THE COMPETENT CONTROLLER: LIVING FREE FROM FEAR UNDER GOD’S DIVINE GOVERNANCE By: Major Frank Materu
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Key Scripture
“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
— 1 Peter 5:7
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Introduction
In every generation, humanity wrestles with the question of control. Who governs our lives? What power directs our thoughts, emotions, decisions, and destiny? The modern world loudly promotes independence, self-rule, material success, and emotional self-management. Yet beneath this polished surface lies a troubling reality—rampant fear, anxiety, torment, confusion, depression, and spiritual emptiness. Many people appear “well off” outwardly, yet inwardly they are overwhelmed, restless, and broken.
The divine message before us presents a powerful and comforting truth: God is the Competent Controller. This truth confronts the false belief that human beings were created to govern themselves apart from God. It exposes the danger of allowing fear, carnality, worldly systems, or demonic influences to become the controlling forces of life. At the same time, it reveals the unmatched safety, peace, and abundance found when one willingly submits to God’s divine control through Jesus Christ.
God never intended His people to live under torment. Fear, anxiety, and mental anguish are not marks of spiritual maturity; they are symptoms of misplaced control. When believers forget who God is—Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer—they begin to imagine defeat, chaos, and evil triumphing over good. But the truth is clear: evil does not win. Through the obedience of Jesus Christ, the power of the carnal nature, the world system, and demonic forces has been broken for all who believe.
This lesson explores what it means to live under God’s competent control. It addresses the contrast between divine governance and worldly control, the danger of riches without Christ, the freedom of spiritual authority through Jesus, the role of gratitude and the Holy Spirit, and the assurance of God’s tender care. Ultimately, it calls every believer to choose the right Controller and live daily in Light, Love, and Life Divine.
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God as the Competent Controller of All Creation
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”
— Psalm 24:1
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To call God the Competent Controller is to acknowledge His absolute authority, wisdom, and sufficiency. He is not merely powerful; He is perfectly capable of governing all things without error, confusion, or failure. As Creator of heaven and earth and all living creatures, God lacks nothing in knowledge or ability. Nothing surprises Him. Nothing escapes His awareness.
Fear arises when human beings assume responsibilities they were never designed to carry. Anxiety grows when people attempt to control outcomes beyond their capacity. God explicitly states that His people are not meant to take on the fears, worries, and anxieties that torment the world. These burdens belong to those living under carnal control—those ruled by human reasoning, emotions, and worldly systems.
When believers remember that God is competent and fully in control, fear loses its grip. Imagining evil winning becomes impossible because history, destiny, and eternity rest in God’s hands. Faith is not denial of reality; it is alignment with divine truth. God’s control does not imprison; it liberates. It removes the crushing weight of self-dependence and replaces it with divine assurance.
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Deliverance from Carnal, Worldly, and Demonic Control Through Christ
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”
— Romans 8:2
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Jesus Christ, through perfect obedience to the Father, opened the way for humanity to escape illegitimate controllers. Sin, the flesh, the world, and demonic powers once dominated human existence. But the cross marked a decisive victory. Those who belong to Christ are no longer slaves to these forces.
God makes it clear that His people have power through Jesus to refuse, reject, and refute demonic spirits. Believers are not helpless victims of spiritual oppression or mental torment. They are empowered participants in spiritual authority. Accepting fear, anxiety, and carnality is not humility; it is surrender to the wrong controller.
The mind is a battlefield. The carnal mind produces fear, suspicion, and despair, while the mind of the Spirit transmits divine messages of peace, truth, and direction. Submission to the Holy Spirit allows believers to think in alignment with heaven rather than react according to worldly patterns. Freedom is not the absence of control—it is the presence of the right control.
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The Tragedy of Choosing the Wrong Controllers
“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”
— Proverbs 14:12
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God laments that many repeatedly ignore what He desires to do for them. Instead of yielding to His loving leadership, they choose alternative controllers—fear, money, pride, pleasure, status, or human wisdom. These choices produce torment, not freedom. Worry, anxiety, emotional instability, and even insanity are the fruits of misplaced control.
God does not want His people living in mental chaos. Insanity, whether clinical or spiritual, is evidence of a mind overwhelmed by forces it cannot manage. When individuals surrender their lives to darkness, they inevitably lose peace and clarity. Control without God always results in loss.
