Submission.

We are to submit to God.

Jas_4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Submit to God-Resist the Devil.

This is very comprehensible to those who recognize their Creator and Redeemer. Yielding our lives to God, surrendering all we are to God truly does mean we have to resist evil. We have to make real decisions to surrender and real decisions to resist. Ask yourself why we would be told to submit, if there were no action needed on our part? Submission is a choice God asks us to make, it is not forced, if it is ever forced or if you believe it is forced then you are not submitting to the true God but one of millions made up by Satan to confuse and deceive people.

We are told elsewhere in the word of God this…

Col 3:18  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. 

Wives are to submit to their husbands.  NOT a very popular belief nowadays. We are living in an age that is calling for non-submission, but rather equality. We want husbands to submit to their wives equally. Yet God's word calls for a wife to submit, why?

Throughout God's word there are plenty of women submitted to God, used of God for wonderful purposes.

Jdg 4:4  And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. 

Deborah was a judge, and a judge in Biblical times, before they desired a monarchy, was the military leading force used by God to guide His people.

A woman, a married woman.

God calls for submission of wives to husbands, God tells us women are to know their place, and all we get out of this is God is wrong, God is against women superiority, God is against women ruling, God is against equality between men and women. If this is your take on God, then you don't believe God is love. And, if you don't believe God is love then you don't believe in God at all.

Submission is not an admission of inferiority. Submission is a choice made through love. When we are told to submit to our husbands, we are being told to recognize God in our marriage. 

Eph 5:22  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 

Eph 5:23  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 

Eph 5:24  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 

Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 

Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 

Eph 5:27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 

Eph 5:28  So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 

Eph 5:29  For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 

Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 

Eph 5:31  For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 

Eph 5:32  This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 

Eph 5:33  Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. 

Col 3:18  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. 

Col 3:19  Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. 

Col 3:20  Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. 

Col 3:21  Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. 

Col 3:22  Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: 

Col 3:23  And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 

Col 3:24  Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. 

Col 3:25  But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. 

The BIG picture here is….  Christ and His love for Us. 

As Christ LOVES us-  husbands are to love their wives.

As we LOVE Christ- wives are to love their husbands.

The relationship of love is revealed in our actions.  All too often we may witness a married couple in bitter fighting, in one belittling the other, in one not loving the other and it is no surprise considering the spiritual war going on with each individual as God desires the love of each of us and Satan desires our hatred of God.

Can we as wives submit to our husbands?  You may say yes, as long as… and the list begins, the conditions upon which you will submit arise. If he loves me then I will submit to him, but if he doesn't love me then I won't.

Ultimately we live for who? Who are we living for if we choose to love God?

Whatever we do….do it heartily as to the LORD not to men.

When we choose to submit to our husbands we are submitting to the LORD's WILL.  If our husbands do not choose to love us as Christ loves us, that is on him, not for us to use as an excuse to keep from submitting to them.

We are submitting ourselves and resisting the part of us that Satan would use to rebel against our husbands. Satan wants us to resist our husbands at every turn, because this will cause strife.

This needs more studying, at least, I need to study this more.

These words…

Col 3:18  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. 

As it is fit in the Lord - this tells us our submission to our husbands must remain in the bounds of the love of God.  Is a wife to steal because a husband ask her to? Is a wife to kill because her husband demands this of her? No, and no.  As it is fit in the Lord would negate a wife submitting to committing acts of sin because it is asked of her.

Yes, more study on this tomorrow by the GRACE and WILL of our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST!

All in the love of God, now and forever- all praise, thanksgiving and honor, all glory to God!