The Quill and Me—Devotional Blog•Oswald Chambers Reflections
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Aug 21
Devotional Special
The 3-Part Surrender Series
Part Two
The Surrendered Will
A Clear Teaching on What Surrender Really Is
Surrender is not complicated, but it is serious. It is a simple, deliberate decision to stop running your own life and let Christ take His rightful place as Lord.
This is what happened to me on April 8. And this is what I want to explain in a simple manner.
1. What the Will Actually Is
Your will is the part of you that decides. Your will is:
your ability to choose
your ability to say yes or no
your ability to obey or resist
your ability to follow Christ or follow yourself
God created your will. He does not override it. He does not force it. He waits for it. Meaning He is patient and He will wait for you to release control of your life to Him. You tell Him that you want Him to be on the throne of your life, that you will willingly step down and let Him have the throne. It will be a lifelong commitment to Him. This will be a deliberate decision you make. A lot of the time, a person has to come to the end of themselves before they come to this decision. They end up on their knees begging Him to rescue them from the mess they have made of their own life. You do not have to wait for that day.
Personal note: He waited. For me. 68 years. I had to come to the end of myself, and I ended up on my knees in Dec 2025 begging Him for help. He helped me immediately. Then He gently steered me down a path toward surrender. In April of 2026, I made a deliberate decision to surrender to Christ. He has rescued me from myself and I could not be more thankful.
This is a personal decision. It is serious. It is deliberate. It is permanent.
It is surrender.
And it matters.
2. What Surrender Really Means
Surrender does not mean the self disappears. It does not mean you stop choosing. It does not mean you become passive. It does not mean you lose your personality.
Surrender means:
You stop ruling yourself. You let Christ rule you.
You give Him the control over your life that you control right now. The part of you that decides if you want a closer walk with God or not. The part of you that decides if they want to be free from sin, self, and will, which are running your life right now. The ones that keep running you into the ditch and causing wrecks in your life. Bad decisions. Wrong choices. Big mistakes.
The part of you that says, I had rather commit a sin than let God free me from slavery to sin. Free you from self-doubt...basically all things self, that self has rule over. The self cannot fix self—but He can, and He will. If you "will" to let Him.
The will is still active — but it is no longer in charge.
You still choose — but you choose Him.
You still decide — but you decide obedience.
You still act — but under His leadership.
This is surrender.
3. What Happens When the Will Is Not Surrendered
When your will is unsurrendered:
self runs the show
sin has access
old patterns stay in place
the unconscious stays chaotic
fear stays loud
striving never stops
peace never settles
the Holy Spirit is present but not ruling
This is why so many Christians feel stuck. They are saved, but their will is still in charge.
4. What Happens the Moment the Will IS Surrendered
The moment you surrender your will:
Christ takes His rightful place
the Holy Spirit begins His work
peace enters immediately
striving stops
the inner chaos loses power
old patterns begin to break
fear loses its grip
your mind quiets
your heart settles
your decisions become clear
This is not imagination. This is not emotion. This is not “trying harder.”
This is Christ ruling. This is the Holy Spirit's work. Sanctification of the saint—you.
5. The Holy Spirit’s Hidden Work After Surrender
This part is important.
When your will is surrendered, the Holy Spirit gains access to the places you cannot reach:
buried fears
old wounds
automatic reactions
unconscious patterns
emotional triggers
internal chaos
You cannot fix these by insight.
You cannot fix these by self-help.
And He does.
Quietly. Gently. Daily.
This is the real transformation.
6. Daily Surrender
Surrender is not a one-time event. It is a daily posture.
Every morning you remember, you are surrendered—to Him. You are His.
You acknowledge surrender within yourself, and to Him.
“Lord, my will is Yours.”
And He continues His work.
7. The Attacks That Come After Surrender
After surrender, the enemy will try to:
whisper failure
bring back old fears
tell you it won’t last
pull you backward
make you doubt what happened
These attacks do not mean surrender failed. They mean Christ is ruling.
The enemy fights what he lost.
8. The Stability of the Surrendered Life
Here is the truth:
What Christ establishes, He sustains.
Self does not “rise back up” unless you give it permission. The Holy Spirit keeps you steady. Peace becomes normal. Joy becomes steady. Clarity becomes consistent. Christ’s rule becomes your new life.
This is the surrendered will.
