Why is it so hard to submit to God? I am sure you have asked this question at one point in your Christian life as to why you find it difficult to submit and obey God’s will for your life.
There are many reasons why we naturally find it hard to submit to God and why we find it easy to obey the sinful desires of the flesh instead.
In this article, we will focus on the 7 major reasons why most people find it hard to submit to God and the possible remedies you can apply.
God wants us to submit to His authority, which isn’t always easy because of our fallen sinful nature that hates submission to God and makes us want to do things our own way.
With that said, let’s find out why is it so hard to submit to God and the Lordship of our Lord Jesus Christ with references to bible verses in both the old testament and the new testament.
7 Reasons Why We Don’t Submit To God.
Below are the 7 major reasons that make us find the submission to God’s will and purpose for our lives difficult.
- Sin.
- Self.
- Pride.
- Not Being Truly Born Again.
- Our Self-Will.
- Lack Of Faith.
- Not Being Spirit-Filled.
1. Sin.
Sin is the number one reason why we naturally find it difficult to live a life of surrender and submission to God as it naturally makes us rebellious to God.
The bible tells us in Romans 5:12 that through the disobedience of our first parents or one man, sin entered into this world which is why we are all born with a sinful nature.
And it’s this sinful nature that naturally makes us disobey God and not wants to submit to the authority of God through His spoken word.
Because of sin, we want to do things our own way rather than God’s way. As a result, we find ourselves disobeying God and not wanting to surrender to Him. Being born again is what will help you submit to God, which you need to be if you are not.
Related: 13 Characteristics Of The Sinful Nature That We All Have.
2. Self.
The other reason why we naturally find submission to God or any human authority He’s placed over us is the innate sinful self we are born with that comes bundled with our fallen sinful nature.
By definition, self is the innate trait in us that makes us want to do things our own way instead of God’s way. It’s this old sinful self that is part of our Adamic nature that makes us not want to submit to God.
This is why Jesus Christ taught us in Luke 9:23 that if we want to come after Him, we must deny ourselves to take up our crosses daily to follow Him. Denying yourself is part of the cross you need to take up daily.
If you don’t deny yourself, you will find it hard to submit to God because there will always be that inherent conflict of interest between what self wants and what God wants as the former always desires to do things its own way and hates to submit to any authority.
3. Pride.
Pride is another reason why we naturally hate to submit to God as our sinful pride makes us view submission to God or in the case of a wife in marriage as a sign of weakness.
If you are a prideful person, you will always want to do things as you please and not what pleases God because of the self-centredness pride brings.
This is why Proverbs 14:14 tells us that proud people and backsliders are filled with their own ways as they think they are wise in their own conceit.
The spirit of pride and haughtiness is what made Satan fall from heaven, as pride made him want to be like God and not want to submit to Him. If you don’t get rid of pride, it will eventually ruin your life as Proverbs 16:18 warns us.
4. Not Being Truly Born Again.
If you are not truly born again yet, you will find it hard to surrender your life and self-will to our Lord Jesus Christ as the old sinful self is still active in your life that Ephesians 4:17-24 talks about.
You need to understand if you are not born again or haven’t experienced the new birth yet that makes you inherit the new nature of Christ Jesus, you will find obeying God difficult as your old self hasn’t been dealt with.
However, when you become born again and experience the new birth, you inherit that new nature of Christ Jesus created in God’s likeness and righteousness Ephesians 4:24 that makes you want to obey and submit to God.
So, if you claim to be a believer or Christian but are finding it hard to submit to God’s will for your life by continuing to live in sin and doing what your sinful self wants instead of what God wants, it’s a sign that you are not truly born again yet.
Related:
- What Happens When You Become Born Again Truly?
- 17 (Must-Have) Characteristics Of A Born Again Christian.
- How To Be Born Again In 7 Simple Steps (+Video Sermon).
5. Our Self-Will.
Our self-will that makes us think we know better than God and makes us want to do things our own way instead of God’s way is another major reason why we are reluctant to submit to God’s will and plan for our lives.
Many times, we find ourselves in situations where we think that we know better than God and want to do things our own way as we please forgetting that God’s thoughts and ways are different from ours as Isaiah 55: 8,9 tells us.
The self-will that comes with our sinful nature is what stubbornly makes us want to do what we want even if what we are determined to do is against God’s word. It’s one of the main reasons why we disobey God.
Self will always say,” I will do what I want and that I don’t care or couldn’t care less what God’s word says,” and says,” I will do what is right in my own eyes as long as it pleases me.” If you have such a mindset, there is no way you will submit to God.
6. Lack Of Faith.
If you are a person who lacks faith in God, you will find it hard to submit your life to Him or cast all your worries and cares upon Him as 1 Peter 5:7 tells us because of the trust issues you have.
You need to understand that you will only find it easy to submit unto the Lord if you have faith in Him, which will make it easy for you to trust your life to Him in faith. Submission to God can only work if you trust Him, as you can’t submit to something you don’t trust.
The bible tells us in Hebrews 11:6 that without faith, we can’t please God and that if we want to receive anything from Him, we must come to Him in faith believing that He rewards all those who diligently seek Him.
So, if you still lack faith in your life, ask the Lord Jesus Christ to help you with your unbelief just as the father of the child in Mark 9:23-25 asked Jesus Christ to help him with his unbelief so that his child could be healed.
Related: 13 Major Traits Of Genuine Faith [+ Wonderful Sermon].
7. Not Being Spirit-Filled.
Finally yet importantly, if you are a person who isn’t filled by the Holy Spirit to help you live a life of submission and obedience to God, you will find it hard to do what God expects of you.
The bible tells us in Romans 8:8 that those who walk after the flesh cannot please God, which will be the case if God’s Spirit is not indwelling in you, which explains why you hate prayer that is needed to help you overcome the flesh.
If you lack the presence of the Holy Spirit, you will be self-willed and only desire to do things that please the flesh and not things that please and bring glory to God by walking after the Spirit as Galatians 5:16 tells us to do.
Therefore, if you lack the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life even if you go to church every Sunday, you need to ask God to fill you with His Spirit that will help you obey His will and purpose for your life instead of doing whatever your sinful flesh wants you to do.
Related: How To Regain The Holy Spirit If You Backslid? [+ Sermon].
Conclusion.
I hope the above post on why is it so hard to submit to God has helped you understand why many find it hard to yield their lives to God and choose their own ways instead of God’s. In closing, if this post was helpful to you, let me know in the comments below, and don’t forget to share before you leave and let God be the captain of your life.
Other Interesting Articles.
- 10 Steps To Submitting To God To Live A Surrendered Life.
- 5 Examples Of Submission In The Bible [We Must Follow].
- 5 Clear Signs Of Disobedience To God [+ Illustrations].
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Gosh the irony is do thick seems I’ve built a wall with it. Thank you for posting this. I’m in a condition that has rendered me a useless person. I want so very much to be a person that that radiates i am a true follower of Jesus. To “bear fuit” that God is making a change in me. So obvious that its truth be supernatural to those that once knew me. I want to go forth into the world a new creature fishing for God & planting seeds that will grow to seek God Jesus truth.
Its weird before i snapped from my spell i got whatever i wanted whenever however leaving destruction. Now i am aware of of my old ways and i get angry with him. I know what i have to do but it’s got me tethered ahs i simply refuse..
Just pray for God’s help in your situation and by His grace you will be able to rid yourself of your old sinful ways and besetting sins making you backslide. God bless.