As children of light, we are called to walk in a manner that reflects our transformation from darkness to light, proving what is acceptable to the Lord. This means actively seeking to understand and align with God's will through our conduct. By submitting to God's commandments, even when the reasons are not immediately clear, we open ourselves to eventual understanding of His purposes. This act of submission, though often challenging, is an act of faith that tests our loyalty and obedience. Over time, God reveals the reasons behind His commands, enhancing our comprehension of His will. Submission to one another, as God instructs, is another area where we prove what is acceptable to the Lord. Though it may be difficult to submit without fully understanding why, obedience to this command allows God to eventually provide clarity. This process of submitting in faith, despite uncertainties, yields fruits of righteousness and godly character, as God honors our persistence by revealing His intentions. In situations where God's will is unclear, we must rely on a deep knowledge of His character to guide our decisions. Understanding His traits narrows our options, helping us eliminate choices that do not align with His nature. By walking as children of light and imitating Christ, we strive to embody His character, making decisions that reflect His will. This continuous effort to know and apply God's character enables us to determine His will in various circumstances, fostering growth in faith and righteousness.

God's sovereignty requires deliberate submission to His will as the central issue of life, for every person must choose whether to obey Him or another authority such as self, society or Satan. Deuteronomy 30:15-20 presents this choice as one between life and good through loving the Lord, walking in His ways and keeping His commandments, or death and evil through turning away and serving idols. From the beginning God established that He alone determines right standards of conduct, and mankind must limit free moral agency to accepting those standards rather than instituting independent ones. Submission therefore means yielding to the universal principles He has already set rather than remaining neutral, since morality admits no middle ground between obedience and disobedience. This yielding produces the abundant life and forms the character that reflects His image. Because He is Creator and Redeemer, He holds the rightful position of Master, making His people both sons and slaves of righteousness whose choices He directs. Trusting His oversight enables genuine submission even when His path seems difficult or distant, for He moves all events toward the completion of His purpose. Those given the faith that arises from His sovereign calling are thereby empowered to obey His voice, cling to Him and reject every rival claim to rule. In this way submission aligns the individual with the predetermined goal of becoming part of the family He is creating in His likeness.

Human will is often contrary to God's will, leading us into personal, national, and global troubles. God purposefully made mankind in His image, endowing us with traits and abilities similar to His, though on a lesser scale. He desires for us to use these God-like qualities in a way that pleases Him, growing ever more like Him. However, due to sin and self-interest, our will has become corrupted, tilted toward evil, and directed away from God. Our choices and actions, driven by selfish desires, reflect a will that is a mirror-image of God's—carnal, negative, and self-centered, in contrast to His spiritual, positive, and outgoing will. Despite being called out of this state by God, our wills remain inclined to follow our own desires rather than His. Even with time and effort, the carnal nature often prevails, pulling us with vigor unless we resist. The struggle within us is real, as the old human nature can overpower the new godly nature God is building in us. Yet, God has provided the tools and strength through His Spirit to overcome, urging us to apply willpower and faith to follow His will step by step. To align our will with God's, we must embrace sacrifice, giving up personal desires and aspirations as a living sacrifice, which is our true worship. We must actively participate in the transformation process by renewing our minds, adjusting our thinking to parallel God's, and proving His will by living it. Additionally, we must employ essential attitudes of humility, clear-headed thinking, and faith, measuring ourselves against the standard of Christ rather than others, always striving to increase our faith. The effect of growing in God's will is submission. As our minds become more like His, we defer to His will, allowing ours to be subsumed into His. We must always consider God in our thoughts, activities, and plans, recognizing that failing to practice any known instruction of His is sin. Though we may not fully rid ourselves of perverse human will, God seeks progress, encouraging us to take His will seriously, strive to do what is right, and rely on His mercy, patience, and transformative power to succeed in shaping us into His character image.

Submission to God's will rests on knowing that He is truly sovereign: almighty, absolutely wise and loving, doing whatever He pleases among angels and men, and accountable to no one (Daniel 4:34-35; Psalm 115:3; Romans 9). Every question of conduct reduces to the one Adam and Eve faced, namely who will be sovereign over one's life. The difficulty is practical, since human nature wants control, and Christians often live as gamblers who doubt, resist, or presume on mercy. Faith, which God Himself works in His children, is therefore the critical element, and an accurate picture of God supports it. A weak, sentimental Christ whose plan was frustrated by sin is false, because Christ and the church were foreordained before the world's foundation and God even turns man's wrath to His praise. Submission means accepting that God distributes power, gifts, mercy, deliverance, and trials as He pleases and on His own timetable. Jesus' rebuke to Peter, "What is that to you? You follow Me," shows that each person must answer for his own response rather than envy or resent what is required of others. Paul's thorn in the flesh illustrates the right response: he accepted God's refusal to heal him and turned it into humility and deeper reliance on God. Moses' being denied entry into the Promised Land is another example. Such acceptance is not resignation but making the best use of the hand dealt, trusting that God is drawing events toward a good end (Romans 8:28) while the believer works to overcome sin.

Submission to God's will means letting Him, not self, decide right and wrong. At the core of the question of killing in self-defense is the matter of who governs us: either we govern ourselves by deciding when killing is permissible, or we submit to God's benevolent authority and His definition of morality. God has already determined what is right and wrong, so our only decision is whether we will act in accordance with His law. Setting self against any of the commandments, whether by worshipping another god, breaking the Sabbath, lying, stealing, or intentionally killing to protect ourselves, shows what we worship. Romans 8:7 describes the carnal mind as hostile to God and unwilling to be subject to His law, putting its own interests above His clear commands. Taking a life also means acting as judge, jury, and executioner, but God has given us authority only to judge by His standard, not to sentence or execute. Submission includes trusting His protection according to His purpose. Under the New Covenant He does not promise complete protection, and He may remove His hedge to instruct or test us. Yet He promises that all things work together for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). A living faith obeys His law even when threatened, believing He can accomplish His purpose and bring us into His Kingdom.