“Obey your leaders and submit to them, since they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. Pray for us, for we are convinced that we have a clear conscience, wanting to conduct ourselves honorably in everything. And I urge you all the more to pray that I may be restored to you very soon.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13:17-19‬ ‭CSB‬‬

The spirit of the world brings self-glorification and puts the self in place of God. People under a false spirit are straightforward to discern. There will be an inability to submit under authority. They will be people who bounce from church to church or do not even attend church but instead claim to walk around being led by the Spirit. As Christians, we must all submit to the authority of a church. It is essential. If you are unable to submit under the authority of a man who you can see, how is it you are submitting under God who you do not see? It is the same as John explains in 1 John 4:20 (for good measure, read all of 1 John 4). Our spiritual walk must be demonstrated on earth; this is why part of the Lord’s prayer is, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”. We must be able to act out in the flesh what we are claiming to do in the spirit.

If you have not submitted under a church leadership, I firstly recommend you make that your first action point. Find a church that walks out the whole Bible, and the leadership demonstrates the standards marked in the letter of 1 Timothy. Ensure the pastor demonstrates the servant leadership that Jesus commands people to do. Make sure the church is about dying to yourself, picking up your cross and following Jesus into the persecution that must come if you are to enter the kingdom of heaven. Once you have found the church that aligns with the Bible, submit. Fall under the leadership God places above you. Understand this because of their position; their accounting is much greater than you; to whom much is given, much is expected. As leaders, they are called to be interceding in prayer night and day over those who are placed in his responsibility. They should be in thanksgiving and petition for your walk with the Lord (do you understand why churches of mass gatherings aren’t Biblical?). When the leader shares a message, please take it as a message from God. They are accountable for everything they teach and will be judged accordingly for it. A man of God will not utter a word from the Lord without spending much time in prayer and wrestling in the Spirit so that they may be fully aligned with God’s will. As a Christian, you must fall under the authority of a leader. They will guide you into the ways of God, and it is your job to trust them and the Spirit placed upon them. Remember, you always have a choice as to which church you submit to, but you must submit to a church or a spiritual leader.

Once you have made your submission, or if you already submit, know the importance of your part in this relationship. As church members, we also must be in prayer for our leaders. In the same way, Aaron and Hur held up Moses’s arms in his prayers; the Israelites would win in battle (Exodus 17), and too must we support our leaders in prayer. The church must pray for its leaders to be able to walk out a holy life free from sin and thus demonstrate the narrow path of holiness representing Jesus to the congregation. As the leaders will be in prayer over your salvation, you, too, must be in prayer for their sanctification. It is a two-way relationship. You do not go to church to receive from the pastor. No, you also go to church to give. It is a two-way relationship.

The relationship you have with your church is one of giving and taking. The church is not just somewhere you go to receive blessings and prayer requests. It would be best if you worked with the leadership and under the leadership to see the kingdom of heaven break into your life. Today reflect on your relationship with your church and ponder if it reflects the spiritual walk you claim to have.