You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time. (1 Peter 5:5–6)

Young men tend to be aggressive and ambitious. They are frequently enamored with their own ideas, while disparaging the ideas of others. They back their own abilities against older and more experienced men. They’re often headstrong, striving toward prominence, aspiring to positions of leadership. While some of these impulses in their purest form are God-given, they need a lot of tempering, redirecting, and, in some cases, eliminating.

It may be that these characteristics are the reason the apostle Peter singled out young men when he called for submission to the elders of the church in 1 Peter 5. If there was a group of people in the church who might have a problem with humility, it would most likely be this demographic. So Peter has to remind them in particular, “Be subject to your elders” (v. 5).

Submission in All of Life

In 1 Peter 5:1–4 Peter addressed church leaders, but in verse 5, he turns to the congregation. As shepherds submit to the Chief Shepherd, so also the flock submits to their shepherds. This attitude of submission is foundational in the life of a believer—even in the lives of men, who must also subject themselves to rightful authorities in all domains of life.

In fact, the theme of submission was prominent throughout Peter’s first epistle. In 2:13–20 and 3:1–7, Peter commanded believers to be submissive to employers, civil authorities, and within marriage. No less is required of those under the leadership of the divinely instituted office of pastor in the most important entity on earth—Christ’s own church.

Although no one is exempt from Peter’s exhortation to submission in 1 Peter 5:5–6, he targets specifically the younger men, probably because of the tendencies we’ve already mentioned. The matter of submission would not likely have been as much of an issue for the women or older people in the church.

In calling the young men to be subject to those over them in the Lord, Peter used the military term hupotassō, which means “to line up under.” He calls these young men to put aside self-promoting pride and respectfully place themselves under the leadership of their shepherds (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:12–13; Hebrews 13:17). Clearly, given the previous context (vv. 1–4), “elders” refers to the spiritual leaders, the shepherds and pastors, not merely to older saints.

While men are to occupy positions of leadership in the home, church, and society, this does not make them exempt from a submissive attitude. Like everyone, they also have spheres of life in which they must show such submissiveness: to God’s Word, to earthly governments, to elders (or even other elders if they themselves are an elder). Not to mention the attitude of deference he is to show toward his wife in marriage. As a leader, he is to subject himself to the needs of those under his care.

Submission in Humility

After calling young men to biblical submission, Peter identifies the key underlying attitude that makes this possible: humility (cf. Micah 6:8; Matthew 5:3–5). Only the truly humble submit.

Peter calls all people in the church, especially young men, to clothe themselves with humility. That literally means to tie on humility like a servant would tie on a work apron. It is a figurative description of covering oneself with the attitude of humility.

The attitude of humility is one of self-abasement. It is a lowliness of mind that allows one to willingly serve, even in the most unpleasant tasks (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:7; Philippians 2:5–7). Perhaps even more so than today, humility was not an admired trait in the first-century pagan world. People saw it as a characteristic of weakness and cowardice, to be tolerated only in the involuntary submission of slaves.

Today, we live in a culture of shameless self-promotion. A lack of self-belief or self-love is considered the fount of all psychological problems. Submission is oppressive, while unhindered self-expression is considered healthy. This has progressed so far that it seems genuine humility is no longer a virtue to be pursued but a sin to be repented of. The heroes of the world—sportsmen, musicians, and movie stars—have enormous egos and are praised for them rather than shunned. Among men especially, who are naturally geared toward arrogance, this is a disaster.

A man who is unable to submit to authority or show deference is a proud man—he will not be an asset to the church. Such unteachable, hardheaded men are, in fact, a liability. They are a constant source of consternation, a trial for the church to endure, and a cause for groaning among God’s people.

Scripture calls for the opposite: esteeming yourself worthy only of the lowest forms of service to others. You are called to a life so defined by humility that it can be said you are clothed with it—you have girded yourself with the attire of a slave for the sake of others. Like we see in our Lord Jesus, there is a meekness, a deference, a submission that should characterize you as a man. It is not weakness, but strength governed by humility for the good of others.

As Peter wrote this verse, he likely recalled Jesus tying a towel on Himself and washing the disciples’ feet, including his own, as recorded in John 13:3–11 and applied by Jesus in verses 12–17, as follows:

So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

To reinforce his exhortation for humility, Peter quoted from Proverbs 3:34, God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 1:5). Without question, the Lord’s opposition to the proud is the greatest motivation for saints to adopt the attitude of humility. Pride sets one against God, and vice versa. On the other hand, God blesses and gives grace to the humble (Luke 18:14; James 4:10). The prophet Isaiah stated the principle well, “Thus says the high and exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy, ‘I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite’” (Isa. 57:15).

Like Peter, the apostle Paul knew the grace that comes to the humble, and he knew it well through experience:

Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7–10)

The Lord was willing to humble Paul in a way that was incredibly painful for him, in order to keep his pride in check. So precious was humility in the sight of God that He would commission a messenger of Satan to buffet Paul for the sake of eliminating his pride. There are few stronger proofs that God is opposed to pride than the trials He is willing to send to His people to deal with it.

Following Peter’s quotation of Proverbs 3:34, his command in 1 Peter 5:6 comes forcefully: “Therefore humble yourselves”—not only to avoid divine opposition and to receive divine grace, but because the authority over all believers in the church is none other than “the mighty hand of God.” Or as James stated it, “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord” (James 4:10).

Submission in the Present

This is the time for humbling yourself, for serving others, for submissive obedience to your Father in heaven and the rightful authorities He has ordained. Even the Lord Jesus Christ was born under the law at the appropriate time (Galatians 4:4), lived in submissive obedience to His Father (John 4:34; Romans 5:18–19), died a humiliating substitutionary death in the place of sinners (Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 3:18), and was then resurrected and glorified (Philippians 2:5–11). So we must also remain humble even under the trials, tribulations, and sufferings which God has wisely determined for us. In His timing, He will lift the humble and submissive believer up out of difficulty and ultimately will exalt him in glory. We ought not to look for that exaltation in the present.

The Holy Spirit calls men to be submissive to the authorities God has put over them, and humility is the footing to which that attitude is anchored. To become proudly rebellious, fight against the Lord’s purposes, or judge His providence as unkind or unfair is to forfeit the sweet grace of His exaltation when the trial has fulfilled its purpose (cf. James 1:2–4). It is the Lord Jesus Himself who promised, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11).

Have you demonstrated the humility that God requires of you as a man? Does a lowliness of mind show itself in the different roles you occupy, whether that be in formal positions of leadership or other influence you have over others? Is it a joy for others to be under your leadership, or a burden? Do you willingly submit to the godly leadership of those whom God has placed over you?

These are the questions you must grapple with if you are to be a man of humility.

(Adapted from The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: 1 Peter)