Biblical Submission The Foundation for Godly Order

“Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” – Eph. 5:21

Submission is a word often viewed with negativity in our modern culture. It carries with it connotations of weakness, inequality, and even oppression. Yet, biblical submission, as laid out in Ephesians 5:21, is not about coercion or degradation but rather about mutual respect and trust in God’s divine order. It is foundational to understanding the next passages, where Paul  addresses the roles of husbands, wives, parents, children, masters, and slaves . (Ephesians 5:22–6:9).

Ephesians 5:21 says, “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” This submission is a reflection of the unity described earlier in Ephesians 4:4-7:

“There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

We are “one body,” “one Spirit,” and called to “one hope” through “one faith” in Christ. Though we are unified, we are not all the same. We have differing gifts and callings that the Holy Spirit has measured out according to God’s purpose. This divine order is for the good of the Church, the good of creation, the good of communities, the good of families, the good of government and even business, enabling each person to fulfill their unique God ordained responsibilities without hindrance. It is also an echo of Romans 12:4:

“For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office.”

When Paul calls us to submit to one another, he is urging us to allow others to live out their God-given roles and responsibilities in the body of Christ. This submission is a willingness to support others in their calling, not hindering them from doing what God has called them to do. It’s not about losing one’s autonomy but about giving up the desire for personal control and trusting that God’s sovereign plan is working through the people He has placed in our lives.

Submission allows husbands to fulfill their role of caring for, providing for, leading and protecting their wives, as God has entrusted them with this responsibility (Ephesians 5:25-29). In the same way, it allows fathers to discipline and train their children (Ephesians 6:4), and managers or masters to lead and make decisions in their God-given roles (Ephesians 6:5-9). This mutual submission is not about individual desires but rather supporting divine order both inside and outside of the Church in our respective callings by recognizing and staying in our God-ordained lanes. It is submitting to and trusting in God’s authority, confident that all authority has ultimately been ordered and put into place by God Himself. It’s  recognizing when we are not an authority in a specific role or even subject matter and encouraging others to use their particular callings, skills, experience and knowledge as needed within in the body.  In this we see a mutual respect, a submitting to one another and a humble servant leadership encouraging one another to fulfill our God given gifts, roles and responsibilities working together for the good of the body and the kingdom of God.

Every person is to be in subjection to governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.

Romans 13:1-2 “– Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.”

Ultimately, it all comes down to authority. If we do not submit to the authority of God and Christ, we cannot submit to one another in a godly manner. Our relationships will be filled with tension, conceit, self-ambition, self-interest, resentment, complaining and bitterness.. But when we begin our spiritual walk by acknowledging and submitting to the authority of God, we learn the foundation of all godly order. Just as a soldier in an army submits to their commanding officer and fellow soldiers for the good of the unit, so too must Christians submit to one another in love, seeking the good of the whole Church body and our Commander, Christ.

In this spiritual war, submission is not optional but essential. We submit to Christ out of reverence for His position as the head of the Church, and we seek to support one another in fighting sin, encouragement, wisdom and discernment in resisting temptation. This is biblical submission: a posture of humility and service, recognizing that we are not our own but belong to Christ and to one another.

This principle of submission isn’t just about earthly relationships, it has cosmic implications. As Paul mentions earlier in Ephesians 3:10 and also in 1 Cor.4:9, the Church is a spectacle to rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. Angels, both obedient and fallen, witness our lives and our submission to God’s authority. Just as angels fell because of disobedience and man fell through rebellion, our submission to God and to one another becomes a profound testimony of God’s redemptive work in us. We are living demonstrations of godly authority in practice, and through this, God is glorified.

As we approach the next verses in Ephesians 5:22–6:9, we must understand that submission is not about subjugation but about trust in God’s design. Whether in marriage, parenting, or the workplace, submission allows us to serve and love one another well, reflecting the order and beauty of God’s kingdom to the world and to the heavenly authorities. It is an essential part of our walk, one that brings honor to Christ, the head of the Church. Let us remember that as we submit to one another, we do so with reverence for Christ, who perfectly modeled submission to the Father and who calls us to live in this divine order.