Study Notes

I.      We are to submit to God (James 4:7)

A.    Submit in the Greek is a military term that means "to rank under"

1.     To arrange troop divisions in a military fashion under the command of a leader

2.     To subordinate, obedient, be under, put under, be in subjection under,

3.     To submit one’s self, To subject one's self, To submit to one's control, To yield to one's admonition or advice

4.     A voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating

5.     NLT-Humble --- DARBY-Subject --- NCV-Give yourself completely to God --- CEV-Surrender to God --- NIRV-Obey God --- WE-Let God control you

B.     Understanding rank is key submitting

1.     Literally put yourself under God in rank

a.    You’re putting yourself under his authority and command

2.     The idea is if you’ve placed yourself under then the next thing is that u do what says

C.    Submitting is a voluntary act of your will to put yourself under another’s authority (1 Peter 5:6-8, James 4:7)

1.     If you don’t submit yourself to God then it won’t happen

a.    Don’t assume that you’re submitted; if don’t purposely live a submitted lifestyle then chances you aren’t submitted

2.     Nobody is going to make you submit

a.    There’s no honor or reverence in forced submission because it’s not done as an act of one’s will

3.     Submission is not forced, but it’s an act motivated out of reverence and honor

a.    Submission is not by the choice the submitted to, but out of honor and respect it’s by the choice one who is submitting

b.    Submission is reverent because nobody is making me do it, but out honor and respect I’m submitting as an act of my own will because I honor you

c.     Submission is reverent because I recognize you as my superior and out of that recognition I submit to you

4.     Adonai – Master and Bondservant

D.    It’s reverent, respectful, and honorable to submit to those in authority over you or those in a higher place of rank

1.     It is insubordinate and disrespectful for a person who’s lower in rank to not submit and obey one higher in rank

a.    EX: A student and school teacher

II.     Submission makes the choice of obedience and easy one (Daniel 3, Genesis 3)

A.    Many believers have a hard time obeying because they haven’t yet submitted

1.     When you’ve submitted to God you don’t have to decide whether or not you want to do what God says

a.    Because I’ve submitted to him, when he speaks I don’t have to think about whether or not I’m going to obey

2.     God’s my superior in rank; He’s above me and out reverence, respect and honor for Him when he speaks I move (Matthew 8:9)

a.    When you put yourself under the authority of God and He gives a command you don’t consult your feelings

B.     People have not submitted because they’re not ready to forfeit rank and put themselves in a lower rank than God

1.     They’re still in charge of their life; They listen to God on a few things, but ultimately they have they last say

a.    They’re exalted themselves and the way down in the kingdom of God is to try to exalt yourself up (Satan)

b.    The way up in the Kingdom of God is down

2.     People haven’t submitted, because they haven’t yet acknowledge the reality of those in rank above them

a.    Too many believers are still treating this like a kindergarten baseball team 

3.     When you acknowledge the reality of one’s rank above you, it leads to submission, and submission leads to obedience

a.    John 14:28 – Jesus understands this

C.    If you’re not obeying God then you have not submitted to Him

1.     Evidence that you’ve submitted to another is that you obey; If you’re not obeying Him you’re revealing that you haven’t submitted to Him

2.     If you haven’t submitted to him then in your mind He’s not above you in rank and you still have the final say (Luke 6:46)

a.    Lord – He to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord, one who has control of the person, the master, a title of honor expressive of respect and reverence, with which servants greet their master

D.    No army can be successful without having soldiers who submit to authority

III.   Submission is not easy and Submission is not agreement (Luke 22:40, Hebrews 2:18, 5:6-8)

A.    Jesus was submitted to the Father

1.     John 14:31, 5:30 (AMP)

B.     You can suffer being tempted (Hebrews 2:18)

1.     The temptation is always to do it YOUR way and not God’s

a.    The suffering is not getting to do it your way

2.     Jesus wasn’t weak & he pressed in the garden until he sweat blood-Lk22:40,Heb5:6-8

a.    This is the ultimate example of submission; This was not easy

C.    Jesus’ prayer was not MY will, but YOUR will be done – Submission is not agreement

1.     At this point Jesus’ will wasn’t the same as the Father’s will

2.     Jesus submitted his will to the Father’s will

a.    He basically said no matter how I feel about it and no matter how bad my flesh doesn’t want to do it I’ll do it

D.    You only have the opportunity to truly submit when you don’t agree

1.     As long as you want to do what the person over you wants you to do that’s agreement not submission

E.     There is no other way to grow up and mature than this; submitting and obeying when you don’t want to (1 Peter 5:10)

1.     Jesus learned obedience by not getting to do what he wanted to do, but by yielding to the one over him (Hebrews 5:8)

2.     True submission involves suffering not getting to do it your way

a.    You suffered being tempted to rebel or be disobedient

b.    If you just yield to the rebellion you’re not suffering

c.     When you stop yielding to rebellion here comes the suffering

F.     The results of suffering is perfection, Christ-likeness, maturity, and you are more of an asset to the Kingdom of God

1.     People haven’t been promoted b/c they’re weak & they haven’t passed the test

2.     After you suffered a while you’ll be perfected, strengthened, established, settled and somebody that the can be depended on

IV.   Results of submission

A.    Resist the devil and he’ll flee (James 4:7)

1.     Some believers aren’t even qualified to resist the devil b/c they won’t submit to God

2.     Submission to God comes before our authority in God

a.    If you’re yielding to the enemy he doesn’t have to submit to you

b.    When you’re submitting to God you’re giving God his place over you, you take your place under him and then you command and insist that the devil take his place under you

B.     The more we submit to him and put ourselves under his authority the more exalted we will be (1 Peter 5:6)