53 Bible Verses about Self Control

The fool gives full rein to his spirit, but the wise man in the end will bring it into rest.

The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel; to know wisdom and chastening; to understand prudent words; to receive the chastening of prudence, justice, judgment, and equity;read more.
to give prudence to the simple, and to the young men knowledge and council. If the wise will hear them, doctrine shall increase, and the man of understanding shall acquire wise counsel:

But the fruit of the Spirit is this: Charity, joy, peace, tolerance, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live temperately, righteously, and godly in this present world;

It is expedient, therefore, that the bishop be blameless, the husband of only one wife, vigilant, temperate, of worldly affections mortified, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, temperate, just, holy, gentle,

that the aged men be temperate, venerable, prudent, sound in faith, in charity, in tolerance.

Ye also, giving all diligence to the same, show forth virtue in your faith; and in virtue, knowledge; and in knowledge, temperance; and in temperance, patience; and in patience, fear of God; and in fear of God, brotherly love; and in brotherly love, charity.read more.
For if these things are in you and abound, they shall not let you be idle nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacks these things is blind and walks feeling the way with his hand, having forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

I therefore so run, not as unto an uncertain thing; so I fight, not as one that beats the air; but I keep my body under, and bring it into subjection, lest preaching to others, I myself should become reprobate.

But if anyone thinks it uncomely regarding his daughter, if she passes the bloom of life, and need so requires, let him do what he will, he does not sin: let them marry. Nevertheless, he that stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has liberty regarding his own, and has so determined in his heart that he will keep his daughter, does well. So then he that gives her in marriage does well, but he that does not give her in marriage does better.

For the will of God is your sanctification, that ye should separate yourselves from fornication, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honesty, not with affection of lust, as the Gentiles who do not know God,read more.
that no one oppress and defraud his brother in any matter because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God has not called us unto uncleanness, but unto sanctification.

Therefore, having the loins of your understanding girded with temperance, wait perfectly in the grace that is presented unto you when Jesus, the Christ, is manifested unto you,

Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For those that sleep in the night, and those that are drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and charity, and for a helmet, the hope of saving health.

But the end of all things is at hand; be ye, therefore, temperate and watch unto prayer.

Be temperate and vigilant because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour,

Set a watch, O LORD, upon my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;

Thou hast proved my heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast refined me and hast found no iniquity; that which I thought did not pass through my mouth.

The heart of the wise causes his mouth to be prudent, and with his lips he shall increase doctrine.

Whosoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles.

My brethren, make not unto yourselves many teachers, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For we all offend in many things. If any man offends not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to govern the whole body with restraint. Behold, we put bits (or restraint) in the horses' mouths to persuade them, and we govern their whole body.read more.
Behold also the ships, which though they are so great are driven of fierce winds, yet they are governed with a very small rudder, wherever the governor desires. In the same manner, the tongue is a very small member and boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every nature of beasts and of birds and of serpents and of beings in the sea may be tamed and is tamed by mankind, but no man can tame the tongue, which is an evil that cannot be restrained and is full of deadly poison. With it we bless God, even the Father; and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God. Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a fountain send forth at the same place both sweet and bitter water? Can the fig tree, my brethren, produce olive berries? or the vine, figs? In the same manner no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.

but I say unto you, That ye resist not with evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone desires to sue thee at the law, and take away thy clothing, let him have thy cloak also.

But I say unto you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those that curse you, and pray for those who despitefully use you. And unto the one that smites thee on the one cheek offer also the other, and to the one that takes away thy cloak defend not thy coat also.

Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and humane, but also to the unjust. For this is due to grace, if a man for conscience toward God endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it if, when ye are buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is due to grace from God.read more.
Because for this were ye called: for the Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth, who, when he was cursed, did not return the curse; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him that judges righteously;

And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand; there is none greater in this house than I; neither has he kept back anything from me but thee because thou art his wife; how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?read more.
And it came to pass as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not hearken unto her, to lie by her or to be with her. And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business, and none of those of the house were there within. And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me; and he left his garment in her hand and fled and got outside.

