The occurrences of the word “submit” in the Holy Bible are derived from the Greek term “hupotasso.” The term “hupo” indicates “under,” while the “tasso” is “to arrange.” This term, as well as its derivative, is also expressed as the words “subject” and “subjection.” The complete definition of the phrase is “to submit, put under, surrender oneself unto, be subject to, put in submission under, put in compliance with, or be obedient to.”
The Bible instructs every person to submit fully to the Lord. Complete submission to Him, however, is a way of life, not something that happens occasionally. When we don’t take time to open our Bibles, praise God, and give everything in our lives to His hands constantly, it is easy to fall for the lies and deception of the world.
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What Is The Biblical Concept Of Submission?
The Holy Scripture has a lot to say about obedience[1] and submitting to a “higher being.” James 4:7 tells us to submit ourselves to God. Additionally, 1 Peter 2:13–14, Romans 13:1–7, Titus 3:1, and Hebrews 13:17 are verses that also demonstrate this idea. Simply put, the Lord is the highest authority, and He delegated authority to others. Therefore, to fully submit to God, we must surrender to the authority that God has bestowed over us.
According to Ephesians, the husband must “love” his wife, and she must be submissive to her loving husband as unto God (Ephesians 5:22–25). In the same way, Apostle Peter advises, “Young men, be subservient to the ones who are older. Everyone of you, dress yourself in humility, since God condemns the arrogant but grants grace to the meek” (1 Peter 5:5). God means that without humility, we can’t follow Jesus and submit to Him.
What Does It Mean To Submit Ourselves To God?
We recognize God as the God of our lives when we surrender to and fear Him. We need to decide to obey and follow Jesus everywhere He goes by letting go of our own aspirations, ambitions, and interests. As Proverbs 3:5-7 reads, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear God, and turn away from evil.”
It is simpler to give in to and pursue our sinful nature than it is to submit to Jesus and obey God for his name’s sake. Though submission to God is more burdensome and requires a lot of self-control, it is the proper thing to do. The Holy Spirit could assist Christians in submission to God. The Spirit is God because He is the Third Person of the Trinity.
How Are We To Submit To God?
We should be entrusting everything to God. As Jesus once said to us, “Anyone who aspires to be my follower must give up their own will, take up their daily cross, and obey me” (Luke 9:23). To submit to God, both sacrificing ourselves and pursuing Him are required. We are not genuinely submitting to God unless these two things are done.
Let us cast off all of our fears and resist the devil and resist the temptations that so easily entrap us. And let us remain focused on Jesus, the founder and source of our faith, as we undertake the challenge that has been laid out for us.
In What Ways Can We Submit Ourselves To God?
Salvation is one way to submit to God. By accepting Christ as our Savior, God’s Son, and the right hand of the Father, who resurrected from the grave to grant us eternal life, or salvation, we start the process of surrendering to God. According to Romans 10:9, if we openly acknowledge Christ as our Lord and firmly hold to the notion that God actually did resurrect Him from the grave, we will be redeemed.
How we interact with others is another way we submit to God and Jesus. Ephesians 5:21, for instance, urges “submitting to one another out of reverence for Jesus Christ.” Our acts should demonstrate Christ’s love and mercy to others, whether as a wife or husband or in how we treat others. Jesus further stated in Matthew 25:40 that what we do to the least is what we do to God: “Indeed, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”
2 Steps To Fully Submit To God
1. Submit Our Mind, Heart, And Soul
Submit Our Mind
The Lord examines all the matter of our world views, opinions, and beliefs through our minds. Thus, in order to become His disciples and followers, we must surrender our minds to the living and abiding Word of God as well as to the Holy Spirit.
We should unceasingly pray to our Father in Heaven that we will never be swayed by the lies of new teachings here on earth but rather that they teach us hope, wisdom and values with respect to Him. As Romans 8:6–7 reads, “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.”
Submit Our Heart
Our motivation point for making life decisions comes from our hearts, and if we want our perverse hearts changed to “a good conscience and a genuine faith,” we must submit them to God for restoration. As Proverbs 28:14 proclaimed, “Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.” The Lord searches for the pure truth in our full submission through what’s inside our hearts.
Submit Our Soul
Our soul is what gives us our identities as humans and gives us our individuality. The Bible warns that if we die and we don’t cleanse our souls of sin and have a “new birth,” our souls will perish. Peter taught us, “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart since you have been born again…” (1 Peter 1:22-23)
2. Submit Our Egotistical Desires And Aims
Humans all have a need to be liked, but after being born again, we must now fight to focus solely on honoring Him. This “law waging war against the law of our minds” (Romans 7:23) is the daily human battle that we should all struggle to win for the glory because “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof…” (Psalm 24:1).
Conclusion
All aspects of our lives should belong to and be brought under God’s complete control through worship and submission. By honoring God’s Word and Him with our sincere faith, deeds, decisions, and lives, we show the world that Christ is the real ruler of our destinies. Through this, God will give us peace, joy, and a new spirit within us because he has the authority to do so.
In order to progress spiritually, we must choose to listen and submit to God while we are learning His word. It is a daily task of humble obedience that must be completed. It is not enough to submit to God occasionally or just because we “feel like doing it,” instead we have to submit to Him each day with all of our might and desire.
