Shepherd

Pastor Alex Hall | November 2, 2025

The Power of Humility: Learning to Submit to the Spirit

There's a flame inside every believer—a gift from God that needs constant tending. Like a fire that begins to die down, sometimes our spiritual fervor needs stirring. We need someone to take the poker and stir up the coals, reigniting what has grown dim. The question isn't whether the flame exists, but whether we're willing to do the work of keeping it burning bright.

## The Call to Shepherd

Throughout Scripture, God uses the imagery of shepherds—not CEOs, not corporate leaders, but shepherds. There's a profound difference. A shepherd doesn't sit in the field admiring their followers or counting their success metrics. A shepherd cares for, watches over, guides, and leads the flock entrusted to them.

Who has God entrusted to you in this season? Perhaps it's your children, your coworkers, your friends, or someone new to faith who's just a few steps behind you on the journey. The beauty of shepherding isn't that you need to be fifty miles ahead of everyone else. You simply need to be five steps ahead and willing to help those five steps behind you.

Too often, we disqualify ourselves. "I don't know enough. I haven't been to seminary. I only know a few Bible verses." But here's the truth: if you know that Jesus wept, you're five steps ahead of someone who doesn't. Teach them. Shepherd them. Love them. Encourage them to follow Christ as you follow Christ.

The Posture of Humility

First Peter 5 gives us crucial instruction: "All of you be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble."

Read that again: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Humility isn't something we naturally wake up wearing. Pride fits comfortably, like our favorite worn-in clothes. Humility is a choice—a daily decision to pull it from the closet and put it on, even when it feels uncomfortable.

Think about what humility actually means. In Greek, it carries the word picture of being lowly—specifically, the humiliation of the mind. It's about lowering your mind, your will, your emotions, and your desires beneath the Spirit of God.

You are a spirit, you are a soul, and you are a body. Your spirit is where the Holy Spirit dwells when you're joined to Christ. Your soul is your mind, will, and emotions. Your body is your flesh with all its cravings and desires.

Too often, we let the body drive the bus. We're hungry, so we eat. We have a craving, so we satisfy it. We want something, so we pursue it—regardless of what God's Word says.

Sometimes the soul takes control. We think we know better. We begin doing mental gymnastics with Scripture, convincing ourselves that grace covers our deliberate choices to ignore God's ways. We rationalize: "This is just who I am. I was born this way. God made me this way."

But humility means lowering your mind, your will, your emotions, and your feelings beneath the Spirit. It means asking, "Lord, what do You desire?" instead of demanding what you want.

## The Enemy's Strategy

Scripture warns us clearly: "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."

Notice that phrase: "like a roaring lion." The devil isn't actually the lion—there's only one Lion, the Lion of Judah. The enemy pretends, mimics, and masquerades. And critically, he seeks whom he "may" devour. He needs permission.

How do we give him permission? Through agreement with his lies.

When the enemy whispers, "Your life is meaningless. You don't matter. You're worthless. You're ugly. You'll never change," and we speak those words out loud or let them swirl unchallenged in our minds, we give him access. We open the door and say, "Yes, you may devour my life."

The power of life and death is in the tongue. What we speak matters—to God and to the devil.

## Speaking Life, Not Death

When lies come, we must take those thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ. We must speak God's truth back to the enemy:

"I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

"If God is for me, who can be against me?"

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

This isn't just positive thinking—it's warfare. It's refusing to give the enemy a seat at your table.

Consider your words over your family. Do you speak death over your children? "They never listen. They're always in trouble. They'll never change." You'll have what you say.

Do you speak death over your spouse? "He'll never come to church. She'll never understand. Our marriage will never improve." You'll have what you say.

Or do you speak life by faith? "My husband is coming to Jesus—I don't know when, but God is working. My children are being drawn to the Lord. My marriage is being restored." Speak it, even when you don't see it yet.

Romans 10:9 tells us, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Your confession—what you speak—changes you from death to life.

Trusting God's Timing

When we humble ourselves under God's mighty hand, He promises to exalt us in due time. But we're impatient. We want it now, exactly how we envisioned it. We try to manifest our dreams through our own strength and strategies.

But God's way is different. When we submit to Him and steward faithfully what He's given us in each season, He raises us up at the right time, in the right position, in the right way—and it's always better than what we imagined.

The invitation today is simple but profound: clothe yourself with humility. Submit your mind, your will, your emotions to the Holy Spirit. Stop giving the enemy permission through your words. Stop kicking against God's ways in pride. Instead, trust that His ways are better than yours.

Lower your soul. Submit to the Spirit. Speak life. And watch as God transforms you from the inside out, producing supernatural fruit that can only be explained by His power.

The flame is still there. It just needs stirring.