53 Bible Verses about Self Control

A fool poureth out his spirit altogether, but a wise man keepeth it in till afterward.

The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David king of Israel: To learn wisdom, instruction, understanding, prudence, righteousness, judgment and equity.read more.
That the very babes might have wit, and that young men might have knowledge and understanding. By hearing, the wise man shall come by more wisdom:

But the fruit of the spirit is: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law.

For the grace of God, that bringeth salvation unto all men, hath appeared and teacheth us that we should deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and that we should live sober minded, righteously, and godly in this present world,

Yea, and a bishop must be faultless, the husband of one wife, sober, discreet, honestly appareled, harborous, apt to teach,

but harborous, one that loveth goodness, sober minded, righteous, holy, temperate,

That the elder men be sober, honest, discreet, sound in the faith, in love and in patience.

And hereunto, give all diligence: In your faith, minister virtue; and in virtue, knowledge; and in knowledge, temperance; and in temperance, patience; in patience, godliness; in godliness, brotherly kindness; in brotherly kindness, love.read more.
For if these things be among you, and are plenteous, they will make you that ye neither shall be idle nor unfruitful in the knowledge of the our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind and gropeth for the way with his hand, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

I therefore so run, not as at an uncertain thing. So fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I tame my body and bring it into subjection, lest after that I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

If any man think that it is uncomely for his virgin if she pass the time of marriage, and if so need require, let him do what he listeth, he sinneth not: let them be coupled in marriage. Nevertheless, he that purposeth surely in his heart, having none need: but hath power over his own will: and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doth well. So then he that joineth his virgin in marriage doth well. But he that joineth not his virgin in marriage doth better.

For this is the will of God, even that ye should be holy, and that ye should abstain from fornication, that every one of you should know how to keep his vessel in holiness and honour, and not in the lust of concupiscence, as do the heathen, which know not God,read more.
that no man go too far and defraud his brother in bargaining, because the Lord is avenger of all such things: as we told you before time, and testified unto you. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness: but unto holiness.

Wherefore, gird up the loins of your minds, be sober, and trust perfectly on the grace that is brought unto you by the declaring of Jesus Christ;

Therefore let us not sleep as do others: but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night: and they that be drunken, are drunken in the night. But let us which are of the day be sober, armed with the breast plate of faith and love, and with hope of salvation as a helmet.

The end of all things is at hand. Be ye therefore discreet, and sober, that ye may be apt to prayers.

Be sober, and watch. For your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth, and keep the door of my lips.

Wherefore, dear brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath.

Thou hast proved and visited mine heart in the night season; thou hast tried me, and shalt find no wickedness in me, for I am utterly purposed that my mouth shall not offend.

A wise heart ordereth his mouth wisely; and amendeth the doctrine in his lips.

Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue; the same keepeth his soul from troubles.

My brethren, be not every man a master; Remembering how that we shall receive the more damnation. For in many things we sin all. If a man sin not in word, the same is a perfect man and able to tame all the body. Behold, we put bits into the horses' mouths that they should obey us, and we turn about all the body.read more.
Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the violence of the governor will: even so the tongue is little member and boasteth great things. Behold how great a thing a little fire kindleth, and the tongue is fire, and a world of wickedness. So is the tongue set among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth afire all that we have of nature, and is itself set afire, even of hell. All the natures of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and things of the sea, are meeked and tamed of the nature of man. But the tongue can no man tame. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God the father, and therewith curse we men which are made after the similitude of God. Out of one mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at one place sweet water, and bitter also? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries: or a vine bear figs? So can no fountain give both salt water and fresh also.

But I say to you, That ye resist not wrong. But whosoever give thee a blow on thy right cheek, turn to him the other. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

"But I say unto you which hear: Love your enemies. Do good to them which hate you. Bless them that curse you. And pray for them which wrongfully trouble you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek, offer also the other. And him that taketh away thy gown, forbid not to take thy coat also.

