Submit Yourselves Therefore to God & Be Subject One to Another

Introduction

On April 28, 2025, Air Traffic Control for Newark Airport experienced an outage. Three of the four radar screens went black, and all radio communications with aircraft were lost.

The outage lasted roughly 90 seconds. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association confirmed the incident, stating that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operations center located in Philadelphia had "temporarily lost radar and communications with the aircraft under their control, making it impossible to see, hear, or speak to them."

For 90 seconds, planes in the area were flying without the oversight, direction, and control of the air traffic controllers. At that time, no one knew why it happened or how long it would last.

Would that make you uneasy? Perhaps even a little anxious? Did the passengers even know?

That would certainly make me uncomfortable. We expect some things to be under control no matter what. And that certainly includes flying. It also gives us comfort to know that the pilot is trained and experienced. I don’t know about you, but I like to glance into the cockpit as I’m boarding and see a bit of gray hair. It tells me the pilot has been at this for a while, successfully. If I find out he’s an ex-Navy pilot who landed on aircraft carriers in the middle of the ocean, well, that’s even better.

We like it when things are under control. Running smoothly. We like to manage our schedules, families, finances, and futures. Having control over our affairs gives us peace and confidence. But we can take things too far not wanting to trust anything to anyone else, not even God.

It’s natural to want a sense of certainty. When life feels out of control, we feel uneasy. But God calls us to trust Him, not to micromanage everything out of fear.

 

It says in Scripture –  

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (Prov 3:5)

O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. (Jer 10:23)

A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. (Prov 16:9)

We may think we’re in control, but we’re not as in control as we might like to think.

 

Submit Yourselves Therefore to God and Be Subject One to Another

The title is derived from the following scriptures:

 

Jas 4:7 KJV  Submit G5293 yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

 

Eph 5:21 KJV  Submitting G5293 yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

 

1Pe 5:5 KJV  Likewise, ye younger, submit G5293 yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject G5293 one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

 

It’s the same word in the Greek, submit, submitting, be subject. To put the other person first, to be subordinate to them and their needs.

 

It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes. (Psa 118:8-9)

Put not your confidence in men, but in God. Yet, we do it all the time. We know we are to put our complete trust in the LORD. Unquestionably. But the passages we just read also tell us to rely on one another.

We trust in man-made systems – Air Traffic Control, pilots, FAA regulations. We rely on others because we must.

The same goes for other complex systems – gasoline distribution, the electrical grid, water treatment. When something fails, we want to know:

-         Who’s in charge?

-         What went wrong?

-         Who’s fixing it?

-         How long will it take?

We put our trust in man-made systems because, like it or not, we have no other choice.

To create the illusion of control in our lives, we spend lots of time and money organizing our lives, building routines, to stay as in control as possible. When anything is disrupted, we feel unsettled until it’s resolved.

Why? Pride, perhaps. We like being self-reliant.

Or maybe fear, because when things feel like they’re out of control, anxiety creeps in.

We fear the unknown. If left unchecked, our minds can spiral into worst-case scenarios.

We seek order, calmness, and contentment in our lives and when they’re not, anxiety enters in.

Anxiety and Control

In 2024, the American Psychiatric Association reported increased anxiety levels among U.S. adults.

43% said they felt more anxious than the previous year (up from 37% in 2023 and 32% in 2022).

• 70%/67% cited current events as a cause. (wars and rumors of war; civil unrest, I suspect this is even higher today given the latest events)
• 77% were anxious about the economy (national debt at an all-time high, inflationary prices out of control, the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer)
• 73% were worried about the 2024 election. (poll taken in May. The total percentage is probably still the same, just re-apportioned between Red and Blue)
• 69% feared gun violence.

