When Control Feels Like Survival
If you think back to when your eating disorder started, you may remember feeling out of control—or trapped in a situation you couldn’t change. Maybe you believed that if you could just control your eating, your body, or how you looked, then you’d finally feel safe and in control.
You’re not alone.
Part of my 17-year-long battle with an eating disorder began with that exact mindset. I thought, “If I could just fix the way I look, or control what I eat, maybe I could fix everything else.” But as you and I both know—that’s not how it works.
Once the eating disorder takes hold, it’s the one in control—not you.
The Root of Control
I wish someone had handed me a Bible back then—and more importantly, shown me the hope that it holds for this broken world and for broken people like us.
Control has been a theme in every corner of my life. It was a root cause of my eating disorder, my anxiety, and my OCD. It fed the cycle of pain and left me constantly reaching for anything that would give me a false sense of stability.
Jesus Met Me in My Mess
The day Jesus delivered me from my eating disorder, the sermon I was listening to was about giving up control. It was like He knew that was the very thing I’d been clinging to my whole life.
I’m not saying your healing will look the same as mine. But I am saying this:
If you truly submit to God—if you pick up your cross and follow Him—there is hope for you in recovery.
Recovery is possible. But it’s not possible without surrender.
He is in control. He always was. He always will be.
5 Bible Verses About Submitting to God and Letting Go of Control
Below are five powerful verses that have helped me surrender my need for control. If you’re stuck in cycles of striving, trying harder, and failing—these Scriptures are for you.
1. James 4:7
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
This is a powerful verse to memorize in eating disorder recovery. Your eating disorder is not your friend—it’s a tool of the enemy. When you submit to God and resist the lies of your disorder, God promises the enemy will flee.
It’s not always easy, but it is possible—through Christ.
2. Romans 12:1–2
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice… Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
This verse is rich with meaning. Offering your body to God is a form of worship—it’s choosing to let Him guide how you care for your body instead of letting culture, control, or comparison define it.
Recovery involves the renewing of your mind, and that transformation begins with surrender.
3. Galatians 2:20
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
This verse is the heart of true surrender. You no longer live for yourself—your body, mind, and life belong to Christ. This doesn’t mean you’ll never struggle again, but it does mean that Christ is now the one who leads, strengthens, and defines you—not your disorder.
4. Psalm 37:5
“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this.”
When you commit your recovery, your struggles, and your fears to God, He moves. You don’t have to figure it out on your own. You can trust Him to lead you step by step.
5. 1 Peter 5:6–7
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
Surrender is humbling. It’s realizing you’re not in control—and you never were. But when you place your disorder, your fears, and your future in God’s hands, He promises to lift you up in His perfect timing. He cares for you deeply and personally.
What Surrender Actually Looks Like
Submitting to God doesn’t mean passivity. It means actively choosing trust over control. It means:
- Letting go of obsessive behaviors
- Turning to prayer instead of perfection
- Asking God to transform your thoughts
- Believing that your worth is found in Him—not in how you look or what you eat
It won’t always feel easy, but it will be worth it. You’ll find freedom, not by fighting harder—but by letting go.
Final Encouragement
I pray these verses push you one step closer to surrender—true surrender.
Not halfway. Not “God, take this but let me still control that.”
Full surrender.
Because that’s where real recovery begins.
And that’s where Christ does His best work.
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