In contrast, walking under God’s control produces order, stability, and abundance. When believers adopt an attitude of gratitude and willingly allow the Holy Spirit to guide them daily, God ensures provision—both spiritual and natural. His control never starves; it sustains. His authority never crushes; it protects.
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The Deception of Worldly Prosperity Without Salvation
“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
— Matthew 16:26
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One of the most dangerous illusions of this age is the belief that material wealth equals well-being. God exposes this deception clearly. Many who appear “well off” are deeply troubled, tormented, and spiritually blind. They are far from the narrow path that leads to life, wandering without true direction or hope.
Those who possess riches without Jesus are often controlled by greed and an endless hunger for more. Possessions never satisfy the soul. Without Christ, wealth becomes a master rather than a tool. Such individuals may despise true believers, especially those who are poor materially, yet rich in faith.
God declares that poverty with faith is far superior to riches without salvation. Those who refuse to humble themselves before Jesus and use their wealth selfishly are accumulating nothing in God’s Kingdom. Their end is eternal loss. True riches are measured not by possessions, but by one’s relationship with Christ.
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Freedom from Idolatry and Empty Religion
“You shall have no other gods before Me.”
— Exodus 20:3
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Believers are called to be thankful that they do not serve dumb idols or participate in lifeless religious routines. God is not interested in mechanical devotion or empty rituals. He desires relationship, surrender, and obedience.
Serving the Competent Controller means walking daily with awareness of the Holy Spirit’s presence. The Spirit is not distant; He is near, active, and involved. When believers humbly confess their dependence on God and maintain gratitude, they become keenly aware of divine guidance and protection.
Control under God is not harsh or oppressive. He is tender, merciful, and loving. Those who accuse God of cruelty often project their own hardness onto Him. In truth, divine control brings healing, joy, wisdom, and peace.
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Light, Love, and Life Under Divine Authority
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness.”
— John 8:12
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There is nothing wrong with being under control—if the controller is God. In His Kingdom, control produces divine wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Believers do not walk in darkness because Jesus is their Light.
Those who prefer darkness do so because they wish to hide their deeds. Yet nothing is hidden from God. He knows every thought, motive, and action. Darkness offers false security; light offers true freedom.
God instructs His people to reject lingering evil thoughts by replacing them with praise and thanksgiving. Gratitude realigns the heart with redemption, reminding believers that they are under the blood of Jesus and protected by divine supremacy.
God faithfully manages even the smallest details of life. When possessions are lost or goods spoiled, believers can rest in the assurance that God will supply all their needs. His promises are sure, and His presence is constant.
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Summary
God is the Competent Controller—wise, powerful, tender, and faithful. Fear, anxiety, and torment result from submitting to the wrong controllers. Through Jesus Christ, believers are freed from carnal, worldly, and demonic dominance. True peace, provision, and clarity come from living under God’s authority through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Worldly riches without Christ are empty, while faith-filled lives under divine control are eternally rich.
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Conclusion
Humanity was never designed to self-govern apart from God. The attempt to do so results in confusion, fear, and spiritual loss. But when believers willingly surrender control to God, they enter a life of peace, stability, and divine provision. God’s control does not diminish humanity; it restores it. Under His authority, believers walk confidently, securely, and joyfully in Light, Love, and Life Divine.
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Call to Action
Choose today to examine who or what controls your life. Reject fear, anxiety, greed, and carnality. Yield daily to the Holy Spirit. Maintain an attitude of gratitude. Refuse the lies of the world and embrace God’s competent control through Jesus Christ.
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Final Word of Encouragement
You are not alone. God is ever present, actively involved in your life, and deeply committed to your well-being. Trust Him fully. Rest confidently. Rejoice daily. The Competent Controller is guiding you into His perfect purposes.
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Salvation Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ,
I acknowledge that I have lived under wrong controllers.
I repent of my sins and turn away from fear, pride, and self-rule.
I believe that You died for my sins and rose again in victory.
I surrender my life fully to You today.
Be my Savior, my Lord, and my Controller.
Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and guide me in Light, Love, and Life Divine.
From this day forward, I choose to live under Your authority.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
