53 Bible Verses about Self Control

A fool speaks all his mind; but a wise one keeps it in until afterwards.

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; to know wisdom and instruction; to recognize the words of understanding; to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and uprightness;read more.
to give sense to the simple, knowledge and judgment to the young man; the wise hears and increases learning; and understanding ones get wisdom;

But the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

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

Then it behooves the overseer to be without reproach, husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, well-ordered, hospitable, apt at teaching,

but hospitable, a lover of good, discreet, just, holy, temperate,

aged men to be temperate, sensible, discreet, sound in faith, in love, in patience.

But also in this very thing, bringing in all diligence, filling out your faith with virtue, and with virtue, knowledge; and with knowledge self-control, and with self-control, patience, and with patience, godliness, and with godliness, brotherly kindness, and with brotherly kindness, love.read more.
For if these things are in you and abound, they make you to be neither idle nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he in whom these things are not present is blind and cannot see afar off and has forgotten that he was purged from his sins in the past.

So then I run, not as if I were uncertain. And so I fight, not as one who beats the air. But I buffet my body, and lead it captive, lest proclaiming to others I myself might be rejected.

But if anyone thinks it behaving himself indecently toward his virgin (if she is past her prime, and so it ought to be) let him do what he will; he does not sin; let them marry. But he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but who has authority over his own will (and has so judged in his heart that he will keep his virginity) he does well. So then he who gives in marriage does well. But he who does not give in marriage does better.

For this is the will of God, your sanctification, for you to abstain from fornication, each one of you to know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor (not in the passion of lust, even as the nations who do not know God),read more.
not to go beyond and defraud his brother in this matter (because the Lord is the avenger concerning all these, as we also have forewarned you and testified). For God has not called us to uncleanness, but in sanctification.

Therefore girding up the loins of your mind, being sober, perfectly hope for the grace being brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

Therefore let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us watch and be calm. For those sleeping sleep in the night, and those being drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be calm, having put on the breastplate of faith and love and the hope of salvation for a helmet.

But the end of all things has drawn near. Therefore be of sound mind, and be sensible to prayers.

Be sensible and vigilant, because your adversary the Devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking someone he may devour;

Set a watch, O Jehovah, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.

You have proved my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me, and You will find nothing; my thoughts do not pass beyond my mouth.

The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds learning to his lips.

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

My brothers, do not be many teachers, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we all offend. If anyone does not offend in word, the same is a full-grown man, able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so that they may obey us, and we turn about their whole body.read more.
Behold also the ships being so great, and driven by fierce winds, yet they are turned about with a very small rudder, where the impulse of him steering desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. Behold how little a fire kindles how large a forest! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. So the tongue is set among our members, spotting all the body and inflaming the course of nature, and being inflamed by hell. For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of sea-animals, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind. But no one can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. By this we bless God, even the Father. And by this we curse men, who have come into being according to the image of God. Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a fountain send forth at the same hole the sweet and the bitter? Can the fig tree, my brothers, bear olive berries; or a vine, figs? So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.

But I say to you, Do not resist evil. But whoever shall strike you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. And to him desiring to sue you, and to take away your tunic, let him have your coat also.

But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who despitefully use you. And to him who strikes you on the one cheek, also offer the other. And to him who takes away your garment, do not forbid your tunic also.

Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to those good and forbearing, but also to the perverse ones. For this is a grace, if for conscience toward God anyone endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it if you patiently endure while sinning and being buffeted? But if you suffer while doing good, and patiently endure, this is a grace from God.read more.
For you were not called to this? For Christ also suffered on our behalf, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps, He who did no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth, who when He was reviled did not revile in return. When He suffered, He did not threaten, but gave Himself up to Him who judges righteously.

And after these things it happened that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph. And she said, Lie with me. But he refused and said to his master's wife, Behold, my master does not know what is in the house with me, and he has given all that he has into my hand. There is none greater in this house than I. Neither has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?read more.
And it happened as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not listen to her to lie with her, or to be with her. And it happened about this time that he came into the house to do his work. And none of the men of the house were inside. And she caught him by his robe, saying, Lie with me. And he left his robe in her hand and fled, and got out.

