Every day, in big or little ways, you and I are engaged in a battle. (see Gal. 5:17) This battle is real and dangerous. Our battles here on Earth are a reflection of the cosmic war raging between the Kingdom of God and all other kingdoms. It is a battle for full control.

Surrender to the will of the Creator does not strip the creation of dignity or freedom. On the contrary, it is the only source of true freedom and abundance. The Sovereign Creator God rules over His creation with tender love, mercy, and compassion, inviting His creation to engage with Him in divine fellowship.

Count on it --- the very points on which you refuse to surrender will become enemies that rule over you. When we refuse to surrender to God, we will be surrendered to ungodly forces - including our own lusts. Romans 6:16: says: "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" When we throw off the restraints of our wise, loving God, we become slaves to terrible taskmasters that are intent upon our destruction. That's exactly what happened to the Old Testament Israelites - over and over again, they became enslaved to the enemies the Lord sent against them. (see Deut. 28: 47-48)

In contrast, Jesus says: "Take my yolk upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest unto your souls. For my yolk is easy and my burden is light." (Matt. 11:28-29)

Our refusal to surrender our lives fully to God affects not only our own lives, but the lives of others as well. Can you think of ways that your refusal to surrender your will to God has affected someone else?

Complete surrender to our Sovereign God brings peace and a foretaste of the glory that every believer will one day enjoy in heaven. We can begin to enjoy those benefits now by saying yes to God. As the familiar hymn says: "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."

If there are any unsurrendered areas you have identified in your life, reflect on the effects of being enslaved to these areas. List all the bad fruits of being submitted to these desires so that you can see more clearly what your lack of surrender is costing you. Also, write down how your lack of surrender is affecting others. Pray for God to let you see these things as He sees them, and ask Him to give you His grace to surrender these issues completely to Him.