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Posted by appolus on August 10, 2026
Part five in our study of the separation of the soul and spirit according to Heb 4:12
The Holy Spirit does not merely command self-control; He imparts it. αΌΞ³ΞΊΟΞ¬ΟΡια (enkrateia β self-control, mastery, dominion over your “self”) is the fruit of the Spirit. It is God’s gift, not the product of human determination. Yet every gift must be possessed.
Israel was given the Promised Land long before they possessed it. God declared, “I have given you the land,” yet they still had to cross the Jordan, fight the battles, and take possession of what had already been granted. So it is with self-control. The Spirit has supplied all that is necessary, but we are called to walk in the Spirit, to exercise what He has imparted, and to possess what He has given.
The Spirit of God bears witness with our spirit. The inward man delights in the law of God. From that place of union with Christ, the Holy Spirit empowers the believer to bring the whole man under God’s government. The body is no longer permitted to reign. The mind is no longer carried about by fear and unstable passions. The spirit remains awake, watchful, and yielded to God.
This is not self-striving. It is Spirit-enabled dominion. It is Christ reigning within His people, enabling them to possess what He has already provided. That is why Paul can say, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Victory is not achieved independently of Christ. It is experienced through abiding in Him.
Galatians 5:22β23 (NKJV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
A Call To The Remnant 
cajdunlap said
Thank you, brother, this is spot-on. When we are in love with Jesus and remaining in His love, by the power and influence of the Holy Spirit, then the fruit of the Spirit is an inevitable result in our hearts. That fruit is a unit, with many aspects to it. It is the willing of good to all who are within our sphere, and the results of that mindset include all goodness and virtue, including self-control. Praise God for His gracious gifts to us by the sacrificial love of our Lord Jesus Christ!