This does not lessen the character of her role as being in subordination to her husband which means supporting him in his role as the head of the household and its protector and provider and spiritual leader. Like biblical love, her supportive role is to be given and not based on whether a man deserve it or not, but on her belief in God's principles and her applying them to her life.

           Sadly, in many marriages the husband does not shoulder his responsibilities. He does not provide the leadership, spiritual or otherwise. In such situations the responsibility falls on the wife and mother. But even then the wife is not to bossy and degrading and show even a weak husband respect. This does not mean cowering down to an abusive husband and letting him run all over her.

           The Bible in no way demeans the woman, but uplifts her and most importantly show her who she is and how God made her.

A. Biblical submission is described.

1. Submission for the wife is a decision to voluntarily place herself under your husband's authority. It is to give place to his position as God-ordained leader in the home and support him it in. It is based in God's instructs to both husbands an wives. God's intent is to help the wife to be "all she can be" to use the Army's phrase in recruiting soldiers. God seeks to give the wife a happy life, a rewarding life as she functions as a wife and often mother.

2. God says she is to submits to your own husband. Of course the words "to you own husband" would preclude her having a relationship with other men. That is obvious, but it also would relate to her relationship to men in her church and to if she works in the public to her boss. These instructions are given in the context of the home. We all are to be respectful to each other, but being submissive is restricted to her husband.

3. Submit as unto the Lord. The wife who obeys the Lord and submits to her husband is in fact submitting to Christ's authority through her husband.

1. Qualifying Submission - I will follow my husband if......? The wife puts restricts on her submission. Wives only occasion in which you should not follow your husband if he asks you to go against God's Word.

2. Grudging Submission - I will follow my husband but I don't like it... You follow but not joyfully.

3. Faithless submission - I will follow my husband but I'm afraid he won't lead us properly. I know more than he does. I know what's best. You follow, but you are not doing it with confidence in the Lord and in your husband.

4. Forced submission (Husbands) - I will make you follow me. Husbands, you are never told to enforce this command. Your authority in the home is not a controlling, harsh, and uncaring dictatorship. It is to be a wise, prayerful, caring influence of leadership. If you have to remind people that you are the leader, you probably aren't.

1. Someone has written: "Woman was not made out of man's head to be dominated by him, nor out of his feet, to be trampled upon; but out of his side that she be by his side; from under his arm, to be protected by him, and from near his heart to be loved by him."

2. Paul is not talking about submitting to an abusive relationship. He is not talking about being under the absolute control of a husband out of control.

           Most false religions practice male domination of women. A good example are Muslims who subjugate and degrade their women. A woman under Islam has no rights or standing. That is absolutely not God's way. Most of the cult religions also degrade the woman's role in marriage.

           Paul is talking about the wife being submissive to her husband's leadership. God has ordained that husbands are to be the leaders of their family – by their love, words and actions. 1 Peter 3:7 the Apostle Peter writes: "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered." (1 Peter 3:7)

D. Barnes gives these guidelines for being submissive:

1. In domestic arrangements, the husband is to be regarded as the head of the family; and he has a right to direct as to the style of living, the expenses of the family, the clothing, etc.

2. In regard to the laws which are to regulate the family, he is the head. It is his to say what is to be done; in what way the children are to employ themselves, and to give directions in regard to their education, etc.

3. In business matters, the wife is to submit to the husband. She may counsel with him, if he chooses; but the affairs of business and property are under his control, and must be left at his disposal.

4. In everything, except that which relates to conscience and religion, he has authority. But there his authority ceases. He has no right to require his wife to commit an act of dishonesty, to connive at wrong-doing, to visit a place of amusement which her conscience tells her is wrong, nor has he a right to interfere with the proper discharge of her religious duties.

           He has no right to forbid her to go to church at the proper and usual time, or to make a profession of religion when she pleases. He has no right to forbid her endeavoring to exercise a religious influence over her children, or to endeavor to lead them to God.

