5/19 - 5/23 Submitting to God’s Chain of Command
Introduction:
Gentlemen, real strength isn’t running your own show—it’s locking step with God’s authority. Episode 7, “Chain of Command,” challenges you to submit to God as your Commander. Over the next five days, you’ll explore submission as love, obedience, trust, warfare, and humility, using God’s Word and a Marine’s story of obedience in Iraq. Commit to this battle plan—surrender your ego, obey His orders, and watch God make you unstoppable.
5/19 Day 1: Submission Proves Your Love
John 14:15 (ESV) – “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
Reflection:
Jesus cuts through the noise: love for Him isn’t a feeling—it’s obedience. Episode 7 emphasizes that cherry-picking God’s commands, like avoiding forgiveness or purity, is lip service (Isaiah 29:13). Submission isn’t weakness; it’s the discipline of a warrior choosing God’s will over his own. Like a Marine following orders under fire, your obedience proves your loyalty to Christ, aligning your heart with His mission.
Application:
Reflect on a command you’re dodging—maybe forgiving a friend or curbing anger. Why resist? Obedience is your litmus test of faith; half-hearted submission is mutiny (Matthew 12:30). Today, choose one command to obey fully, no excuses.
Prayer:
Lord, I love You, and I know my actions don’t always show it. Reveal where I’m resisting Your commands. Give me the strength to obey, even when it’s hard, and let my submission honor You. Amen.
Action Step:
List one specific command you’ve avoided (e.g., lust, generosity). Confess it to God and a trusted brother, then take one step to obey it today (e.g., apologize, give generously).
5/20 Day 2: Obedience Trumps Rebellion
1 Samuel 15:22-23 (ESV) – “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.”
Reflection:
King Saul thought he could tweak God’s orders and still please Him—wrong. Episode 7 calls rebellion “witchcraft-level defiance,” costing Saul his throne. Partial obedience is disobedience; it’s idolatry, putting your will above God’s. Like Marines who don’t debate orders, you’re called to execute God’s commands fully, whether it’s tithing, attending church, or repenting. Rebellion’s a cancer—submission is the cure that keeps you in the fight.
Application:
Where are you rebelling? Maybe you’re justifying a sin or skipping God’s call. Identify one area of “close enough” obedience and commit to full submission, trusting God’s plan over your instincts.
Prayer:
Father, I confess my rebellion where I’ve chosen my way over Yours. Forgive my presumption. Help me obey Your commands fully, cutting out defiance, and align me with Your will. Amen.
Action Step:
Write down one area of partial obedience (e.g., inconsistent prayer, holding grudges). Take action today to obey fully—pray consistently, forgive someone, or follow through on a commitment.
5/21 Day 3: Trust God’s Higher Plan
Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV) – “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Reflection:
In Episode 7’s Iraq story, Marines halted on Highway 7, frustrated but obedient, unaware it was a strategic ruse that crushed the enemy. God’s plans often feel like gut-punches—forgive your spouse, quit a shady job—but His ways are higher. Submission means trusting the Commander’s big picture, even when you don’t understand. Your pride screams you know better; God’s Word says His strategy always wins.
Application:
What command feels unfair or confusing? Reflect on a time obedience led to an unexpected victory. Surrender your plan today, trusting God’s higher ways, like the Marines trusted their orders.
Prayer:
Lord, Your ways are higher, but my pride resists. Help me trust Your plan when I don’t see the full picture. Give me faith to obey, knowing Your strategy leads to victory. Amen.
Action Step:
Choose one command you dislike (e.g., love your enemy, give generously). Pray, “Your ways are higher,” and act on it today—write a kind note, donate, or serve someone.
5/22 Day 4: Submission as Your Battle Stance
James 4:7-8 (ESV) – “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
Reflection:
Episode 7 frames submission as a warrior’s battle stance, not groveling. Submitting to God—choosing humility, purity, and forgiveness—plugs you into His power, making the devil powerless. Double-mindedness, picking which commands to follow, is spiritual cowardice, leaving you vulnerable. Like Marines sticking to the plan under fire, your obedience fortifies you against Satan’s lies, drawing you closer to God’s presence and victory.
Application:
Where are you double-minded, obeying some commands but not others? Identify one sinful habit (e.g., gossip, pride) and replace it with obedience to shut the devil’s door.
Prayer:
God, I submit to Your authority. Show me where I’m double-minded and help me purify my heart. Strengthen me to resist the devil through obedience, and draw near to me. Amen.
Action Step:
Pick one “justified” sin (e.g., lust, bitterness). Confess it, delete an enabling app or contact, and replace it with an obedient act (e.g., pray for someone, read Scripture).
5/23 Day 5: Christlike Submission
Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV) – “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Reflection:
Jesus, the ultimate warrior, submitted to the Father’s plan, enduring humiliation and death. Episode 7 challenges you to follow His example—submission isn’t weakness; it’s Christlike strength. Whether leading your family, serving the poor, or repenting, your obedience mirrors Christ’s sacrifice. Like a Marine executing orders, your submission salutes the King who died for you, transforming you into a man of valor.
Application:
How can you imitate Christ’s humility today? Reflect on a humbling task (e.g., serving, apologizing) and embrace it as an act of submission to God’s call.
Prayer:
Jesus, You obeyed to death, even death upon a cross; I want to follow Your example. Humble my heart and give me strength to submit to Your commands, serving others as You did. Amen.
Action Step:
Perform one humble act today—wash dishes, help a stranger, or admit a fault—mimicking Christ’s servant heart. Share your commitment with a brother for accountability.