Servants obey your masters with all fear, not only if they be good and courteous: but also though they be froward. For it is thankworthy if a man, for conscience toward God, endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what praise is it, if when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye take it patiently? But and if when ye do well, ye suffer wrong and take it patiently, then is there thanks with God.read more.
For hereunto verily were ye called, for Christ also suffered for us: leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps, which did no sin, neither was there guile found in his mouth: which when he was reviled, reviled not again: when he suffered, he threatened not: but committed the cause to him that judgeth righteously,

And it fortuned, after this, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, "Come lie with me." But he denied, and said to her, "Behold, my master knoweth not what he hath in the house with me, but hath committed all that he hath to my hand. He himself is not greater in the house than I, and hath kept nothing from me, but only thee because thou art his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, for to sin against God?"read more.
And after this manner spake she to Joseph day by day; but he hearkened not unto her, to sleep near her or to be in her company. And it fortuned about the same season, that Joseph entered into the house, to do his business: and there was none of the household by, in the house. And she caught him by the garment, saying, "Come, sleep with me." And he left his garment in her hand and fled and got him out.

Then Saul was come again from the Philistines, it was told him, "Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi." Then Saul took three thousand men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men in the rocks, where nothing haunted but wild goats. And he came to the flocks of the sheep by a wayside where was a cave. And Saul went in to cover his feet. And David and his men sat along by the sides of the cave.read more.
And the men of David said unto him, "See, the day is come of which the LORD said unto thee, 'Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, and thou shalt do with him what it pleaseth thee.'" Then David arose and cut off the tip of Saul's coat privily. And immediately David's heart smote him, because he had cut off the tip of Saul's coat. And he said unto his men, "The LORD keep me from doing that thing unto my master that is the LORD's anointed, to lay mine hand upon him: seeing he is the LORD's anointed." And so David kept off his servants with words, and suffered them not to go upon Saul.

And so David and Abishai came to the people by night. And behold, Saul lay sleeping within a round bank and his spear pitched in the ground at his head, Abner and the people lying round about him. The said Abishai to David, "God hath closed in thine enemy unto thine hand this day. Now therefore let me smite him a fellowship with my spear to the earth, even one stroke, and I will not smite him the second time." But David said to Abishai, "Destroy him not - for who can lay his hand on the LORD's anointed and be guiltless?"read more.
And David said furthermore, "As sure as the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall descend into battle and there perish: but the LORD keep me from laying mine hand upon the LORD's anointed. Now then take a fellowship the spear that is at his head, and the cruse of water, and let us go." And David took the spear and the cruse of water that were at Saul's head, and they gat them away, and no man saw or wist it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because the LORD had sent a slumber upon them.

Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, "Why doth this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go and take off the head of him." And the king said, "What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? Let him curse: for the LORD hath bid him curse David. And who dare presume to say wherefore doth he so?"

I made a covenant with mine eyes, that I would not look upon a damsel.

He suffered wrong and was evil entreated, and yet opened not his mouth: he was as a sheep led to be slain: and as a lamb before his shearer, he was dumb and opened not his mouth.

And he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the highest priest asked him, and said unto him, "Art thou the Christ, the son of the blessed?"

Then the soldiers of the deputy took Jesus unto the common hall, and gathered unto him all the company. And they stripped him, and put on him a purple robe, and plaited a crown of thorns and put upon his head, and a reed in his right hand. And bowed their knees before him, and mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews,"read more.
and spitted upon him, and took the reed and smote him on the head.

and labour working with our own hands. We are reviled, and yet we bless. We are persecuted, and suffer it. We are evil spoken of, and we pray. We are made as it were the filthiness of the world, the offscouring of all things, even unto this time.

