When enters the stain and defilement of opposition to God, also coming with it is the usurpation of godly authority. Our instructions tell us to resist the originator of this evil, the father of lies. Any rule that one has is only what we permit by listening to him. Fear is the hearing of his voice.
Since we still must submit to human authority and to each other, there is a disconnect now, in this process called obedience. Submission is the attitude of willing gentleness, but what if the other person is under the influence of the enemy? What if he is working for the other side? Thing is, it makes no difference as to the fact that we are still to demonstrate humble respect for others.
The headship precept that is written, is a concept of the path of progress of the blessings of God. He protects and bestows honor. His very corrections are a kindness, where He sanctifies us. Godly authority is expressed as self sacrifice. It is giving. This is the spirit that we are to submit to, the One that we are to obey. This is The Lord working through a brother or sister. It is the Signature of the Savior.
If what we see in front of us is someone who elevates themselves or their interest above those of others, someone who attempts to override the consent of another, who is harsh or violent, then what we are witnessing is not of God. It is, instead, the signature of the serpent.
What the adversary desires, is to replace God's authority with his own, whereby he would be the
recipient of stolen worship! He will take advantage of anything that he can see as a vulnerability. He seeks to become god still!
Nowhere is this ordained order of God more obvious in it's dysfunction than in the marriage relationship. Marriage is a physical representation of the relationship between the church and her Savior and Lord. Any attack on the honor of the bride disguised as authority, any angry confrontational accusations of sin, does not fit into this picture of Christ's headship example. Christ does NOT punish his bride. As a matter of fact, He took her punishment upon himself!
Even the woman married to an unbeliever can speak the Word of Life without a word, by submitting to the blessings of God that come through her unbelieving husband. She is trusting God by having a quiet, fearless spirit towards her husband as towards The Lord. It just might inform him of his rightful inheritance of giving God's blessings as a priest of The Lord, as all who believe can do!
Ephesians 5:25-27
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[a] her with the washing of water by the word. 27 He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.
1 Peter 3
3 In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, 2 as they observe your chaste and [a]respectful behavior. 3 Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; 4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn
themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; 6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right [b]without being frightened by any fear.
7 You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with [c]someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
8 [d]To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but [e]giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
1 Timothy 2:11-12
11 A woman should learn in silence with full submission. 12 I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; instead, she is to be silent.
1 Corinthians 14:34-35,
34 the women[a] should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but should be submissive, as the law also says. 35 And if they want to learn something, they should ask their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church meeting.36 What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
(Can a woman preach and still be in submission? Yes. A woman's authority looks and acts differently than a man's. Contributing is not the same thing as usurpation. A woman should never exercise her authority by silencing others or subjecting them to herself. That said, do we really want to rid the world of half of it's evangelists?)
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