2. The Spirit of Submission
two
I was moved the first time I heard this contemporary worship song. These are powerful words that reflect how we should be here on earth. Our lives should be all about Jesus and for His glory. It is no longer about what we want or how we think things should be. We are the ones surrendering to His ways. This song captures the spirit of submission.
As we examine what it means to have this spirit of submission, we need to let go of our human reasoning and our cultural trappings so we can fully accept what the Word of God teaches. Unfortunately, we have inherited this rebellious nature from Adam. So don’t be surprised to discover it fighting to stay alive.
We’ll be helped if we allow the light of God’s Word to reveal this rebellion and then deliberately choose to believe what the Scriptures say instead of what our flesh says.
After a great deal of meditation on God’s Word and prayer, I have come up with the following summary of what submission to authority means:
Biblical submission to authority is recognizing that God, my Creator,2 is the ultimate authority3 and has all power.4 As clay in the potter’s hand,5 I, His creation, should yield full control of my life to His will.6 This includes submitting to and obeying all delegated human authority over me, realizing that when I do so,
I am actually submitting to God’s authority. Likewise, when I rebel against delegated authority, in essence I rebel against God Himself.7
This definition identifies who God truly is and our place in His creation, which includes absolute obedience to Him and to His delegated authorities. I trust that this is a helpful resource as we continue our journey into understanding submission as intended by God.
The Alphabet for Submission
In all areas of life there are “building blocks.” I’m referring to the components from which other things are made. For example, primary colors are the colors from which all the others are derived. The elements in the periodic table are the building blocks of matter. From the letters of the alphabet come words, sentences, paragraphs, chapters and entire books.
In this study of submission, there are also some “building blocks.” The words themselves that the writers of the Bible chose are powerful stepping stones to understanding this principle. This brief study of the actual Greek and Hebrew words will be detailed, but in the end, we will be left with a picture of true submission.
Let’s look first at the word usage in Romans 13:1 ( NIV, emphasis mine): “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities. . . .” The Greek word used here for submit is hupo-tasso. It is a combination of hupo, meaning “under,” and tasso, “to arrange in an orderly fashion.” Putting these two pieces together, we get “to arrange under in an orderly fashion.” As you might have guessed, hupotasso was a military term that describes soldiers lining up under their superiors according to rank.
Hupotasso here is in the present tense. It is not something a person did once in the past or will do some time in the future. Rather, it denotes constancy. It’s being under submission at all times, including in the present. So it’s a way of life.
In this verse, the verb form is a command. Yet even though we are commanded to hupotasso, the verb used here is reflexive (middle voice). This means it’s the person under authority who initiates the act of submission upon themselves for their own benefit. There is no external force that makes it happen. It is a choice. Submission is not a command for us to enforce on others.
In the same verse, the word authority comes from the Greek exousia, which means “right and might.” By combining all of these concepts, Paul is saying here in Romans, “Everyone must orderly arrange themselves under those who have the right and the might to rule over them.”
Next let’s look at Ephesians 6:1, “Children, obey your parents.” Here a different term is used instead of hupotasso. The word obey in English is hupakouo in Greek. The meaning of hupakouo is “to listen to a command,” and most commonly it is translated as obey. This is also a compound word. Again, hupo is “under.” Akouo means “to listen.” So putting the two ideas together, we get “listen under,” which connotes conforming to a command of authority. The verb form here is also a command, but it is not reflexive as hupotasso was. It is active, which means it’s the person under authority who obeys, but this action is not reflected back on them.
There is one more word I want to mention. It is the first time submit is used in the English Bible. This is the Hebrew word anah. In Genesis 16:9, Hagar, the servant of Abraham and Sarah, was running away because of mistreatment she was facing. An angel of the Lord appeared to her in the desert and spoke these words to her: “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand” (emphasis mine).
It is interesting to note that in dozens of other places, this Hebrew word is translated as afflict. The definition is “to afflict, oppress, humble or bow down.” The verb form of anah is also reflexive, so the actual meaning in the verse becomes “to humble oneself, to be afflicted.” So this angel is telling Hagar to choose to humble herself. Another way of saying this would be for Hagar to allow herself to be afflicted.
These words and their meanings are the simple alphabet for submission. Each word, and even the tenses and the patterns of the verbs, sheds light on what God wants us to comprehend about this great principle. May the Lord help us further understand His truth.
Strength under Control
Horses are animals of great strength and beauty. If you have had a chance to watch a horse and rider at full gallop, you know it is an awesome and sometimes terrifying sight to behold. Only recently did I realize that some horses weigh as much as 2,000 pounds and can pull up to 9 tons.
I am sure you have seen or heard stories of horses that have been spooked by something. They rear up on their hind legs and kick, or they race away recklessly. It is extremely dangerous to be on the back of a horse in such a situation.
