by Glenice Mills
"SUBMIT": Never has there been a Biblical word so misunderstood, and misused in the name of the Lord!!! The resulting abuses and bondage, mainly on God’s women because of man’s (note: man’s, not males) misunderstanding of this word, must be exposed at this time.
God is raising up His women in this hour, and unless and until true Godly understanding of the word ‘submit’ is brought, women will battle or stay bound by what is a lie of the enemy. Sadly the Lord’s church has bought into this lie because it has suited male leaders to keep their women quiet, for fear they may actually rise and take their rightful positions in God, and be effective in His kingdom! This word is not a male versus female or female versus male issue, but rather addressing incorrect doctrine, distorting the Lord’s true character and His ways.
There is a fire in my belly right now as in recent days I have heard two women innocently speak to me about their circumstances and their instruction by their leaders to ‘learn’ to submit. One was told to learn to submit to their husband, and the other to learn to submit to their Christian boss, who is not doing the right thing by them.
Are we meant to come in agreement with ungodly men/women who have some supposed ‘rulership’ over our lives? Does God endorse us yielding our lives to ones who do not have the character or Godly behaviour that would have us flourishing and growing in Him? Who and how are we to submit? What is the right Biblical understanding of this word: submit?
I am only scratching at the surface of what is an incredibly complex understanding of a word that has been used as a weapon mainly against God’s women, bringing them under and into an inferior status, and putting a heavy yoke upon them.
When one thinks of the word submit, it immediately brings up a picture of one greater than, more superior, wielding greater power, and the other, the victim, as the underling, lesser than, inferior being.
This false doctrine of submission has been around for centuries, and the church has willingly bought into this by using the Apostle Paul’s words as some God given right to wield false power by a supposed superior against an inferior one. It is very easy to take a word out of context, and twist it to make it what we want to. That is how cults and false religions have set themselves up. This takes away from the heart of what the Lord is saying in the big picture of the Scriptures. We must not forget about the culture of the day and how the Lord is also addressing this in His word.
We must look at the roots of why this has been the case and search out the Father’s heart for His women, His beloved ones, made in His image.
I need to say at this point I am not a feminist, nor do I endorse rebellious, independent, non accountable Christians who go around as ‘lone rangers’ speaking out of their own opinions and judgments. I personally have ones whom I willingly submit to, whose hearts are for me, who want good for my life, and want to see me come into all the Lord would have for me.
I am addressing an imbalance, a demonic spirit, and a doctrine that is not of God.
I pray that even now as you read this that the Lord would open your eyes to Truth and bring greater understanding to what He is requiring of you in your life at this time.
This is about coming out from under a curse and coming into His blessings and breakthrough in your life.
Firstly I want to bring a Scripture that is God’s perspective of how He sees males and females. If we get an understanding of this we will see God’s heart for His people.
Genesis 1:27
So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them.
We are created in His image. We, males and females, are a unique aspect of God, and if we deny one part of Him, that is the female, are we not stopping the full expression of God? If we do this are we not missing something in the body of Christ, stopping the fullness of Jesus Christ coming through: like having parts of a body missing, stopping us from fully functioning? The tragedy is the full impact of this affects both males and females. This is of the enemy. Men have often innocently bought into the lie that women are somehow inferior and must ‘bow’ to them in some subservient way, often ‘appearing’ as an outward expression of submitting to them. It boosts their pride and makes them ‘feel’ like the protective man they are ‘supposed’ to be. Women have fallen into the lie by willingly choosing to be subservient to the man bringing her a false sense of comfort and peace. The truth is there is not peace! The stupid thing is appearances of submission are not necessarily ‘true’ submission because to submit is actually a heart response, it is not by our striving or actions that bring about the submission. We are fooling and deluding ourselves if we think this is so. It is actually a false way of living and being and is not by the Spirit of God.
In James 4:7 we are instructed to submit ourselves to God. This is and must be the number one priority in our lives, for everything else stems from this. When we do this it helps us keep our lives in line with God’s character and His ways. It helps us as we make daily choices in relationships and direction. This is our protection.
Romans 13:1
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
This verse speaks clearly about submitting to those in authority positions as they are put in these positions by God. This is right so long as they are leading in Godly ways.
We then see in Ephesians chapter 5 where the Word deals with issues of love, walking in the light and walking in wisdom. It is in this chapter that the Apostle Paul says wives are to submit to their husbands, as to the Lord and men are instructed to love their wives. If wives are to submit to their husbands, as to the Lord would this not mean that wives should have an expectation that their husbands would be Christlike in their behaviours and character?
Ephesians 5:21
Submitting to one another in the fear of God.
If we all submit one to another in the fear of the Lord then that must mean we would all love, respect, honour, and esteem one another. Would that not mean that there would be an equality of relationship?
This comes back to my original question that asks: are we meant to come in agreement with ungodly men/women who have rulership over our lives?
I don’t think so! It is easy to forget the basic truth of Christianity, one that our Lord Jesus Christ shed His blood on Calvary for, and that is our freedom!
God gave us free will, that is His gift to us. Free will is a freedom to choose. So if we are given free will how does the line become blurred that says we must submit even if it puts us in bondage to an ungodly person or any person in a position in our lives they are not meant to have? Is it right that a woman should submit herself to a husband who abuses her, who crushes her with his words, and physically and mentally and in other ungodly ways? Is this not actually saying a wife must submit to her husband at all cost even if he does the wrong thing to her? Is it not saying to the wife that the Lord endorses his ungodly behaviour? This is not freedom, this is bondage, and this null and voids the power of the cross. This cannot be God’s way! This is not who God is, He is a God of love! The tragedy is that many a woman has been told by a church leader to submit to her husband even if he is cruel to her. This has done serious damage to many women, and to the name of the Lord, and to the name of Christianity. This is where taking a Scripture out of context and making it fit what you want it to doing terrible damage. Is it right that we should put any person in a higher position than us, as like a god? Isn’t this idolatry?
The opposite of free will is control. God does not endorse any form of control as it is against who He is. With control there is always a sense of obligation. When we are obligated to someone we have given ourselves over to them by an act of our wills. Obligation has a binding, compulsion to it that ties us to that person.
We are to submit our wills to the Lord not to any person! This is about freedom to both men and women. The enemy has had a field day bringing strife and division between the sexes. The truth is we will all let one another down, that is because we live in a world of sin. It is not right that we should expect either sex to strive to be and do what can only be done with the Lord’s help. Men should not be expected to take all the load, and nor should women be subjected to abuse in its many forms by any man. We, together, alongside one another, equal, as true expressions of the Father heart of God, can do much to advance God’s kingdom here on earth. The greater the divisions, which is what the enemy wants, the less effective and impacting we will be in the world.
Galatians 3:26-29
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
We are all one in Christ Jesus! That is the truth!!!
