From the very beginning, this has been the enemy’s strategy—not to create something entirely new, but to subtly distort what God has said. In Genesis 3:1, he did not come with an open attack, but with a question: “Yea, hath God said…?” And ever since, he has been doing exactly the same.

He takes truth… and twists it just enough so that it still sounds like truth.

And one of the places where this becomes clearly visible is around submission.

The lie whispers that submission means loss. That it silences your voice. That it traps you. That it makes you less. And slowly, people begin to believe it—men and women alike. A picture is formed of control, of hardship, of something that produces fear rather than life.

But that is not even half true.

It is a blatant lie.

Because when God speaks about submission, He never separates it from love. In Ephesians 5:22–25, we read:

“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.”

The enemy removes the second part.

He makes people believe that submission exists without the cross. Without sacrificial love. Without the heart of Christ. And suddenly, it appears harsh, heavy—something that does not reflect God’s character at all.

But God’s Word always stands as a whole.

A man is not called to rule—he is called to die to himself. To love as Christ loves. And Christ did not come to control, but to serve. To lay down His life.

When that truth is missing, everything becomes distorted.

And yet, we cannot only blame the enemy. Because there is another reality. Hosea 4:6 says:

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

When truth is not known, lies are easily accepted.

When people do not seek God’s heart for themselves, they begin to believe other voices. And then submission becomes something God never intended it to be. It becomes a caricature of the truth—a distorted version that wounds instead of bringing life.

The enemy’s goal is clear: to divide, to distort, to sow distrust. Because if he can damage relationships, he touches something God holds very dear.

But God’s heart remains unchanged.

He is not a God of oppression. He is a God of love. Everything He establishes flows from that love—including order, roles, and even submission.

Because true submission can only exist where there is true love.

And that love looks like Jesus.

Jesus kneeling to wash feet.
Jesus speaking gently to the broken.
Jesus giving His life.

There is nothing in Him that crushes or humiliates. He builds, restores, and gives dignity.

That is the standard.

When a man loves as Christ loves, he does not create a place of fear, but of safety. And in that safety, submission is no longer forced—it becomes a response. Not a chain, but a choice.

And when a woman finds her identity in God, she no longer has to fight for her worth. She knows who she is. She knows she was created with honour. That she is seen. That she is loved.

Proverbs 31:25 says:

“Strength and honour are her clothing…”

That is God’s truth.

The enemy wants us to believe that submission and slavery go hand in hand. But God shows us something entirely different—a picture of love that gives, of people who carry one another, of relationships that bring life.

And that is why it is so important to know the truth for yourself.

Not just parts of it, not only what is comfortable—but the full counsel of God.

Because when we know the truth, we begin to recognise the lies. We hear the subtle distortions. We see where things have been twisted. And we return—back to God’s heart, back to His intention.

Submission is not the problem.

The problem is when it is separated from love.

But when it is placed back into God’s truth, it regains its proper form—not something that binds, but something that brings freedom. Not something that breaks, but something that builds.

Because everything God does, He does out of love.

And in that love, there is no place for lies—only truth that gives life.

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