And it came to pass when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi. Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. And he came to a flock of sheep by the way where there was a cave, and Saul went in to cover his feet, and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.read more.
Then the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thy enemy into thy hand that thou may do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose and silently cut off the skirt of Saul's robe. And it came to pass afterward that David's heart smote him because he had cut off Saul's skirt. And he said unto his men, The LORD keep me from doing this thing unto my master, the LORD's anointed, to stretch forth my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD. So David stayed his servants with these words and did not allow them to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave and went on his way.

So David and Abishai came to the people by night, and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench and his spear stuck in the ground at his head, but Abner and the people lay round about him. Then Abishai said to David, God has delivered thy enemy into thy hand today; now, therefore, let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear and pin him to the earth at once, and I will not need a second opportunity. And David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him, for who has stretched forth his hand against the LORD's anointed, and remained innocent?read more.
David said furthermore, As the LORD lives, if the LORD does not smite him or his day comes to die or he descends into battle and perishes, the LORD forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the LORD's anointed; but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his head and the cruse of water and let us go. So David took the spear and the cruse of water that were at Saul's head, and they went, and no one saw it nor knew it neither awaked, for they were all asleep because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen upon them.

Then Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, said unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse, my lord the king? Let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the LORD has said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Why hast thou done so?

I made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I look upon a maid?

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he did not open his mouth.

But he was silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head and a reed in his right hand; and they bowed the knee before him and mocked him, saying, Receive joy, King of the Jews!read more.
And they spit upon him and took the reed and smote him on the head.

and labour, working with our own hands; being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; being blasphemed, we intreat; we are made as the filth of this world and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

Know ye not that those who run in a race indeed all run, but one receives the prize? So run, that ye may obtain it. And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we, an incorruptible one. I therefore so run, not as unto an uncertain thing; so I fight, not as one that beats the air;read more.
but I keep my body under, and bring it into subjection, lest preaching to others, I myself should become reprobate.

A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.

Thus hath the LORD said unto this people, Thus have they loved to move, nor have they refrained their feet; therefore the LORD does not have them in his will; he will now remember their iniquity and visit their sins.

And it came to pass on the next day that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house, and David played with his hand as at other times, and there was a spear in Saul's hand. And Saul cast the spear, saying, I will smite David to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother Amnon's house and make him something to eat. So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, and he was lying down. And she took flour and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes. Then she took a pan and poured them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Send everyone out from me. And they all went out from him.read more.
Then Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the food into the chamber that I may eat from thy hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made and brought them into the chamber to Amnon, her brother. And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister. And she answered him, No, my brother, do not force me, for no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Do not commit this folly. And I, where shall I go with my reproach? And as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now, therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king, for he will not withhold me from thee. Howbeit, he would not hearken unto her voice, but, being stronger than she, forced her and lay with her.

They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: Because they provoked his spirit to rebel, and he spoke it with his lips.

My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, thou art snared with the words of thy mouth; thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, for thou hast fallen into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

Without prophetic vision, the people shall perish, but he that keeps the law is blessed.

And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled and answered, Go away for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

Therefore God also gave them over to the lusts of their own hearts for uncleanness, to contaminate their own bodies between themselves, who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for all ages. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto shameful affections, for even their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature;read more.
and likewise also the males, leaving the natural use of the females, burned in their lust one toward another, males with males committing nefarious works and receiving in themselves the recompense that proceeded from their error. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a perverse understanding, to do those things which are not convenient, being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, without mercy.

Do not defraud one another, except it be with mutual consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer and come together again, that Satan not tempt you for your incontinency.

But if they do not have the gift of continence, let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn.

which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship and humility and neglecting of the body, but they have absolutely no value against the appetites of the flesh.

But these, speaking evil of the things that they do not understand (as natural animals without reason, who are made to be taken and destroyed), shall utterly perish in their own corruption, receiving the reward of their unrighteousness, as those that count it pleasure to live luxuriously every day. These are spots and blemishes, who eat together with you, while at the same time they revel in their deceit, having their eyes full of adultery, and not knowing how to cease from sin, baiting unstable souls, having their heart exercised in covetous practices; cursed sons,

He that keeps his mouth keeps his life: but he that opens his lips often shall have calamity.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

But the fruit of the Spirit is this: Charity, joy, peace, tolerance, gentleness, goodness, faith,

He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city.

He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.