrateia] and σώφρων [sophron] and their cognates.

THE DISTINCTION

• ἐγκράτεια (enkrateia) Self-control and mastery. Controlling desires and impulses.

• σώφρων (sōphrōn) Self-controlled, being sensible. Sound thinking leading to disciplined behaviour

A HELPFUL SUMMARY IS:

• ἐγκράτεια = “I have mastery over myself.”

• σώφρων = “I think clearly and wisely, and therefore live in a disciplined way.”

THE FIRST WORD. [The G stands for the Greek number in Strong’s Concordance.]

1]. ἐγκράτεια — enkrateia (Strong’s No. G1466)

• Meaning: self-control, mastery over one’s desires, disciplined restraint.

• It comes from ἐν (en) = “in” + κράτος (kratos) = “strength/power.” The basic idea is having strength over oneself.

It occurs in:

• Acts 24:25 And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity, I will summon you.”
• Galatians 5:23 —ἐγκράτεια (enkrateia). Paul presents self-control not merely as human willpower, but as something produced by the Holy Spirit in the believer. Self-control is part of the fruit of the Spirit. • gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
• 2 Peter 1:6 — 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,

• Key thought: inner mastery—being able to govern one’s desires and impulses.

G1467. ἐγκρατεύομαι [egkrateuomai] to exercise self-restraint (in diet and charity): — can(-not) contain, be temperate.

• 1 Corinthians 7:9. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry.
• 1 Corinthians 9:25. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things.
• Titus 1:7-8. For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled σώφρων [sōphrōn], upright, holy, and disciplined. ἐγκρατεύομαι [egkrateuomai]

THE SECOND WORD.

The other word with its cognates are:

2]. σωφρων (sōphrōn) — Strong’s No. G4998. Key thought: a sound, disciplined mind that governs behaviour wisely.

Comes from the base of σώζω (sózó) — To save, to rescue, to heal and that of σώφρήνphrén) — Mind, understanding. Meaning: safe (sound) in mind, i.e. self-controlled, discreet, sober, temperate. Self-controlled and sensible. Sound thinking leading to disciplined behaviour.

Related forms include:

G4998. σωφρονέω (sōphroneō) — to be self-controlled, think sensibly.

Titus 1:8. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.

• Titus 2:2 —Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.
• Titus 2:5 — younger women are to be self-controlled. to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.
• Titus 2:6 —Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.
• 1 Timothy 3:2 —Therefore, an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
• 2 Timothy 1:7 — God gives a spirit of “power and love and self-control” ( often translated “sound mind” or “self-discipline”). For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

• Key thought: a sound, disciplined mind that governs behaviour wisely.

6 occurrences of G4993 σωφρονέω.

• Mark 5:15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
• Luke 8:35 Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
• Romans 12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
• 2 Corinthians 5:13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.
• Titus 2:6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.
• 1 Peter 4:7) The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.

1 occurrence of G4994 σωφρονίζω

• Titus 2:4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

1 occurrence of G4996 σωφρόνως

• Titus 2:12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

3 occurrences of G4997 σωφροσύνη

• Acts 26:25 (But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I m speaking true and rational words.
• 1 Timothy 2:9 (likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire,
• 1 Timothy 2:15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control,

Blog No.604 posted on Wednesday 23 September 2026