Other Top Sources of Anxiety (2024 Poll):

• Keeping my family safe (68%/62%) (gun violence, crime, home invasion, fire, flood, hurricane, tornado)
• Paying bills (63%/61%) (just keeping up with inflation, putting food on the table; unexpected expenses – car repair, home repair, medical expenses)
• Health concerns (63%/59%) (sickness, pandemics like COVID, chronic disease, aging)
• Identity theft (63%/57%) (ruining my credit, my reputation)
• Climate change (57%/53%) (caused by man or not, the climate is changing and has changed, warming/cooling throughout the centuries; Revelation plagues coming)
• Emerging technologies (46%/44%) (AI in particular is disconcerting, impacting us all very quickly – jobs eliminated, auto-control by heartless algorithms)
• The opioid epidemic (50%/42%) (Family or friends getting hooked on painkillers inadvertently)
• Job security (40%/40%) (DOGE, tariffs, cost cutting efforts, robotics and AI eliminating some jobs)

No wonder people are becoming more anxious every year. Even with all our control systems in place and all our aims to control everything, there’s still a high degree of uncertainty and anxiety.

I typed the phrase “list of medications to treat anxiety” into my search engine. Drugs.com came back with a list of 53 medications for anxiety. I would say it’s reaching epidemic proportions.

We like things stable. But is it realistic to expect that everything will always be under control, especially under our control?

Since the Fall of man, we’ve had to earn our keep by the sweat of our brow. It’s not supposed to be easy. Life requires constant attention, toil, and repair.

Scripture tells us that a time is coming when things will be even more out of man’s control, completely out of control, chaos. Christ Himself warned us about a time of tribulation, great tribulation like has never before. A time when the world will cry out for someone to restore control, a strong man, to step in and bring peace.

I’m not telling you these things to scare you. You’re likely already scared. I’m telling you this to create a sense of urgency. Part of our church’s slogan is, “Preparing a People”. Are we prepared for what’s coming our way?

One Thing We Can Control

We can’t control much but there’s one thing we can control: our thoughts, what we focus on, what we think about.

It takes real effort to direct our attention to positive things. But if we don’t, something else will grab our attention, whether it’s news cycles, politics, TV and entertainment, or advertising.

I never cease to be amazed by the pharmaceutical advertisements. Many times, I’ve never even heard of these medical conditions before but the side effects of the drugs seem to be way worse. And I’ve never asked my doctor whether or not a single one was right for me.

And by allowing this negativity to enter our minds, the cumulative effect of the anxiety builds whether we realize it or not. Anxiety can manifest itself in symptoms, illnesses, and diseases without us realizing the true cause leads back to stress and anxiety, the very things we allow to capture our attention. And “Big Pharma” is right there with the perfect pill or injection to treat the symptom while ignoring the root cause. I’m convinced they don’t want a cure, but just to manage the symptoms enough to keep the money rolling in. Customers who are cured are no longer customers.

Most of the things that grab our attention don’t affect our lives in any meaningful way on a day-to-day basis. We don’t change what we do on a daily basis because of it. Yet we allow them to fill our minds and steal our peace.

There’s a reason Paul writes to the Philippians: (Php 4:6-9 KJV)

 

… in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. [not the govt. or Big Pharma] And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

 

And to think on these things – whatsoever things are:

·        true

·        honest

·        just

·        pure

·        noble

·        of good report

·        virtuous

·        praiseworthy

and the God of peace shall be with you.

 

The truth of the Bible tells us that if we “think on these things”, meditate on them, we will experience a peace that we don’t even understand.

Much of the media we consume – news, politics, pharmaceutical advertisements, etc. instill fear and cause anxiety. Maybe it’s time for a “media fast”. Unplug. Go outside, read a book, visit with friends face-to-face.

The Root of Fear and Anxiety

At its core, all our fears are rooted in the fear of death.

Hebrews 2:14-15 KJV
(14) Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
(15) And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

It is that very fear of death that the Evil One uses to control us. Make one mistake and fear, uncertainty, anxiety can cause us to lose our way.

We have been freed by Christ from bondage to sin and death. The blood of Christ has purged our consciences from dead works to serve the living God. No longer to live in doubt or fear.

As Christians, we have no reason to fear death in this life as life eternal has been assured to us by the blood of our LORD Jesus Christ.