Perceive ye not how that they which run in a course, run all, yet but one receiveth the reward? So run that ye may obtain. Every man that proveth masteries abstaineth from all things. And they do it to obtain a corruptible crown: but we to obtain an uncorruptible crown. I therefore so run, not as at an uncertain thing. So fight I, not as one that beateth the air:read more.
but I tame my body and bring it into subjection, lest after that I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

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

Then spake the LORD, concerning this people that have pleasure to go so nimbly with their feet, and leave not off, and therefore displease the LORD; insomuch that he will now bring again to remembrance all their misdeeds, and punish all their sins.

And it happened on the morrow, that the evil spirit sent of God came upon Saul, so that he prophesied in the midst of the house. And David played on the instrument with his hand as he was daily wont. And Saul had a spear in his hand, and hurled it; intending to have nailed David to the wall. But David avoided out of his presence two times.

And David sent home to Tamar, saying, "Go to thy brother Amnon's house and dress him meat. When Tamar came to her brother Amnon's house, he lay. And she took flour and made paste and made fritters in his sight and did bake them, and took a platter and poured them out before him. And Amnon would not eat, but commanded to have out all men from him. And they went all out from him.read more.
Then said Amnon unto Tamar, "Bring the meat into the chamber that I may eat it of thine hand." And Tamar took the fritters which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother, and set them before him to eat. And he took her and said unto her, "Come, lie with me my sister." And she answered him, "Nay, my brother, do not force me, for it ought not to be so in Israel. Do not this folly. For whither shall I go with my shame? And thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. But speak unto the king, and he shall not deny me unto thee." Howbeit, he would not hearken unto her voice but was too strong for her and forced her and lay with her.

They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that he punished Moses for their sakes, because they provoked his spirit, so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips.

My son, if thou be surety for thy neighbour, thou hast fastened thine hand with another man: yea, thou art bound with thine own words, and taken with thine own speech. Therefore my son, do this: and thou shalt be discharged, when thou art come into thy neighbour's danger. Go thy ways then soon, and entreat thy neighbour:

Where no Prophet is, there the people perish; but well is him that keepeth the law.

And as he preached of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come; Felix trembled, and answered, "Thou hast done enough at this time: depart. When I have a convenient time, I will send for thee."

Wherefore God, likewise, gave them up unto their hearts' lusts, unto uncleanness to defile their own bodies between themselves: which turned his truth unto a lie, and worshipped and served the creatures more than the creator, which is blessed forever, Amen. For this cause, God gave them up unto shameful lusts. For even their women did change the natural use unto the unnatural.read more.
And likewise also the men left the natural use of the woman, and burnt in their lusts, one on another, among themselves. And man with man wrought filthiness: and received in themselves the reward of their error, as it was according. And as it seemed not good unto them to be a known of God, even so God delivered them up unto a lewd mind, that they should do those things which were not comely, being full of all unrighteous doing: of fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, evil-conditioned whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, doers of wrong, proud, boasters, bringers-up of evil things, disobedient to fathers and mothers, without understanding, covenant-breakers, unloving, truce-breakers, and merciless.

Withdraw not yourselves one from another except it be with consent for a time, for to give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and afterward come again to the same thing, lest Satan tempt you for your incontinency.

but and if they cannot abstain, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn.

which things have the similitude of wisdom in chosen holiness, and humbleness, and in that they spare not the body - and do the flesh no worship unto his need.

But these, as brute beasts, naturally made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of that they know not, and shall perish through their own destruction, and receive the reward of unrighteousness. They count it pleasure to live deliciously for a season. Spots they are, and filthiness, living at pleasure, and in deceitful ways feasting with you: having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease to sin, beguiling unstable souls. Hearts they have exercised with covetousness. They are cursed children,

He that keepeth his mouth, keepeth his life; but whoso speaketh unadvised, findeth harm.

Let not sin reign therefore in your mortal bodies, that ye should thereunto obey in the lusts of it.

But the fruit of the spirit is: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance.

A patient man is better than one strong; and he that can rule himself, is more worth than he that winneth a city.

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

For the spirits of the prophets are in the power of the prophets.