32 Bible Verses about Self Control

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

For the salvation-imparting grace of God appeared to all men, teaching us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live soberly, and righteously, and godly in the present age;

It is needful, therefore, that the bishop be irreproachable, a husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, hospitable, apt to teach,

but hospitable, a lover of good, sober-minded, righteous, pious, temperate;

that aged men be temperate, grave, sober-minded, sound in faith, in love, in patience;

and, even for this very reason, adding all diligence, in your faith supply virtue; and in virtue, knowledge; and in knowledge, continence; and in continence, patience; and in patience, godliness; and in godliness, brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love.read more.
For these things, belonging to you and abounding, make you neither idle nor unfruitful regarding the full knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ; for he to whom these things are lacking is blind, seeing dimly, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins.

I, therefore, so run, as not uncertainly I so fight, as not beating the air. But I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage; lest, by any means, after having preached to others, I myself should be rejected.

But, if any one thinks that he behaves himself unseemly toward his virgin daughter, if she be beyond the prime of life, and thus it ought to be brought about, let him do what he wishes, he sins not; let them marry. But he who has been standing steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has authority respecting his own will, and has determined this in his own heart, that he will keep his own virgin daughter, will do well. So that both he that gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well; and he that gives her not in marriage will do better.

For this is the will of God??ven your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication; that each one of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor; not in passion of desire, even as the gentiles, who know not God;read more.
that he go not beyond and gain an advantage over his brother in the matter; because the Lord is an avenger of all these things, as we also told you before, and solemnly testified. For God did not call us unto uncleanness, but in sanctification.

Wherefore, having girded up the loins of your mind, being sober, hope perfectly for the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

So, then, let us not sleep as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunken are drunken at night. But let us, being of the day, be sober, having put on a breast-plate of faith and love; and, as a helmet, a hope of salvation;

But the end of all things has drawn near; be ye, therefore, of sound mind, and be sober unto prayers;

Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, is going about, seeking whom he may devour;

Ye know this, my beloved brethren; but let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;

My brethren, become not many of you teachers, knowing that we shall receive the greater judgment. For in many things we all stumble. If anyone stumbles not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to restrain also the whole body. Now, if we put the horses' bridles into their mouths, that they may obey us, we turn about their whole body also.read more.
Behold also the ships, large as they are, and driven along by fierce winds, are turned about by a very small rudder, wheresoever the impulse of the steersman wills. So also the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how small a fire kindles how great a forest! And the tongue is a fire, the world of iniquity! the tongue is placed among our members, as that which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of life, and is set on fire by Hell. For every nature, both of wild beasts and birds, both of creeping things and things in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed, by mankind; but the tongue no man can tame; a restless evil, full of deadly poison! Therewith we bless the Lord and Father; and therewith we curse men, who have been made after the likeness of God. Out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing! My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Does the fountain send forth, from the same opening, the sweet water and the bitter, My brethren, can a fig tree produce olives; or a vine, figs? Neither can salt water yield sweet.

but I say to you, Resist not the evil man; but whosoever smites you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also; and to him who is desirous that you should be sued at the law, and to take your coat, grant your cloak also;

"But I say to you who hear, love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you; pray for those who revile you. "To him who smites you on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him who takes away your cloak, withhold not your coat also.

Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the perverse. For this is acceptable, if, for conscience toward God, one endures griefs, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when sinning and being beaten, ye endure it? but, if, when doing well and suffering for it, ye endure it, this is acceptable with God.read more.
For to this were ye called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow His steps; Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; Who, when reviled, reviled not again; when suffering, was not threatening, but committed Himself to Him Who judgeth righteously;

But He was silent, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, and says to Him, "Art Thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"

Then the soldiers of the governor, taking Jesus into the Praetorium, gathered to Him the whole band. And, having stripped Him, they put on Him a scarlet robe; and, having platted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and, kneeling before Him, they mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"read more.
And, having spit on Him, they took the reed, and smote Him on the head;

and we toil, laboring with our own hands; being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat; we were made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things, until now.

Know ye not that those running a race, all, indeed, run; but one receives the prize? So run; that ye may obtain. And every one who strives in the games exercises self restraint in all things; they, indeed, therefore, to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I, therefore, so run, as not uncertainly I so fight, as not beating the air.read more.
But I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage; lest, by any means, after having preached to others, I myself should be rejected.

And, as he was reasoning about righteousness, continence, and the judgment to come, Felix, becoming terrified, answered, "Go your way for the present; and, when I obtain a suitable opportunity, I will call for you;"

Wherefore, God gave them up in the desires of their hearts unto the uncleanness of dishonoring their bodies among themselves; who, indeed, change the truth of God into falsehood; and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause, God gave them up to vile passions; for both their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature;read more.
and, in like manner, the men also, leaving the natural use of the women, burned in their desires one for another; men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in themselves the recompense of their error, which was due. And, as they did not approve the holding of God in their knowledge, God delivered them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not becoming; having become filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers, back-biters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventers of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful;

Defraud not one the other, except by consent for a Season, that ye may have leisure for prayer, and may be together again, that Satan tempt you not because of your incontinency.

But, if they have not continency let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn.

Which things, having, indeed, a show of wisdom, in will-worship, humility, and severe treatment of the body, are not of any value, against the indulgence of the flesh.

But these, as irrational creatures, born naturally for capture and destruction, railing in matters of which they are ignorant, shall in their destruction be also destroyed, suffering evil as wages of unrighteousness; accounting revelry in the daytime a pleasure; spots and blemishes; reveling in their deceivings, while feasting with you; having eyes full of lustfulness, and that cannot cease from sin; enticing unstable souls; having a heart exercised in covetousness; children of a curse;

Let not sin, therefore, reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey its desires;

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

He that overcomes shall inherit these things; and I will be to him a God, and He will be to Me a son.

And spirits of prophets are subject to prophets;