32 Bible Verses about Self Control

but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, sweetness of disposition, beneficence, faithfulness, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

For the divine savour has display'd its salutary effects to all mankind: teaching us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and to practise temperance, justice and piety in this present world;

a bishop therefore ought to be of an unspotted character, to have but one wife, to be sober, prudent, grave, hospitable, and qualified for teaching:

but a lover of hospitality, humane, prudent, just, holy, temperate;

but what is agreeable to sound doctrine: advise the aged to be prudent, grave, temperate, sound in faith,

Do you on your part employ all your care in adding to your faith, fortitude: to fortitude, knowledge: to knowledge, temperance: to temperance, patience: to patience, piety: to piety, fraternal affection: and to fraternal affection, universal benevolence.read more.
for if you are possess'd of these virtues and improve therein, they will prevent the knowledge you have of our Lord Jesus Christ from being useless to others, and unprofitable to yourselves. but he that is destitute of them is blind or short-sighted, having forgot he was purified from his past sins.

I therefore so run, not as one that is distanc'd: I fight, but not with the air. but I mortify my body, and bring it into subjection: lest after having been a herald to others, I my self should be thrown out.

if any man thinks it would be a reflexion upon his manhood to be a stale batchelor, and so ought to marry; let him follow his bent, he is at liberty, let such marry. but he that has been steady in his purpose, and finds no necessity to alter it; if he is a master of his passion, and is heartily determin'd to keep his virginity, it is well. so that he who marries, does well; but he who lives single, may have less trouble.

and such is the will of God, that you should be holy, and avoid licentiousness; that every one of you should take care to preserve the dignity of his person unsullied by the vices of the Gentiles, who know not God:read more.
that no man should be exorbitant, and behave contumeliously to his brother: because the Lord is the avenger of all such crimes, as we have formerly remonstrated to you. for God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness:

Let your minds then be duely prepar'd, be vigilant, and constantly expect the favour you will meet with at the appearance of Jesus Christ.

therefore let us not sleep away our time like others, but be vigilant and temperate. they that are sober take their rest in the night, whilst they that are sots, are drunk in the night: but let us, who enjoy the light, be temperate; let us be arm'd with the breast-plate of faith and charity, and for an helmet, with the hope of salvation.

The consummation of all things draws nigh. be temperate, be vigilant in prayer.

Be temperate, be vigilant: for your adversary the Devil goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Wherefore, my dear brethren, let every one be eager to hear, averse to contradiction, and deaf to passion.

My brethren, don't affect many of you to be doctors, considering, that those of us who are such, shall be tried with the greater severity. for we are all liable to frequent mistakes. he that does not give too great a loose to his tongue, is an accomplish'd person and fit to moderate the whole church. you see how manageable horses are made by the application of a bit, which makes them take what motion we please.read more.
a ship too of the greatest burthen, tho' the wind bears hard, by means of an inconsiderable helm, veers about as the hand of the pilot directs her. so the tongue is but a small part of the body, yet how grand are its pretensions. a spark of fire! what quantities of timber will it blow into a flame? the tongue is a brand that sets the world in a combustion: it is but one of the numerous organs of the body, yet it can blast whole assemblies: tipp'd with infernal sulphur it sets the whole train of life in a blaze. creatures of every kind, beasts, birds, reptiles, and sea-monsters, are frequently tamed by human industry. but who could ever tame the tongue? arm'd with deadly poison, the mischief scorns restraint. By that we give praises to God the father: and that pronounces curses even against men, who are form'd after the divine resemblance. from the same mouth shall blessing and cursing proceed? this ought not to be practis'd, my brethren; does a fountain throw up salt water and fresh, by the same conveyance? can a fig-tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine figs? no more can the sea yield water that is fresh.

but I say unto you, don't return evil for evil; on the contrary, if any one strike thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other likewise. and if any man will go to law with you, to have your coat, let him have your cloke too.

But as for you, who hear me, love your enemies: do good to those, who hate you: bless those, who curse you: and pray for those, who maliciously abuse you. if any one strike you on one cheek, present to him the other likewise: or if any one seize your cloak, surrender your coat also.

You that are servants, be subject to your masters with all reverence: not only to such as are kind and gentle, but even to the morose. for it is a recommendation to the divine favour, to suffer unjust persecution from a principle of conscience. what glory is there in suffering corporal punishment for real offences? but if you meet with ill usage for doing your duty, and bear it with constancy,read more.
this will conciliate the divine favour. and this is the condition of your vocation, since Christ himself has suffer'd for us, leaving an example for your exact imitation, he who never offended, and from whose lips no fallacy was ever utter'd, who, when he was reviled, did not revile again: when he was in his sufferings, he did not threat, but referr'd his cause to the righteous judge.

but Jesus remain'd silent, and gave no answer. then the high priest asked him again, and said to him, art thou the Christ, the son of the most High?

after this the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered all the foot-guards about him. and having stripp'd him, they put on him a scarlet robe. then pleating a crown of thorns, they set it on his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, in mockery, saying, hail king of the Jews.read more.
and they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

we are fatigu'd by our manual toil: when reviled, we pray: when persecuted, we don't repine: and when we are defamed, we intreat: in a word, we are look'd upon as the dregs and scum of mankind, even to this day.

You know, that in a race, tho' all run, but one receives the prize: so run, that you may obtain. every one that strives for the mastery, is extremely temperate: now, they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible one. I therefore so run, not as one that is distanc'd: I fight, but not with the air.read more.
but I mortify my body, and bring it into subjection: lest after having been a herald to others, I my self should be thrown out.

but as he was treating of justice, temperance, and a future judgment, Felix greatly alarm'd, said, "withdraw for the present; and when I am at leisure, I will send for you."

wherefore God abandon'd them to the impure passions of their own hearts, so that they themselves dishonour'd their own bodies; they changed the true God for an idol, and adored and served the creature more than the creator, who is blessed for ever. amen. for this cause God gave them up to infamous passions: for even the sex perverted the instinct of nature:read more.
and the men unnaturally leaving the sex, were inflamed with mutual passions, which they shamefully indulged, and received in their own persons, the retribution that was justly due to such enormities. As they did not seek the favour of God, by worshipping him, God gave them over to a depraved sense, to act unworthy of human nature; they were full of all injustice, fornication, mischief, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, contention, fraud, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, enemies of God, injurious, proud, vain, inventers of vices, disobedient to parents, void of judgment, fidelity, and natural affection; implacable, and unmerciful:

don't desert one another, unless you mutually consent to retire for a time, to the solemnity of prayer; and then come together again, lest satan make an attempt upon your continency.

but if they have not the gift, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to be in pain.

by which indeed they make a pretence to wisdom, by a worship of their own devising, by an air of humility, and self-denial, and a disregard to the gratifications of sense.

But as for these, they have no more reason than brute beasts that are naturally made for hunting, and slaughter: so these who calumniate what they do not understand, shall receive the reward of their iniquity by perishing in their own corruption. they place their felicity in daily pleasure: they are a vile scandal to religion: when they are present at your love-feasts they indulge their luxury: their eyes are inflam'd with adultery, and unextinguishable vice: they insnare the souls of the inconstant. their minds are practis'd in the arts of avarice: an execrable race, who have deserted the right way,

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, by making you slaves to the lusts thereof.

but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, sweetness of disposition, beneficence, faithfulness, meekness, temperance:

he that overcomes, shall inherit these things: I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

the prophetic gifts are to be subservient to the prophets.