“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out” – Romans 7:18 ESV

Let’s talk about control. Who doesn’t like to have at least a little control over a situation or circumstance? I know some people who like to plan, think of everything they need and have every “I” dotted, and every “T” crossed. They plan out every moment. Sometimes they even go as far as to try and control other people by telling them what to wear, what to do, or what they can and can’t talk about. These are the people who go beyond normal rationalized preparedness. We tend to view these people as control freaks. Now, I’m a pretty laid-back kind of guy, but even I succumb to desire to be in control. Having control gives us a sense of power. If we are honest with ourselves, we all like how having power feels.

Control is a dangerous thing. Control is the action of trying to be God. When we take control into our own hands, we are making a statement that says: “I have the power to will.” I once had a college professor who would always argue against the literal translation of the theology of free will. He would say something to the effect of: We don’t have free will. We cannot will something into existence. We can’t make something happen. No, all we have is free choice. We have the ability to choose to obey God or disobey God.

I cannot will anything to happen; that is to say, when I try and control things, situations, or even people I will ultimately fail. Did you know that Control is the same thing as witchcraft? You might tilt you head, squint your eyes, and say “what!?” When we think of witchcraft, we probably think of Harry Potters or the numerous other fictional witches and wizards from stories. But the practice of witchcraft is real. The worship of nature and spirits, and the manipulation of the natural world to try and control something – commonly known as spells or curses – are a very real thing that is centuries old in practice. Witchcraft, in its simplest form is nothing more than manipulating something to gain control over it. It is trying to will or control something or someone.  But only God can will. Only God is in control.

It’s no surprise to me that in just about every recovery group the admittance of our own powerlessness is the first step. We must come to realization that all of our attempts to control have failed or have even led to worse things happening. Admitting to our powerlessness allows us to recognize the One who is all-powerful, that is Jesus Christ. But admitting my powerlessness means relinquishing my own control in every aspect of my life. I no longer can hold onto the foolish notion that I can will something to happen. I must surrender, not just a part of my life, but all of who I am over to God.

Every soldier knows that when they surrender on the battlefield they have lost. Surrender is defeat and filled with shame. Why then does God ask us to surrender? Because surrender to God is not failure or defeat. Unlike the soldier on the battlefield who surrendered to their enemy, the moment we surrender to God is the moment the battle has been won for us. Only in Jesus does the act of surrender give us power. As Romans 7:18 points out, I may really want to do good, but the truth is that nothing good can come from me. It is only in submission to God’s power – God’s will – that I carry out doing good. So, we must say everyday with the heart of true surrender, “not my will, Lord, but yours.” My control, or will, really does boil down to the simple thing of a choice. Will I choose to obey God or will I choose to disobey God. This choice is in every aspect of our lives: how we choose to respond, what we choose to say, what thoughts we choose to dwell on, how we choose to spend our time, and how we choose to treat others. When we disobey and try to take power into our own hands by control, we sin the sin of witchcraft. But when we choose to obey, we humbly surrender into His hands and trust Him to fight our battles – a battle that He has already won.