Luke 12:4-5 KJV
(4) And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
(5) But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

 

Mike Goodwin

one of my favorite Christian comedians puts it this way:

"In life, you only got two things to worry about:

Are you healthy or are you sick?

If you’re healthy, you got nothing to worry about. But if you’re sick, you got two things to worry about:

Are you going to get better or are you going to get worse?

If you get better, you got nothing to worry about. But if you get worse, you got two things to worry about:

Whether you’re going to live or whether you’re going to die?

If you live, you got nothing to worry about. But if you die, you got two things to worry about:

Whether you’re going to heaven or whether you’re going to hell?

If you’re going to heaven, you got nothing to worry about. But if you’re going to hell, you got two things to worry about:

Original or Extra Crispy."

 

As Christians, we’ve already been crucified with Christ. We died already.

Galatians 2:20 KJV
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

The old man in us has died. We’ve been bought with a price. We’re no longer our own. We live by faith and await the resurrection.

 

Trust in God's Control

So, I’m not afraid of dying. I just don’t want to be there when it happens. There’s no reason to fear.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. (Jas 4:7)

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Tim 1:7)

We must stay focused on our future in the Kingdom of God.

To quote a good friend of mine, “I’m gonna live forever. I might die first.” – Tom Henager. He’s your good friend too.

Always remember, God is in control. If we can sacrifice our control to His, we won’t live in fear. If all things really do work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose, we have nothing to worry about. (Rom 8:28)

When I was a child, I had no concerns. I was just experiencing life. The cares of life were for my father to worry about, not me.

I had no concept of what my dad was dealing with until a became a father myself. I’ve been a world class worrier ever since. I’ve heard that worrying can cause your hair to turn gray – but I don’t know. Do you see any evidence of that?

I remember when my oldest son found his first gray hair in his early thirties. He called to ask me when I had gotten mine. I thought for a moment and replied, “I can tell you exactly when it was: November 8, 1980.” He paused, thought about it, then exclaimed, “Hey! That’s my birthday!” Exactly. Your focus and priorities in life change when you have children. You take on a new role and new responsibilities to create a safe environment where your children don’t need to worry.

Because we have a Heavenly Father who cares for us, as children of God, we have no reason to be overly concerned either. We leave the cares to our Heavenly Father to worry about; casting all our cares upon Him, knowing and trusting because He cares for us. (1Pet 5:7)

 

God does expect us to manage our affairs but under His direction.

God gave man dominion in Eden. But after the Fall, it’s only by the sweat of our brow. And we must exercise responsibility and self-control to make our way in this life. Ideally, in accordance with God’s will. But if not God’s will then someone else is crouching at the door.

As I’ve told my children and grandchildren: If you don’t control yourself, somebody else will. Whether it’s school, work, or behavior, discipline grants you a degree of control. If you do well, you will be blessed. But if you don’t exercise proper self-control, others will control you, possibly even the state.

And I don’t care who you are, you’re going to have to serve somebody. No matter how successful or powerful you become there’s always somebody you have to answer to.

Bob Dylan Had It Right

Everybody’s “Gotta Serve Somebody” – released by Bob Dylan in 1979 it won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Male in 1980.

 

Lyrics:

You may be an ambassador, to England or France

You may like to gamble, you might like to dance

You may be the heavyweight champion of the world

You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls

 

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes

Indeed you're gonna have to serve somebody

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord

But you're gonna have to serve somebody

 

The song goes on for six more verses always ending in the same refrain.

Yes indeed. You’re gonna have to serve somebody.

Either you serve the LORD, or by default, you serve the Devil.

 

1Jn 5:18-19 ESV

(18)  We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

(19)  We know that we are from God, and the whole world [the rest of the world] lies in the power of the evil one.

So, it’s either one or the other depending to whom we yield ourselves. If you don’t consciously choose to serve God, you’re already serving the prince of this world by default. This applies to all people at all social and economic levels. You’re either living by godly principles or the lawless dictates of the Evil One.

