Submission to Authority
Submission to authority is one of the greatest means of protection in the Bible. Our submission to God is demonstrated by our obedience to his word.
In Gen 16:4-9, Hagar fled from the face of Sarai, after she dealt hardly with her. When the angel of the Lord found Hagar, he said, “Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands”. This is the first mention of the word “submit”. Hagar was to submit to Sarai, who had dealt hardly with her, and Abram, who had conceived a child by her. Despite these circumstances, Hagar obeyed and went back. And God blessed her.
Submission to authority is beneficial for you. When you disobey authority or come out from under authority, you open yourself to an attack by the devil.
Consider Adam and Eve. God gave Adam one command in Gen 2:16-17. And when Eve disobeyed that command and Adam let her, and disobeyed with her, Gen 3:1-6, they condemned the entire human race. The Devil got ‘em.
Consider Saul. His problems were complex. To name two, he feared men and envied David. But his main problem was that he wouldn’t submit. Look at 1 Sam 15:22-24. Notice that rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. This comes straight from the devil. Saul lost the kingdom and Jonathan, his choice for his successor.
Consider Jesus. Jesus submitted to his Father. When he was tempted in Matt 4, he quoted scripture every time. In Matt 4:4, he quoted Deut 8:3; in 4:7, he quoted Deut 6:16; and in 4:10, he quoted Deut 6:13. And after this, the devil left him. He was protected by his submission and obedience to God’s word.
Consider yourself. In Jas 4:7, you’re instructed to “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”. Submission to God is absolutely essential to your protection from the devil.
You are to submit to your governmental authorities. 1 Pet 2:13-16, Rom 13:1-2. You put yourself right in the crosshairs of the devil when you decide to disobey those in authority. God sees your lack of submission to their authority and recognizes that it is a lack of submission to his authority. We are to submit for the Lord’s sake and for our protection.
You are to submit to your family authorities. The order of authority comes through God this way: God, Jesus, Man, Woman, 1 Cor 11:3. The woman needs power on her head because of the angels, 1 Cor 11:10. And under the parents are the children, Eph 6:1-3.
There are many cases of the devil attacking kids. These attacks are accompanied by rebellion to parental authority. They are protected when they submit to their parents. There are likewise many cases of the devil causing turmoil in the home when the wife won’t submit to her husband. And when the husband won’t rule as he should (he shall rule over thee, Gen 3:16-17).
Get under the authority of God’s words and under the authority of those in authority whom God has put over you. Submission to authority is for your protection.