And it happened when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, they told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi. And Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the front of the rocks of the wild goats. And he came to the folds of the flock on 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.
And the men of David said to him, Behold, this is the day of which Jehovah said to you, Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand so that you may do to him as it shall seem good to you. And David arose and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe secretly. And it happened afterward David's heart struck him because he had cut off Saul's skirt. And he said to his men, Far be it from me, by Jehovah, if I will do this thing to my lord, Jehovah's anointed, to stretch forth my hand against him, since he is the anointed of Jehovah. And David held back his men with words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And 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 in the tent, and his spear stuck in the ground at his head. But Abner and the people lay around him. And Abishai said to David, God has shut up your enemy into your hand this day. And please let me strike him with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not repeat it to him. And David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him. For who can stretch forth his hand against Jehovah's anointed and be guiltless?read more.
And David said, As Jehovah lives, except Jehovah strike him, or his day shall come, and he dies, or he goes down to battle and is consumed, far be it from me by Jehovah, from putting forth my hand against Jehovah's anointed. And now, please take the spear at his head and the cruse of water, and we will go. And David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's head. And they went away, and no one saw, and no one knew; and no one was awake; for all of them were sleeping, because a deep sleep from Jehovah had fallen on them.

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

I made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I look upon a virgin?

He was oppressed, and He was afflicted; yet He opened not His mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before its shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.

But He was silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, Are you the Christ, the son of the Blessed?

Then taking Jesus into the praetorium, the soldiers of the governor gathered the cohort against Him. And stripping Him, they put a scarlet robe around Him. And plaiting a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!read more.
And spitting at Him, they took the reed and struck at His head.

And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; being defamed, we entreat. We are made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.

Do you not know that those running in a race all run, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain. And everyone who strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Then those truly that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. So then I run, not as if I were uncertain. And so I fight, not as one who beats the air.read more.
But I buffet my body, and lead it captive, lest proclaiming to others I myself might be rejected.

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

So says Jehovah to this people; So they have loved to wander; they have not restrained their feet; therefore Jehovah does not accept them. He will now remember their iniquity and visit their sins.

And it happened on the next day the evil spirit from God came on Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house. And David played with his hand, as at other times. And a spear was in Saul's hand. And Saul threw the spear. For he said, I will strike David even to the wall. And David drew back out of his presence twice.

And David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to your brother Amnon's house, and prepare food for him. And Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house. And he had lain down. And she took flour and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. And she took a pan and poured them out before him. But he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Make every man go out from me. And every man went out from him.read more.
And Amnon said to Tamar, Bring the food into the room so that I may eat out of your hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the room to Amnon her brother. And when she had brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, Come lie with me, my sister. And she answered him, No, my brother, do not humble me. For no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Do not do this folly. And I, where shall I cause my shame to go? And as for you, you shall be as one of the fools in Israel. But now please speak to the king. For he will not withhold me from you. But he would not listen to her voice; but being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her.

And they angered Him at the waters of strife so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes; because they provoked his spirit so that he spoke rashly with his lips.

My son, if you are surety for your friend, if you struck your palms with a stranger, you are snared with the words of your mouth, you are taken with the words of your mouth. My son, do this now, and deliver yourself when you have come into the hand of your friend; go, humble yourself and make your friend sure.

Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he who keeps the law, he is blessed.

And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and the Judgment to come, Felix trembled and answered, Go for this time, but taking time later, I will call for you.

Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves. For they changed the truth of God into a lie, and they worshiped and served the created thing more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause, God gave them up to dishonorable affections. For even their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature.read more.
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another; males with males working out shamefulness, and receiving in themselves the recompense which was fitting for their error. And even as they did not think fit to have God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do the things not right, being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; being full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, evil habits, becoming whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, insolent, proud, braggarts, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, perfidious, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful;

Do not deprive one another, unless it is with consent for a time, so that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer. And come together again so that Satan does not tempt you for your incontinence.

But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn.

These things indeed have a reputation of wisdom in self-imposed worship and humility, and unsparing severity of the body, but are not of any value for the satisfying of the flesh.

But these, as unreasoning natural brute animals having been born for capture and corruption, speak evil of the things that they do not understand. And they will utterly perish in their own corruption, being about to receive the wages of unrighteousness, deeming indulgence as pleasure in the daytime, and reveling in spots and blemishes, feasting along with you in their deceits, having eyes full of adultery and never ceasing from sin, alluring unstable souls, having a heart exercised with covetousness. They are cursed children

He who keeps his mouth keeps his life; he who opens his lips wide, it is ruin to him.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

But the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith,

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

He who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.

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