Be a Spirit filled Wife

I. Practice mutual submission

* All Christians are called to live submissive lives to honor the Lord

1. Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ (Ephesians 5:18b-21).

2. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord (Romans 12:10, 11).

II. Cultivate Biblical submission

* A difference in gender roles does not equate to a difference in value!

1. Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything (Ephesians 5:22-24).

2. In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior (1 Peter 3:1, 2).

3. Is submission God's chain of authority to fulfill His purposes in all creation:

  • a. God has authority over mankind (1 Peter 4:5).
  • b. Man has authority over nature (Genesis 1:26).
  • c. Husbands have authority over wives (Colossians 3:18).
  • d. Parents have authority over children (Ephesians 6:1-3).
  • e. Government has authority over the governed (Romans 13:1).
  • f. Employers have authority over employees (Colossians 3:22-24).
  • g. Spiritual leaders have authority over those they lead (1 Thes. 5:12, 13).

Sermon by Pastor Rod Akins, January 4th, 2026.

Life Group Flow and Discussion Questions

Be a Spirit filled wife

An important Guideline of Life Groups: Understanding mutual submission and biblical submission is a liberating truth of God's design for our lives. Discuss in your Life Group the role of submission in the Trinity, in the Church, and in marriage.

Getting Started:

  1. What are some false ideas about submission that the devil loves to deceive people about the truth of complementing God's order?
  2. How would you define biblical submission (hupotasso) when it comes to wives and husbands?

Discussing Truths:

  1. Why is being filled with the Holy Spirit so critical in fulfilling our biblical roles as wife, husband, parent, child, employer and employee?
  2. What do you find most difficult when it comes to biblical submission? How is the list of seven areas of God's chain of authority? helpful in viewing submission?
  3. Because Satan came to steal, kill, and destroy the intimacy and joy of marriages, we must be proactive in pursuing our biblical roles and responsibilities with gender specificity. Why is Galatians 3:28 used to promote an egalitarian view of Church and marriage? What is the proper contextual interpretation of Galatians 3:28?
  4. What insights can a godly wife practice from 1 Peter 3:1-6?
  5. Why has submission become such a divisive principle, even in the church?
  6. Who are some of the godly couples that you know who model an authentic Spirit-filled relationship in their marriage?

Now What? Application:

  1. How can you show greater preference and honor to others above yourself in this New Year (Philippians 2:3, 4)?
  2. To wives: How can you respect your husband better?