Think with me about warhorses that are found in the heat of battle. Imagine the yelling and the clashing of armies, all the sudden movements, even the animals being struck, yet they maintain themselves and aren’t spooked. Neither do they run from battle. Only horses that are prepared for battle can respond in this way. Because their great strength is directed by their master, they prove a great help.
The historical meaning of the word meekness is “strength under control.” The Greek word for meekness was often used to describe a wild animal that had been tamed. In many ways this meekness is precisely what we find in someone who is truly submissive. I fear that too often people link submission with weakness, which is entirely wrong. No one lies down and becomes a doormat when they submit. We don’t give up the strength and ability God gave us. Instead, we allow Him to channel all this strength and ability in His way instead of our own way.
Another misunderstanding about submission is that it implies you are inferior to the one to whom you are submitting. This is also incorrect. Let’s revisit the Greek words we looked at previously.
Hupakouo is the word for obey in the Greek New Testament. It is mostly used in cases from a superior to an inferior, like the example of children obeying their parents in Ephesians 6:1. However, hupotasso is also used without regard to who is the superior or inferior. For example, in Luke, after Joseph and Mary found Jesus in the temple, it says that Jesus went back with them and continued to submit (hupotasso) to them.8
When we look at the relationship between Jesus and God the Father, we know that one is not superior to the other—there is equality of the Son and the Father. Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30, NIV, emphasis mine). Yet throughout the New Testament, we are constantly reminded about His submission to the Father’s authority.9
So the meaning of submission does not necessarily infer an inferior to a superior. Many times, as a matter of fact, whether in a marriage, in the workplace or in the government, the one under authority is stronger, abler and more intelligent. Yet this individual chooses, for the sake of God’s design, to bend their knees before the throne of God.
It is easy to say, “I submit to God.” But when it comes to the delegated authority over us, we can find ourselves saying, “Who is that man? He doesn’t know anything. Who made him the leader? Who made him the teacher? Who made him the boss? Who made him the prime minister?” A person in charge of the local government—the chief minister, a district collector or a policeman—may be illiterate, proud, stubborn or whatever else, while you may be more intelligent, better-trained and more naturally skilled. Even so, God says, “Hupotasso.”
We are to submit to authority whether it is to a believer or unbeliever, someone good or bad. The appointed authority may be immoral, harsh, incompetent, even godless. The ability, character or qualifications of the authority have little to do with our submission.
All submission is a choice we make—whether to a husband, an employer, a church leader or a government official—not because of their great leadership skills, not because we are weak or inferior, but because we choose to lay down our lives and place ourselves under the protective covering God provides for us.
As I was studying the structure of submission, I confess that I found myself wondering about God’s design. This was especially in regard to the concept of submitting to someone who was inferior. Then the Lord reminded me, “Who are you to question Me?” That was the end of the story.
He is the Creator. Who are we to wonder why He chose this arrangement? He alone is truly wise and good and just. Romans 9:20 says, “But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God?
Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ ” We must simply accept the design He has chosen for us.
A Picture of Submission
I’m sure you have been outside when it’s pouring rain. If you don’t have an umbrella handy, you usually hurry toward the closest ledge or building entrance. You look for any kind of covering you can get under to protect yourself from getting all wet.
In many ways, this is a picture of what the word hupotasso really means. It is a deliberate action we choose to place ourselves under a covering that will protect us. It is our choice whether we will stand in the rain or take cover under what God has provided for us. No one can force us to “arrange ourselves under” our authorities. But it seems rather strange to brave the downpours on our own and end up repeatedly getting soaked to the skin.
This decision to live under the covering God has provided, however, is not just for when conditions are foul. The decision to come under this protection should be the same whether it is raining or sunny and whether or not we like a given decision made by our authority. It is a lifelong choice to deliberately and habitually bring ourselves under God’s authority.
Such an act is also more than a matter of simply hearing a command and then obeying it. We are no longer on the outside, just doing what we must in order to get by. It is a choice to be on the inside. It is no longer merely external service. It is not obeying authorities for the benefits that result from good behavior. No, this is a more holy matter than a legalistic “One, two, three and done.”
Submission is a matter of the heart. It is learning to think sensitively, What does my authority really want me to do? What is he actually saying? It is seeking to understand and then doing it.
Let’s look at Elisha as an example.10The great prophet Elijah knew when the end of his time on earth was near. I am sure the Lord must have told him, and from Scripture, it seems his servant Elisha knew it too. Elijah wanted to release Elisha from seeing him pass from this life. Three times he told Elisha to stay back when the Lord called Elijah to another city.
