When a husband and wife are living in harmony with God’s will, every man is living in submission to Christ who is his head and every woman is living in submission to her husband who is her head (1 Corinthians 11:3).
Paul describes the characteristics of submission a Spirit-filled woman cultivates with these words: “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything” (Ephesians 5:22-24).
Like the church, a wife’s submission to her husband is voluntary. Not one single member of the church became part of the bride of Christ involuntarily. It is not a husband’s duty to make his wife submit herself to him; it is her responsibility to voluntarily do so.
Like the church, a wife’s submission to her husband is personal. She is expected to submit to her own husband. No one can do this for her, and to no other man is she obligated such submission.
Like the church, a wife’s submission to her husband is based upon her love and esteem of her Lord. Just as loving one’s Christian brother is an essential part of loving God (1 John 4:20-21), a wife’s submission to her husband is an essential part of her love for and service to her Lord.
Like the church, a wife’s submission to her husband is to be thorough. “In everything” is self-explanatory. It is as broad and thorough of an expression as is linguistically possible.
A blessed marriage does not happen accidentally. It is only possible when a husband and wife follow the model God used for marriage.
