Does God Control Everything?

The Lie That Sounds Holy

There is a doctrine circulating widely among Christians today – ones that many hold to without question – that I believe is the worst doctrine in the body of Christ. In fact, I would go so far as to say it has its origins in the pits of hell. The doctrine I’m talking about is the sovereignty of God as it is commonly taught.

To be clear, I believe God is sovereign in the sense that he is Almighty, the supreme ruler of all, and first in rank above everything else. But there is a version of God’s sovereignty that the church has adopted that completely misrepresents who He is – and that version is what I have a serious problem with.

What I’m referring to is the idea that God controls absolutely everything that happens in your life. There is a belief that if something happens – good or bad – then it must have been God’s will. Some people even believe that Satan himself is controlled by God, like a dog on a leash, only able to do what God allows. This view goes so far as to claim that every tragedy, hardship, and sickness is somehow God’s will.

I am in 1000% disagreement with that – because the Bible disagrees with it. That is simply NOT what the Word of God teaches.

Why Would We Be Told to Resist?

One of the most damaging aspects of believing that God just controls everything is that it takes away your incentive to seek the Lord. There is no point in resisting the devil if you believe that God has a purpose for turning him loose on you. I know I might be stepping on some toes, but you need to examine what you believe in light of what the Bible actually teaches. The enemy wants to keep you in a place of passivity. He wants you to believe that whatever happens is somehow God’s will, even if it’s destructive to your health or happiness.

One key Scripture that challenges this way of thinking is James 4:7: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Right here, James tells us that there are things we are meant to submit to – things that are from God. And then there are things we are to resist – things that are from the devil. Now, if God is truly the one who controls everything, then why would James tell us to resist the devil? Shouldn’t we just accept whatever happens because it’s all God’s will? Of course not! We are clearly instructed to resist the devil and it’s not a passive resistance. The word resist here is strong and calls for action.

Are You Fighting the Wrong Battle?

James 4:1–3 says, “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?  You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.  You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

If God is the one orchestrating everything, then to resist anything – whether it 
is sickness, depression, or financial struggle – would mean resisting God himself.

If we apply the “sovereign God” doctrine here, then we would have to say that God is the one causing wars and fights. But James makes it clear that they come from our own desires and lusts – not from God.

Questions No One Seems to Be Asking

Believing that God is in control of everything raises some difficult and confusing questions. For example, if it’s God’s will for you to be sick, then why resist sickness? Why go to the doctor or take medicine? It’s hypocritical to say, “God gave me this sickness,” and then try to get out of God’s will. Of course, I don’t believe that, and you shouldn’t either. But that is what the sovereignty of God teaching implies.

The truth is, God is not the author of sickness. He gave you the
power and authority to fight back against the works of the devil.

Jesus gave his disciples the power to heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead. If God were controlling everything, then there would be no need for that power. Why would Jesus tell us to cast out demons if God is the one sending them? Why would he tell as to heal the sick if sickness were God’s will for them? The fact that he gave us authority over sickness proves that He didn’t intend for it to control us.

“And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.” (Matthew 10:1)

What Jesus Proved Beyond a Doubt

Have you been waiting for God to act while you remain idle, thinking that whatever happens is His will? The truth is, Jesus never intended for you to just passively accept everything that happens to you. In fact, he came to destroy the works of the devil, and that includes sickness, depression, poverty and other destructive things.

Let me ask you – has there ever been a time when you felt God leading you to do something, but you chose a different direction? If you’re being honest, the answer is yes. And that means God didn’t force you. You have a free will, and you exercised it. If God doesn’t control you like a chess piece, why would you think he’s controlling everything else? It just doesn’t make sense. It’s a lie to say that somehow or another He just allows things for his glory. That is not what the Word of God teaches.

I was nearly destroyed through the sovereignty of God teaching, and I’ve seen people die because of it. It destroys people’s faith and renders them passive.

Andrew Wommack