The Holy Spirit arrived with the full power of God Almighty, He is God with us. He is Jesus Christ's ambassador, the Comforter. He loves Jesus and will pour love for Jesus into your Heart. He also came bearing gifts. Grace. A river of grace flows continuously from God, now that your are surrendered you have full access to it 24/7. Also, you should not have burdens, so the Holy Spirit carries you, supports you, keeps you in surrender, protects you, teaches you. You are not alone. He is there and waiting for you with open arms. You are the reason He is there with you, indwelling you. All you need to be is available, willing, and able to release your control to Him, willingly surrender it to Him, and obey His gentle directions for your life.
9. A Prayer of Surrender
Lead me.
Rule me.
Guide me.
My decisions belong to You.
My life belongs to You.
My will is Yours.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, the Holy Spirit will immediately take possession of the throne of your life. You may immediately notice a few subtle changes in yourself. These will continue to occur. The work He does is silent, steady, deep, true, and so much more. You are now a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Enjoy your new sweet life.
The surrendered will becomes the Spirit-led life, and the Spirit-led life becomes the sweet life.
See Part 3: The Sweet Life
~ Quil
Supporting Scripture References
1. What the Will Actually Is
Your will = your ability to choose, obey, resist, follow.
Joshua 24:15 “Choose this day whom you will serve…”
Deuteronomy 30:19 “…I have set before you life and death… therefore choose life…”
Isaiah 1:19 “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.”
Romans 6:16 “…you are slaves of the one you obey…”
Revelation 3:20 “I stand at the door and knock… if anyone opens the door…”
These verses show: God waits for the will. He does not force it.
2. What Surrender Really Means
Surrender = yielding the rule of your life to Christ.
Luke 9:23 “…deny yourself… take up your cross daily… follow Me.”
Romans 12:1 “…present your bodies a living sacrifice…”
Galatians 2:20 “…it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”
Romans 6:13 “…yield yourselves unto God…”
James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God…”
These verses show: Surrender is active, deliberate, and voluntary.
3. What Happens When the Will Is Not Surrendered
Self rules. Sin has access. Chaos stays.
Romans 7:19–20 “…the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing…”
Galatians 5:17 “…the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit…”
Isaiah 57:20–21 “…the wicked are like the troubled sea… there is no peace…”
Romans 8:6–8 “…the mind set on the flesh is death… cannot please God…”
These verses show: An unsurrendered will produces inner conflict, fear, and striving.
4. What Happens the Moment the Will Is Surrendered
Christ rules. Peace enters. Clarity comes.
Philippians 4:7 “…the peace of God… will guard your hearts and minds…”
Colossians 3:15 “…let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…”
Romans 8:14 “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
2 Corinthians 3:17 “…where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
Ezekiel 36:27 “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes…”
These verses show: Surrender opens the door to peace, freedom, and Spirit‑led clarity.
5. The Holy Spirit’s Hidden Work After Surrender
He heals what you cannot reach.
Psalm 139:23–24 “Search me… know my heart… lead me…”
Romans 8:26–27 “…the Spirit helps our weakness…”
Philippians 1:6 “…He who began a good work in you will carry it on…”
Psalm 147:3 “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
John 14:26 “…the Helper… will teach you all things…”
These verses show: The Spirit works quietly, deeply, and continuously.
6. Daily Surrender
A posture, not a one‑time event.
Luke 9:23 “…take up your cross daily…”
Psalm 143:10 “Teach me to do Your will…”
Galatians 5:25 “…let us also walk in the Spirit…”
Proverbs 3:5–6 “…in all your ways acknowledge Him…”
These verses show: Surrender is renewed each morning.
7. Attacks After Surrender
The enemy resists what he lost.
1 Peter 5:8–9 “…your adversary the devil… resist him…”
Ephesians 6:11 “…stand against the schemes of the devil…”
John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…”
James 4:7 “…resist the devil, and he will flee…”
These verses show: Attacks are normal — they confirm Christ’s rule.
8. Stability of the Surrendered Life
Christ sustains what He establishes.
Jude 24 “…He is able to keep you from stumbling…”
Psalm 55:22 “…He will sustain you…”
Isaiah 26:3 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You…”
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
These verses show: The surrendered life becomes a steady life.
9. The Holy Spirit’s Gifts After Surrender
Grace, help, keeping, carrying.
John 14:16–18 “…the Comforter… will be with you forever…”
Romans 5:5 “…the love of God poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit…”
Galatians 5:22–23 “…the fruit of the Spirit…”
2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you…”
These verses show: The Spirit pours out love, grace, and strength.
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