As human beings, we can submit ourselves to many of those things in life that tend to keep us far from God. I’m thinking of the “4 P’s,” namely: Power; Prestige; Position; and Pleasure. But the Bible is clear in that we are to submit to God, and God alone! And this is essential if we are ever going to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God.

In the New Testament,  the word “submit” is translated from the Greek word hupotasso.  This word is a combination of two Greek words, hupo meaning “under” and tasso meaning “to arrange.” Some of the optional synonyms for the word include phrases such as “to obey, to place under, to arrange under, and to be subject to.”

The word was originally used in the military, specifically, to “arrange troop divisions in a under the command of a leader.” This word points us to what it means to “submit” to God, that is, to arrange ourselves under God’s authority rather than to our own. It involves submitting our own will to that of our heavenly Father. But more on this later.

The Scriptures have a lot to say about being in submission to “higher powers.” This has reference to the governmental authorities whom God has ordained in whatever capacity they serve (see Romans 13:1-7; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 2:13-14; and Titus 3:1). The general pattern looks like this — The highest authority is God, and He delegates authority to others, and therefore, in order for us to submit to God, we must also submit to the authorities He has placed over us. You will notice that there are no distinctions between good or bad authorities. We are simply called to humble ourselves and submit our lives in obedience to our Lord.

Furthermore, regarding family structure, while wives are called to “submit” to their husbands, husbands are commanded to love their wives as Christ loved the Church (Ephesians 5:22-25). And that love is to be both unconditional and sacrificial, just as Christ loved and died for us. I have often said that if a husband would love his wife as Christ loves the church, then submission for the wife would not be an issue, but it would come naturally, willingly, and yes, even joyfully!

Furthermore, Peter writes to those Christians in exile,

“Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’” (1 Peter 5:5).

Throughout Scripture, submission involves yielding our will to God’s authority, trusting His wisdom and obeying His commands. Here is what the Apostle James had to say about submission:

“Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

And we are all familiar with the words of Solomon,

“Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

When we “acknowledge Him in all of our ways” we are placing ourselves under His authority and choosing to trust Him for whatever the future holds.

Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus submitted to the Father’s will. And remembering His acknowledgment to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane,

“Not my will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

In short, followers of Christ are called to humble themselves before God and align our lives with His will, trusting that His plans for us are good and profitable.

In the end, submission requires humility. In order to submit to a higher authority, including God Himself, it is essential that we humble ourselves, remembering that,   

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

Having a humble and submissive heart is a daily choice that we all must make. If we are going to grow in our walk with God, we must humbly submit to Him each and every day. And let’s remember that God does not require us to submit because He is a tyrant, but because He is a loving Father and He knows what is best for us.

May the Lord bless each of you today.