The mysteries of Christ are being revealed to the saints even in this last day Church.  That which was first revealed to the holy Apostles and contained in the Scriptures is being disclosed by the Holy Spirit.  One of these previously hidden truths is the revelation of submission.

Biblical Submission

Biblical submission may be defined as coming together in unity and oneness of agreement by one agreeably yielding control to another’s authority, or will.

Biblical submission may be illustrated best by the example of our Lord found in the Gospel of Matthew 26:39, 42, 44 in the Garden of Gethsemane where three times Christ fervently prayed with the words, “Thy will be done.”  In these prayers Christ exemplified the truest example of Biblical submission.  As painful a sacrifice as it was, as contrary to the flesh as it was; yet Christ agreeably yielded control of His destiny to the will of the Father. 

Biblical submission is a deferring to, acceding to; i.e. to agree or express agreement with; to yield to, or to subject oneself to another.

Submission to the Authority of the Scriptures

In Ephesians 5:24 the Apostle Paul uses the phrase “Therefore, as the Church is subject unto Christ.”  We must ask ourselves, are we subject to Christ?  Are we praying, “Thy will be done”?  Are we agreeably yielding to His authority and will in our daily lives?  If we can honestly say yes; then we will assuredly follow His commands.  We will live in accordance with His revealed will as contained in the Scriptures.  The Scriptures are a powerful expression of the will and mind of Christ.  The Scriptures were given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (II Timothy 3:16).  The Scriptures will profit us “for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” i.e. all that is in accordance with the right ways of the Lord.

Submission of Wives to Husbands

There is a reason why the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write to the Church at Ephesus, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22).  This command is not a yoke of bondage, it is not coming under the Law; it is a revelation of the relationship between Christ and the Church.  It is a vital part of the “in love” Oneness of Christ.  It is one side of the proverbial coin designed by God in Christ.  It is part of the wonderful, exclusive relationship between two who have become one.

Paul illustrated the Oneness of this exclusive relationship by writing:

²²Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.  ²³For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church: and He is the Savior of the body.  ²⁴Therefore, as the Church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything (Ephesians 5:22-24).

To the Colossians Paul wrote: “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord” (Col. 3:18).  The phrase, “as it is fit” means: conforms to, agrees with, or corresponds with.  Wives are to be in submission to their husbands as this conforms with, is in agreement with, or corresponds with the Church’s submission to Christ.

The Blessings of Submission

Submission has great advantages and blessings that are inherent to the relationship.  When we submit to the Lord we come under His divine protection, i.e. we are secure in Him.  We come under His love and care, His watchful eye, His mighty hand of mercy.  We come into His provision.  We partake of His Presence in unity of heart and spirit.  We come under His covering of Grace.  The Scripture declares, “Wherefore, He says, ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble;’ submit yourselves therefore to God” (James 4:6-7a; see also I Peter 5:5).

Submitting to the covering of Grace is the recognition of Headship.  Christ is the head of the Church and only His glory must be seen.  Symbolically, this covering of the head of women by tradition was the recognition of the headship of the man.  Even the angels in the presence of the throne of God covered their faces and feet in submission to the glory of the Father (see Isaiah 6:2).  Therefore, the Apostle Paul makes reference to this point in I Corinthians 11:10 “For this cause ought the woman to have authority on her head [or a covering, a sign that she is in submission to her husband] because of the angels.”

We need not return to the traditions of men, but we do need to avoid the corrupting influence of the world.  We do need to have spiritual understanding of spiritual things in the Lord.  The Apostle Paul’s discourse on this issue in I Corinthians 11 is a teaching on this important element of our life in Christ.  These are heart issues, and the Lord is a discerner of our hearts (see Heb. 4:12).  In whatever capacity we are currently in as a husband or wife, as a child, or single man or single woman, let us humbly come before the Lord as His Body and live in accordance with His will.

The writer to the Hebrews states: “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief; for that is unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17).

The Apostle Peter wrote:  “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake . . . for so is the will of God that with well doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men” (I Peter 2:13a, 15).