Romans 6:16 KJV  To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are...

Rod Dreher, who wrote the book, Live Not By Lies, says this in his new book, Living in Wonder –

“Repentance begins with the sacrifice of control... and that can be frightening.”

Yes, it can be frightening at first when we let go and let God.

 
But it's best to surrender to God all the things of this life and trust Him for the outcome. We have minimal control over them anyway. And through prayer, we can discuss even the smallest things with Him down to the last detail.

Look at the list of things people worry about most: the economy, war, civil unrest. Sure, we can take reasonable steps, being prudent with money, and staying away from unsafe areas. But when it comes to the bigger picture, we must let it go. Stop trying to take over. God’s got this.

Once surrendered, trust God, and stop worrying about it.

As my dad used to say about letting things go and forgetting about them, “Don’t leave the handle sticking out.” In other words, don’t give it to God while keeping a grip on it, just in case you want to take it back. Maybe you think God’s not working on it fast enough to suit you, so you try to take back control. Don’t do it. God isn’t on your schedule.

Psalm 27:14 KJV
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Wait on the LORD. Wait, I say, on the LORD.

Obey God even when you’re uncertain; especially when you’re uncertain. That’s faith, active faith, shown by obedience to the leading prompts of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus did.

Hebrews 5:8 KJV  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.

If Jesus had to learn obedience, of course we do too. When we suffer, we should ask God what is the lesson we must learn from it. We may not be able to count it all joy at the time but there is a reason for it. Search it out. (James 1:2)

Psalm 37:23–27 KJV
(23) The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
(24) Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
(25) I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

(26) He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
(27) Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.

Though God will direct our steps and see to it that we will not be utterly cast down, that does not mean we’re to go it alone. He placed us in a body of believers in order to strengthen us and likewise for us to lift them up. It is the very means by which He upholds us with His hand. We are to look after others, especially those of the household of faith. (Gal 6:10; James 1:27)

 

We Cannot Make It On Our Own

As we grow from childhood, we may think we’ve gained control of our lives, but eventually, we come to realize that many things in life are beyond our control. More and more, there are elements over which we have very little, if any, real influence.

We can’t manage it all alone. We need to rely on God and on each other to make it through. We need emotional support from time to time and encouragement, even physical support, and spiritual support through prayer, edification, exhortation, and comfort from our brothers and sisters in Christ who understand us best; who have seen us at our worst and still love us.

It’s only by God’s grace that he placed us in a caring body of believers like ours that we can rely on the support and help we need.

I know, it’s hard for some of us to accept help. And it’s hard to let others know your business. But one thing I’ve learned: we all will need someone’s help sooner or later. It doesn’t have to be a public request but a private conversation with someone you trust. Either way we’re here for each other.

James 5:16 KJV  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.

The Bible tells us to confess our faults one to another; not to share every sordid detail of our past, but to share our hopes and fears, concerns and struggles, with each other in Christ. Trusting in each other with discretion and praying for one another.

Romans 12:10–15 NKJV
(10) Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;

[put the needs of your brother or sister in Christ ahead of your needs, even when it’s inconvenient. When they need you, they need you]

(11) not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
(12) rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
(13) distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

(15) Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

It is becoming clearer every day: we cannot, and will not, overcome all that is coming our way by ourselves. In isolation we wither but together we flourish. We need each other. We must endeavor to develop relationships of trust and authenticity now. We need to get to know each other like we know our own brothers and sisters.

Pause and ask yourself:

Who can you trust unequivocally in a crisis?

Who would you trust with your very life or the life of a loved one?

Is it a family member? A long-time friend? Someone in the church?

Is there anyone you can trust like that?

Outcasts Together

The time is coming when we will be ostracized, pushed to the margins of society, and even betrayed by people we once thought we could trust. (Matt 10:36) We need to begin fortifying our relationships now while we still can meet in peace and discuss such things in safety.

Imagine one day you discover your credit cards don’t work. Your bank accounts are frozen. All your financial assets are locked. At first, you assume it’s a temporary glitch.

