Lies Women Believe: And the Truth That Sets Them Free by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Author:Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780802472960
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Published: 2007-04-30T22:00:00+00:00

THE LIBERATING TRUTH ABOUT SUBMISSION

My perspective on submission has grown as I have come to understand something of God’s purpose for authority. God intended that authority should be a means of providing spiritual covering and protection.

When you tell your two-year-old child he may not walk across the busy street outside your house by himself, you are not being tyrannical or cruel; you know there are “cruel” cars on that busy street, and you are acting in your child’s best interests. You are using your authority to protect your child (though he may be oblivious to his need for protection).

When we place ourselves under the spiritual covering of the authorities God has placed in our lives, God protects us. On the other hand, when we insist on having it our way and stepping out from under that covering and protection, we open ourselves up to the influence and attack of the Enemy.

I believe the failure of many Christian wives to place themselves under their husbands’ authority accounts for the extent to which so many women are vulnerable to Satan’s attack on their minds, wills, and emotions. When we come out from under authority—whether in big matters or in seemingly insignificant areas—we become “fair game” for the Enemy.

This is not to suggest that if a wife stays under authority, she will automatically be protected from all suffering or abuse; nor does it mean that abuse is necessarily the result of a woman being out from under rightful authority. According to the Scripture, it is possible for a righteous, submissive person to suffer persecution, which may come in the form of abuse. The book of 1 Peter gives practical insight into God’s purposes in suffering and how to respond when we are called to suffer for righteousness’ sake.

There are extreme situations where an obedient wife may need to remove herself and/or her children from proximity to her husband, if to remain in that setting would be to place themselves in physical danger. However, even in such a case, a woman can—and must—maintain an attitude of reverence for her husband’s position; her goal is not to belittle or resist him as her husband but, ultimately, to see God restore him to obedience. If she provokes or worsens the situation through her attitudes, words, or behavior, she will interfere with what God wants to do in her husband’s life and will not be free to claim God’s protection and intervention on her behalf.

If you or someone you know is in such a severe situation, ask God to direct you to a source of godly counsel, ideally, one of the elders or spiritual leaders of your church. (There are other factors and means of assistance that may need to be considered in specific situations. The For Further Help section at the back of the book provides additional suggestions for women who are dealing with these types of issues.)

I have discovered that the fundamental issue in relation to submission really comes down to my willingness to trust God and to place myself under His authority.

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