What Is Self-Discipline?

How good are you at self-discipline? The chances are that you are reading this article on a mobile device, and mobile devices may discourage self-discipline more than anything else in our world. Experts tell us that incessant scrolling turns us into dopamine junkies, feeding habits that result in idleness and procrastination.

But a little reflection tells us that we can’t blame our phones—or any other physical items in the world—for our lack of self-discipline. The blame lies squarely with ourselves; the clue is in the very word self-discipline, is it not?

The term self-discipline does not appear in modern English versions of the Bible, but a very closely related one, self-control, certainly does. Self-control, the rule of self, is a godly characteristic; indeed, it is a godlike characteristic. When God set about creating the heavens and the earth, He worked according to a set purpose and within a set time frame (Gen. 1). He did not go about His work haphazardly, unsure what He might be doing from one day to the next, making it up as He went along. And right now, He continues working in the same vein (John 5:17).

God is a God of order, not of disorder (1 Cor. 14:33). Spontaneity is often highly valued in our culture, and there is surely a right place for it, but it can easily degenerate into rash impulsivity, which is the complete opposite of self-control. So, when you or I exercise self-control, we imitate our Creator. In fact, although it may seem paradoxical, we can say that the most self-controlled person is the most God-controlled person.

There are three passages in the New Testament that especially highlight the importance of self-control.

1. 1 Corinthians 9:24–27

The first is 1 Corinthians 9:24–27. Here Paul likens the Christian life to running a marathon and to a boxing match. He describes the self-control that all athletes must exercise as they run. Since many of us live in a sport-obsessed society, we understand that top athletes must follow a strict regimen of diet, exercise, training, and sleep, not only on the day they are running, but each and every day.

Paul applies this to the whole Christian life: “I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:27). An athlete running a marathon is not lacking in purpose or motivation. But neither is the Christian. Lifelong self-discipline begins when we ask questions such as: Who am I? What am I here for? What are my goals, and how should I aim to reach them? The very first answer in the Westminster Shorter Catechism gets straight to the point by reminding us that “man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” Everything in my life must be subservient to this greatest goal.

2. Galatians 5:22–23

The second passage is Galatians 5:22–23, where Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Notice that this list of fruit comes immediately after another list of the “works of the flesh” (Gal. 5:19–21), and by their very nature these “works of the flesh” are wild, unrestrained desires and lusts. Normal and natural human appetites have gotten out of control; they are like a river bursting its banks, resulting in widespread damage and destruction.

Notice also that the fruit of the spirit are bookended by “love” and “self-control.” We know that in the New Testament, love is often regarded as the supreme virtue—“the greatest is love” (1 Cor. 13:13)—but even love must be directed and channeled. Self-control, or self-discipline, recognizes the existence of human appetites for food, drink, rest, sex, pleasure, recreation, and all the rest of it, but it carefully engineers channels for them to keep them in check so that they don’t break their banks and morph into uncontrolled passions and lusts. It is no accident that as Paul writes to Titus, ministering in Crete—an island with a reputation for unruliness—he mentions the need to be “self-controlled” several times as he addresses various groupings in that society: “older men,” “younger women,” “younger men,” indeed “all people” (Titus 2:1–12).

3. 2 Timothy 1:7

Finally, consider 2 Timothy 1:7: “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” I think this is a timely word for faithful Christians living in the twenty-first century. The surrounding culture has become increasingly hostile, angry, and intolerant, so that believers can easily feel intimidated by opposition and oppression. It seems clear from the New Testament that Timothy was a somewhat retiring and timid character who needed to be urged to go on ministering “in season and out of season” (2 Tim. 4:2).

One application we can draw from this passage is perhaps a little surprising, but it is valuable. Self-control, or self-discipline, is the antidote to the fear and anxiety that can so easily plague us. Because the true secret of self-discipline is the presence and power of God with us as His people, it is really God-discipline—the Word of God and the Spirit of God directing and controlling all I do and say as a child of God who has been united to Jesus Christ, even as I share in the very mind of Christ (Phil. 2:5).