1 Corinthians 9:25, Temperate in All Things
Athletes go through much self-discipline to condition themselves in the best physical condition for the competition. So does the spiritual athlete. To be temperate is to exercise self-control. “He who has no self control is like a dilapidated city” is a good paraphrase of this proverb (Timothy Tow, Pearls of Great Wisdom – A Study of the Book of Proverbs). Self-control is the spiritual quality or virtue that enables a Christian to have the power to keep himself/herself in check against the sin of the flesh and the spirit.