God gives His people authority as they walk with Him and remain submitted to what He speaks. Spiritual authority is not something we possess independently. Christ Himself is the authority, and His authority flows through lives surrendered to Him.
Our relationship with God should never stand still. As we mature, the Lord continually leads us into deeper submission and greater responsibility. The more fully we come under His authority, the more freely His life and power can move through us.
Jesus lived in complete submission to the Father. He did only what He saw the Father doing. Even in the Garden of Gethsemane, when He faced the suffering of the cross, He prayed:
“Not my will, but Yours, be done.”
— Luke 22:42
Jesus did not submit passively. He deliberately brought His will into agreement with the Father. His submission was active, determined, and wholehearted.
This is aggressive submission—a decision within our spirit that says, “I will remain under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I will not allow pride, independence, fear, or personal desire to lead me away from His will.”
Submission to Christ is not limited to a private relationship with God. Christ has placed His presence within His people, and we must learn to recognize His voice through the Body.
This does not mean blindly following another person. It means remaining open to correction, wisdom, confirmation, and direction from those God has joined to us.
Jesus said:
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
— John 10:27
When we believe God has given us a revelation, we should not immediately move forward in independence. Scripture teaches that a matter is confirmed through two or three witnesses. God uses His Body to confirm His word and protect us from deception.
The book of Judges describes a time when everyone did what was right in their own eyes. That same danger exists when believers claim to be submitted to God but refuse correction or accountability.
True submission is often revealed when someone questions our direction, tells us no, or points out something we cannot see in ourselves.
Independence says, “God told me, so I do not need anyone else.”
Oneness says, “I believe God has spoken, but I am willing to receive confirmation through His Body.”
God’s Kingdom is not built upon people moving separately according to their own understanding. It is expressed through believers who hear the Lord together and walk under His authority as one.
As we mature spiritually, no one should have to force us to seek the Lord, worship Him, or remain submitted. Submission must become a willing response of our heart.
Each believer must honestly ask: Am I open to correction? Am I seeking confirmation? Am I moving independently? Am I actively keeping my spirit under the Lordship of Jesus Christ?
We are responsible for the condition of our own spirit. There must be an inner determination that says:
“I will be submissive. I will remain under His authority.”
The pure atmosphere God desires is created when His people come together in submission to Christ.
Our oneness is not based on everyone sharing the same personality, opinions, or human understanding. It comes from each heart being surrendered to the Lord.
As we submit to Christ within ourselves and recognize Christ in one another, the Body begins to move as one. Then the authority expressed through us is no longer merely human. It is the authority of Christ working through His people.
The path to greater Kingdom authority is not self-promotion or independence. It is deeper submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
In what areas of my life is God asking for deeper submission?
Am I truly open to correction and confirmation from the Body of Christ?
Have I mistaken independence for spiritual maturity?
Do I seek the Lord only in difficulty, or is submission a daily way of life for me?
Am I aggressively keeping my spirit under the Lordship of Jesus Christ?
How can I help create a pure atmosphere of oneness in the Body?