Submit To One Another

“Sir, Yes Sir!”  When I think of the military the image that comes to mind is a superior officer standing nose to nose with a lower ranking officer and screaming orders.  Before a command is even given, a lower ranking officer already has their response memorized and ready, “Sir, yes Sir!”  Whether this stereotypical image is true in the military or not, it definitely represents an attitude necessary in the military where the demands of someone in higher rank are unconditionally carried out by someone of lower rank.  Lower ranking officers by default have an attitude of submission toward higher ranking officers because of their rank.  Submission of lower ranking officers is necessary on the battlefield in order to keep troops organized and working together as a unit.  Without troops’ submission, a battle would quickly deteriorate into chaos and disorder.  

READ:  Ephesians 5:15-21

In verse 21 Paul tells us who are to be our “superior officers”, Godly Relational Characteristic #6: SUBMIT to one another! The word submit comes from the combination of a preposition and a verb which together mean, “to arrange under”, or “to order under”. This word is used in the military to describe the role of a lower ranking officer in relation to a superior officer. In the context of Ephesians 5 submission is, “willingly placing ourselves under the authority of another”. God has established “rank” in a number of relational contexts.  For example, in marriage, “wives (are to) submit to (their) husbands” (Col. 3:18; 1 Pet. 3:1), in an organized country, “every person (is) to be subject to the governing authorities” (Rom. 13:1; 1 Pet. 2:13-14), in a work context, “servants (are to) be subject to (their) masters” (1 Pet. 2:18), and in a church those who are, “younger (are to) be subject to the elders” (1 Pet. 5:8). While submission designates the lower ranking persons’ role as the follower, it also designates the role of the superior ranking person as the leader.  In relationship, we are not to designate ourselves as the leader. We are to willingly defer the role of leadership to others! This means we do not demand or insist on our will or wants, but rather submit to the will and wants of others. Relationship can truly be enjoyed when submission is mutually shared with one another! Why are we to submit to others?

Submission is a WORTHY way to LIVE our lives (Eph. 4:1, 17; 5:2, 8, 15) – Four times, starting in Ephesians 4:1 through Ephesians 5:8, Paul emphasizes the importance of the “worthy manner” a believer in Christ is to walk (lives their life).  In Ephesians 5:15, after already listing multiple ways to live in a worthy manner, he reinforces with them for a fifth time to, “look carefully how you walk”.  In this concluding section, Paul includes, “submitting to one another” as one of the primary ways we can live in a worthy manner.  Paul could not have emphasized any stronger, . . . submission is a worthy way to live life as a believer in Christ!

Submission is an act of WISDOM and not FOOLISHNESS (Eph. 5:15-17) – In the past I’ve defined wisdom as “knowing and living life according to God’s ways”.  How we live our lives is important.  In the evil times that we live in it is especially important for us to be wise and not foolishly ignorant of the way(s) God wants us to live life.  Very simply, being submissive to others is wise (living according to God’s way) and demanding others follow us is foolish.  Submitting to one another is one subtle, yet worthy way we can shine the light of the gospel with our lives!

Submission is act of REVERENCE for Christ (Eph. 5:21) – We do not submit ourselves to others because they have earned it.  We do not submit ourselves to others because we know they will not abuse it.  We submit to others out of a deep respect and awe of Jesus Christ!  No one is ultimately deserving of our submission, but Jesus Christ is.  While we are submitting to others, we must not focus on our “superior’s” treatment of us, but on Jesus Christ and how deserving He is of our full allegiance and obedience.

CONCLUSION

Who is the leader in your life?  James 4:7 says, “submit yourselves therefore to God”.  Submission to others starts with a life submitted completely to God.  Without an attitude of “Sir, Yes Sir” toward God, we will never understand what it means to submit ourselves to others.