Technically speaking, Elisha had every reason to say, “Yes, sir” and to stay right where he was told. But he knew his master’s heart, and instead, he in essence replied, “No, I am not going to leave you! No way!” Ifyou study the text, it is apparent that Elijah was testing Elisha’s loyalty and submission to the last moments of his life. Elisha was in tune with his master’s heart and obeyed his wishes instead of his words. In the end, he was rewarded with a double portion of his master’s spirit.
If our hearts are truly submitted, choosing to align ourselves under the authority God has chosen for us, we too will seek to understand the heart of our authority regarding whatever matter is at hand. In contrast, if we are only seeking to obey, we will analyze exactly what our authority has said to us and figure how we can fulfill their request and still do what we want.
Submitting to the authority God placed over us is not like a soldier who obeys an army commander saying “Go there.” The soldier may not like the command, may not believe in it and may not have any feelings about it. Yet he says to himself, I have to fight. I am scared, but I will do it. Submission is not like that—rather, it is much more active, pursuing, going after and seeking to do whatever the authority is thinking.
Maybe you have noticed that I have used two words here. One is submission, and the other is obedience. As I am sure you can tell, there is a difference in meaning. Submission is a heart attitude toward authority, whereas obedience is an action.
Obedience can take place through external force or requirement. In the case of submission, however, it is a deliberate choice by the subordinate to surrender to the one who is in authority over him or her.
When we submit, we will be obedient. But just because we are obedient does not mean that we have truly submitted to authority. This submission to authority is what the Lord desires in all of our lives. Even so, He always leaves us with the choice.
May we choose His way.
A Price to pay
It is no small matter that the first time submit is used in the English Bible it is the Hebrew word anah, which actually means “afflict.”11
It is also interesting to note that submission (hupotasso) is used 40 times in the New Testament. The number 40 is used in the Bible as a period of testing and trial. Think about the children of Israel who wandered in the desert for 40 years. Then it rained 40 days while Noah was in the ark, and don’t forget that Jesus was tempted by Satan for 40 days in the desert. There are more stories from Scripture in which 40 represented a time of trial and waiting—but what does that have to do with hupotasso? Even in the number of times that God inspired the New Testament writers to use the word submit, He linked submission with trial.
At the very root of the words God used and the number of times they were used, He is communicating with us that to live in submission to Him and those He places over us is connected to trials and suffering. This suffering is not to be misunderstood as physical suffering. It says in Hebrews 5:8 (nasb) that Jesus “learned obedience from the things which He suffered.” It is important to know that the kind of suffering mentioned here is not a bodily suffering, but soulish.
It will definitely hurt our Adamic flesh when we make the choice to arrange ourselves under our authority. This is one reason we find ourselves not wanting to submit—it costs inconveniences, difficulties, pain and suffering through denying of self.
As discussed earlier, we as children of Adam have the nature of rebellion. Scripture says, “The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so” (Romans 8:7, NIV). Without making deliberate choices against our natural way of thinking, we will not be able to experience the reality of submission. For us to submit, we must lay aside our rights, our own thoughts and our desires, which will again mean suffering. It is the act of giving in to God and saying no to yourself and your flesh.
Let’s go back to Hagar and the angel’s command to submit herself to Sarah. It was a deliberate decision she had to make to choose suffering in the flesh and dying to self. Hagar would have to humble herself, give in to another’s wishes and allow herself to be afflicted.
Peter exhorts us in 1 Peter 2:21, “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.” The suffering mentioned here is the same soulish suffering that was mentioned in Hebrews. Peter goes on further to say: “. . . who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:23).
May we follow in His footsteps.
And All This is for you
We should not submit simply out of fear. Neither should our actions be for the benefits that will potentially come our way. Peter tells us, “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake” (1 Peter 2:13). It is for the Lord that we ultimately submit. It is because He has asked this from us. When we submit to our authorities, we are actually submitting to the living God. It is a deeply personal response to Him.
Have you ever had someone help with a personal task or with a job related to your profession who obviously did not want to help? It’s not a good experience. You’d much rather do it yourself.
God is the Creator of the u NIVerse who knew us from before the foundation of the world. He crafted time and all that it contains to bring about His best for each one of us in the midst of a fallen world. And He has given us a few guidelines to help see His best for us fulfilled. When we grumble and complain about the submission God has asked of us for our own good, should we be surprised if it would make Him sad?
Just as we love a cheerful giver, so does the Lord: “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:7-8).
God is not as concerned about externals as He is about the condition of our heart. Submission should always be with joy, knowing we are doing this for our Lord.
Please know we won’t be changed overnight. This is a process of learning and growing and becoming more sensitive. Yet when we come to that place of fully surrendering for His sake, there will be much joy.
Now we’ve come back to where we started. The spirit of submission is choosing His way over ours for His sake.