What does it mean to submit to God?

Quick answer

Submitting to God means fully trusting His authority and obeying His commands, even when it challenges our own desires. It’s choosing daily to live for Him, reflecting His love through how we treat others, and surrendering control to Him.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible indicates that submitting to God means giving our lives over to His authority and control. A big part of this is trusting in Him (Proverbs 3:5–6; Psalm 37:3–5; Jeremiah 17:7–8). Trusting in the Lord means we obey His commands (Deuteronomy 10:12–13; 1 Samuel 15:22; John 14:15). For instance, in the Old Testament, Abraham’s trust in God was so complete that he intended to obey God’s command to sacrifice Isaac—though God didn’t and would never have allowed him to go through with it (Genesis 22). This contrasts with King Saul who disobeyed God’s commands and had the kingdom taken from him (1 Samuel 1–13). Obedience is especially relevant to submission when it comes to putting desires aside and living for Christ (Romans 12:1–2; James 4:7). Obedience includes treating others in a Christ-like way (Romans 14:13, 20–21; Ephesians 5:21). All areas of our lives are to be placed under God’s authority.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

Submission to God means being humble enough to trust Him even more than trusting oneself. Proverbs says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5–6).
Trusting in God leads to obeying Him, which is another way of submitting to Him (Deuteronomy 10:12–13; 1 Samuel 15:22).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

Submitting to God means keeping His commands. In fact, Jesus linked loving Him to obeying Him: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
Ephesians 5:21 speaks of "submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ." Submission to God means treating others as Christ would.
In his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul wrote, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1–2). We submit to God when we prioritize Him over self.
James connects submitting to God with putting aside worldly desires and resisting Satan: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

“SUBMIT.” Clicking that word online usually means you’ve made a final decision about something—a purchase, an online application, a registration, etc. All human beings can choose that “button” in relation to God as well. God works out His will regardless of our desires and intent, but He allows us freedom to choose to lead lives that honor Him or to live the way of the world.

Clicking “SUBMIT” to God would seem easy if we were hermits living in a cabin in the woods. But we interact with the world and decide every day whether to honor God or not. For instance, when coworkers start gossiping, we can either submit to God by turning the conversation toward the positive or submit to the world by joining in. When a Christian brother or sister needs help, we can either submit to God by providing concrete assistance or submit to the world by just expressing our concern with no follow-through (James 2:14–17). When a believer is faced with job loss because he won’t conduct business dishonestly, he can either submit to God by trusting in Him to provide or submit to the world by allowing fear to lead him to corruption.

Yielding our lives to God is the most important decision we can make, and Christ is our model.

UNDERSTAND

Submitting to God means trusting His authority and obeying His commands above our own desires.
Submitting to God requires daily surrender and reflecting Christ’s love in how we treat others.
Submission involves resisting worldly temptations and following Jesus’s example of obedience.

REFLECT

In what areas of your life do you find it hardest to fully trust and submit to God’s authority?
How do you respond when submitting to God challenges your personal desires or comfort?
How does your submission to God influence the way you treat others daily?

ENGAGE

How can we encourage one another to submit to God in a culture that values independence?
What are some practical ways submission to God can transform relationships within a community?
How does understanding Jesus as our model of submission impact the way we follow Him?