But then you realize you’ve been targeted!

It becomes clear: you’ve been marked as a problem. You’re not welcome. You’re not “in line” with society’s program. You’ve said the wrong thing to the wrong person. You’ve spoken outside the permissible narrative. You’ve gone and said the quiet part out loud.

Who do you turn to?

Family? Neighbors? Do you even know your neighbors?

What about your brothers and sisters in Christ? The very people in this room – how well do you know them?

Where do you turn?

Digital Cancellation and AI Control

With the rise of artificial intelligence, decisions are now made by impersonal algorithms. Software scans millions of datapoints in seconds flagging keywords and phrases. Facial recognition software and photo analysis identifies you and GPS tracking can find you wherever you are.

Remember the TV show, “Person of Interest”?

Maybe you don’t think we’re there yet?

Go to YouTube and search for “Palantir surveillance”. You’ll see what I mean.

It’s time to think about these things.

You can be “canceled” electronically, digitally erased, without a single human involved.

Recently, I had a small taste of this. I tried logging into my Facebook account and discovered it had been disabled. No warning. No clear explanation, just that I violated some obscure "Community Standard." Appeal? Denied. No recourse for 180 days and maybe, maybe not, they’ll consider reinstatement. No person to contact. Nothing.

What if it had been my bank account?

This is real and it’s happening faster than we think. Remember the Canadian truckers who had their financial assets frozen for protesting against C0VID policies? Companies in this country have been de-banked because they sell firearms and the bank doesn’t want their business.

Christians are already being marginalized around the world. Look at China’s social credit system. That's the template. And it’s likely coming here in the not-too-distant future.

These are things we should consider together now while we have the freedom to do so.

The system is collapsing. We must live resilient Christian lives.

We become anxious when we’re uncertain about the future but if we sacrifice control to God and we place our full trust in Him, there is peace.

Real peace.

John 14:27 KJV  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

 

Conclusion

We’d like to have complete control over everything that affects our lives but we can’t.

There are only two things you got to worry about –

1.     Submit Yourselves Therefore to God

§  Walk with Him daily

§  Draw near to Him. Get to know him on the “Abba” level. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Rom 8:15 KJV)

§  Allow Him to draw near to you. Repentance. Love Him. Obey Him. Trust Him. (Rom 8:28)

2.     Be Subject One to Another - Fortify your relationships

§  Church of God members with focus on our own congregation. Look out for one another. Get close enough to really trust each other.

§  Develop relationships with your neighbors who live closest to you. They may be your first line of support due to proximity.

 

Bonus recommendation – If you find yourself getting anxious

A)  Prayer. There is joy and peace in God’s presence

B)   Call/Text/Visit with your Christian brothers/sisters and neighbors Tell them how you feel – Don’t isolate yourself

C)   Examine your input – TV, Internet, News, Politics, Entertainment. Does it give you a sense of peace or anxiety? Consider a “media fast”. Unplug. Go outside. Read a book. Visit with friends.

 

Jesus, take the wheel!

Sacrificing control isn’t passive; it’s an act of faith. A daily choice to trust God. It’s a sacrifice of your will for His.

Nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done. (Luke 22:42)

Trying to control what was never ours to begin with only brings worry.

Trusting in the One who is actually in control brings peace.

I look forward to the Sabbath each week, not only to hear God’s Word and sing His praises, but also to be with you, God’s people, of like mind and faith.

I hope you don’t consider this as just another sermon on unity but as a call to survival, collective struggle, and mutual support. We need each other, now and even more as we see the day approaching. We have a lot yet to go through before our LORD returns.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:34–35)

We are becoming a family. We ARE a family! And we must learn to depend on each other because the time is coming when we will have no other choice.

I hope the message is clear –

The time has come to get close to God and to build close relationships of love and trust with each other.

 

Col 3:12-17 NKJV

(12)  Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;

(13)  bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

(14)  But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

(15)  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

(16)  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

(17)  And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

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