           In these matters she is bound to obey God, rather than any man, When a husband interferes in such cases, and attempts to control her, he steps beyond his proper bounds, and invades the prerogative of God, and his authority ceases to be binding. It ought to be said, however, that in order to justify her acting independently in such a case, the following things are proper:

(1) It should be really a case of conscience--a case where the Lord has plainly required her to do what she proposes to do--and not a mere matter of whim, fancy, or caprice.

(2) When a husband makes opposition to the course which a wife wishes to pursue in religious duties, it should lead her to re-examine the matter, to pray much over it, and to see whether she cannot, with a good conscience, comply with his wishes.

(3) If she is convinced that she is right, she should still endeavor to see whether it is not possible to win him to her views, and to persuade him to accord with her, see 1 Peter 3:1. It is possible that, if she does right, he may be persuaded to do right also.

(4) If she is constrained, however, to differ from him, it should be with mildness and gentleness. There should be no reproach, and no contention. She should simply state her reasons, and leave the event to God.

(5) She should, after this, be a better wife, and put forth more and more effort to make her husband and family happy. She should show that the effect of her religion has been to make her love her husband and children more; to make her more and more attentive to her domestic duties, and more and more kind in affliction. By a life of pure religion, she should aim to secure what she could not by her entreaties--his consent that she should live as she thinks she ought to, and walk to heaven in the path in which she believes that her Lord calls her. (Albert Barnes Notes on the Bible, Ephesians 5:22)

           Wives are to be supportive of their husbands. Wives are to be the number one encouragers of their husbands. They are to have a positive influence, not a negative influence on their relationship.

           Being submissive means giving praise and appreciation instead of seeking it. It means greet your husband with affection instead of complaints and demands. It means focus on what's right rather than what's wrong.

           Giving mutual support means abandoning all hope of changing each other through criticism or attack. What criticism, nagging, and complaining will not accomplish.....love and understanding will. Wives you will never have a positive influence on your husband if you nag and criticize him. There are other ways to help him change which work, but nagging and criticizing always fails and robs you of the loving relationship you need.

           The one person in the world that a husband most wants to be proud of him is his wife. With a wife's support a man can take on the world. However, without it he goes into the world with a sense of defeat and without self confidence. A wife's encouragement and support will make a even a weak man, stronger and they both will be better for it.

           Criticism never changes a husband. Even if he is nagged into submission....he will not be happy or have a good feeling towards his wife. There will always be tension and uneasiness stress.

           The question may be asked to what lengths should the wife go in being submissive to her husband? God here states in the same way that Christ is the head of the church, and the Savior of the Body.

           As stated earlier there are limits on submission. Wives are not required to submit to anything the husband wants her to do that is wrong.

A. 1 Corinthians 7:10-16 God gives instruction to wives who have unsaved husbands.

1. The wife should not leave her husband. If she does leave she should remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. Thus God allows separation, but not divorce and remarriage.

2. If a Christian spouse has an unbelieving husband or wife they are not to leave them simply because they are not believers.

3. The unbelieving wife or husband is sanctified by the saved spouse. That does not mean that because a unsaved spouse has a saved husband or wife they are saved. Every man or woman must believe and receive Jesus Christ personally. What it does mean is that husband has a privileged position in having a Christian wife. Verse 16 explains that a saved spouse may be such a testimony to the unsaved partner as to lead them to Christ. Verse 17 says, "For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy." Being holy means being set a part for something. In other words the children have the influence of the saved mother or father to lead them to Christ. The children of unsaved couple do not have that advantage.

           Let's be honest. At times this may be difficult. Women are not inferior to men. Often they are more intelligent, have a better sense of discernment and can see things that men are blind too. It is often hard to be submissive when we feel the other person is wrong. However, the wife is to consider that she is still be to submissive as church is submissive to Christ.

C. Christ gave Himself for the church and the church has the obligation to follow and be submissive to the Savior. Christ is the head and protector of the local church. He is the One who give direction and strength and power for the members of the church to live according to God's will. Thus as the church is submissive to the Lord it reaps the benefit of the power of God. Likewise the wife, in being submissive to her husband will reap the rewards of her submission.