"Wives submit to your husband as to the Lord" is the primary command for wives in Ephesians 5:22-24 (see also Colossians 3:18, and 1 Peter 3:1). What does "Wives be subject to your own husbands" mean? Read or listen to this material from Your Marriage God’s Way, or watch the message from the Your Marriage God's Way Conference to find out!

https://youtu.be/qJ25Eup-xMI

"Wives submit to your husband" is the primary command for wives. What does it look like to obey this command, and how can husbands make it easier?

Table of ContentsSubmission Is Not Only for WivesThe Way We Submit Is as Important as SubmittingWives Submit to Your Husband Because You Want to Obey the Bible Versus the WorldSubmission Provides FreedomConformed or Transformed?The Need for Wives to Submit to Their HusbandSubmission When a Wife DisagreesA Husband Can Make Submission Easier, but He Can Never Make It EasyWhat Is Revealed about a Wife Who Submits to Her Husband?Footnotes

Because we live in a fallen world—and because our fallenness resulted from Adam and Eve’s refusal to submit to God—ultimately, we are prone to resist submission, unbeliever and believer alike. Our culture views submission negatively. When we become Christians, we continue to struggle with submission because we’re called to submit in multiple ways that our flesh resists. Therefore, as you read this post, here are two key points that are vital to keep in mind:

The Bible speaks frequently of submission, so if you have a problem with it, you will have a problem with much of the Bible.

Submission—or having a submissive spirit—is spoken of positively in Scripture. If you do not want to be a submissive person, you will have a hard time following Christ.

Before we explore what the Bible says about submission in marriage, let’s talk about submission in other areas of life.

Submission Is Not Only for Wives

Often, when we hear the word submission, the first thing that comes to mind is God’s command for wives to submit to their husbands. But wives are far from the only believers commanded to submit. Every Christian is called to submit in a variety of ways. First Peter 3:1-6 commands wives to submit to their husbands, but before Peter instructs wives, he first addresses submission in other relationships:

First Peter 2:13-17 commands believers to submit to government (see also Romans 13:1-7).

First Peter 2:18-25 commands slaves to submit to their masters; in our society, the equivalent is employees submitting to employers (see also Ephesians 6:5-8).

First Peter 5:5 commands congregations to submit to their elders (see also Hebrews 13:17).

In Ephesians 6:1, the apostle Paul commands children to submit to their parents (see also Colossians 3:20). He also instructs wives to submit to their husbands in Ephesians 5:22. Still, one verse earlier, in Ephesians 5:21, he commands believers to submit “to one another in the fear of God.” This calls us to have a submissive spirit willing to give up rights and desire unity in the body of Christ. This is described more clearly in Philippians 2:3-4: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Our spiritual liberty is not only about freedom but about giving up—that is, submitting—our rights to others. If a brother or sister in Christ would be offended or stumble because of exercising our liberties, we submit to that person by laying down our rights (Romans 14:14-23; 1 Corinthians 8:9- 13). Paul says in Romans 12:18, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” Hebrews 12:14 reiterates, “Pursue peace with all people.” Establishing this peace involves submission in the marriage union or any other relationship. It consists in making sacrifices in deference to others.