Submission Not Suppression

A Biblical Defense For Godly Civil Resistance

In light of the current political, racial, and socio-economic climate in America, it is crucial for us as Christians to think clearly and biblically about what it means to submit to governing authorities in order to carefully navigate the treacherous waters we find ourselves in. What does submission really mean from God’s perspective? When might it be appropriate for the Church to voice our concerns, air our grievances, or even disobey certain mandates? Does Romans 13 command blind loyalty and obedience? Can we honor authority while still disagreeing with them? I am hoping to address these questions and more as the Holy Spirit gives wisdom, guidance, and illumination from His Word. 

First, let me give you a little bit of background on how I felt inspired to write this. It has been very difficult for many Christian leaders across the nation to understand and adhere to all the current regulations coming from the government during this time, specifically against churches. Some of these restrictions have been affecting crucial parts of our worship including fellowship, hospitality, singing, preaching, communion, baptism, evangelism, outreach, and more. Many pastors have had a difficult time balancing the wisdom of reasonable safety precautions while also maintaining vitality and effectiveness as the Church. On one hand, we do not want to be insensitive to the current crisis, but on the other, we want to walk in faith and believe God for protection as we advance His kingdom. 

All that being said, my heart has been heavy as I have seen many churches closed across the country and other churches sued for remaining opened. Many leaders are experiencing hypocritical opposition directed toward the church. As time goes on, numbers just aren’t lining up, restrictions become more constrictive, information contradicts itself, and everything is over-politicized. There is so much confusion, division, and animosity that you can hardly have a cordial conversation about it. So what do we do? How do we respond to these mandates? Some believe it is a time to rebel and some believe it is a time to be silent, but I say it’s neither. God has confirmed to me this is a time to submit AND speak. How can this be done? I’m glad you asked.

Recently, while in prayer and asking God about how I should respond to all of this, I heard the Holy Spirit clearly whisper to my heart, “submission is not suppression - you don’t have to be silent to be subject.” I felt the peace and power of God to respect my authorities while also using my voice and influence to keep the conversation going. My mind was quickened to remember all the times in scripture where faithful men and women of God honored authority while humbly dissenting. After diving into the scriptures and further studying this out, here is what I discovered:

There is biblical precedence for resisting authority in certain circumstances. 

All throughout scripture we see shining examples of brave men and women of God resisting unlawful or ungodly commands coming from authority. Just a few examples include the Hebrew midwives refusing to kill their own children (Ex 1:15-22), Daniel’s friends refusing to worship Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 3:8-27), and Daniel refusing to stop praying (Dan 6:10-28). In addition to disobeying sinful commands, there are also examples of resisting authority when defending righteous standards and/or personal conscience.  Moses appealed to Pharaoh to free the nation of Israel  (Ex 9:1), David appealed to Saul to confront and defeat Goliath (1 Sam 17:1-51), and Daniel appealed to the king’s servant not to be defiled by the king’s food. Furthermore we also see the apostles resisting authority to continue the momentum of the gospel. Peter and John would not stop preaching and teaching publicly even after public beatings (Acts 4:1-22), Paul and Silas were supernaturally released from prison to continue ministry after causing disturbance in Philippi (Acts 16:25-31), Paul also continued to appeal to Rome until his message was heard by the appropriate audience (Acts 25:1-27). From all these examples, we can see that there are many reasons why God might call a Christian to humbly resist a governing authority. 

In every sphere of authority, God always allows for an appeal process. 

Throughout the scriptures, God calls people to submit to one another in love for the betterment of families, businesses, churches, and societies: wives to husbands (Eph 5:22), employees to employers (Eph 6:4), church members to elders (Hebrews 13:17), and citizens to government (Romans 13:1). In each case where God teaches one to submit he also teaches the other to lead well. He always gives room for the one leading to be held accountable and for the one submitting a process of appeal. Wives are encouraged to talk to their husbands (1 Peter 3:7),  pray for their husbands (1 Peter 3:1), and, worst case scenario, separate from their husbands (1 Corinthians 7:10-11). Employees are encouraged to reconcile with their boss (Philemon 1:15), seek outside mediation (Philemon 1:10-11), and even resign if needed (1 Corinthians 7:21). Church members are encouraged to discuss with their elders (Acts 20:17), challenge their elders (1 Tim 5:19), and, worse case, denounce them publicly (1 Tim 5:20). So what about the citizen? Well, in our amazing, unique, and providential republic we have three special privileges that most of history has never seen: the lobby, the protest, and the vote. To think that we could appeal to our governing authorities by talking to them, marching in the streets, or replacing their office is revolutionary and, I believe, a God-given miracle. May we use these tools in an honoring way to keep the gospel moving forward and our nation free.  

Romans 13 must be understood in context and applied appropriately.

Many forget while reading Romans 13 that the government has a specific God-given job description: punish evil and reward good. When they neglect to do this or get it backwards, it is the job of the Christian to uphold the righteous standard of God (Jeremiah 29:7), speak truth to power (Luke 3:19), and seek to purge wickedness from the land (Duet. 19:13). In addition, each country has unique laws and cultures so everything must be read in light of our current context. In America, we are a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. This means that our elected officials are actually “civil servants” that can only lead well if we raise our voice and let them know what we need. Finally, you must carefully determine what authority Romans 13 is really talking about in context. For instance, who do you obey? The local government? The federal government? The city council? The disease agencies? Your local doctor? The media? And the list goes on and on. Which authority is truly the authority and which one has the final say? I believe Romans 13 makes it very clear that the final authority is the one who “bears the sword” and for us, in America, that means the police and the military. Thank God that in our context these brave men and women have sworn to defend the constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. So in reality, the constitution is the highest authority in our land. In summary, the ultimate authority in America is not an individual, committee, or office; it’s a document. And this document clearly protects our right to speak, gather, and worship. Appealing to this document is not rebellion but honoring our government, founders, veterans, and leaders. In fact, I would argue that any politician who opposes the constitution, and the freedoms it protects, is the real violator of Romans 13.

Some of history’s biggest breakthroughs resulted from Christian civil resistance. 

On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the Wittenberg Church stating 95 reasons the Roman Catholic Church was in Biblical error. This resistance to religious/political power sent shockwaves throughout Europe, started The Great Reformation, and purified the church. Fast forward to the ending of slavery in America. Although widely attributed to Lincoln’s resolve, it was 30 years of Christian Abolitionist preaching against the sin of slavery that provoked the nations conscience. If it wasn’t for these brave preachers, pastors, and pioneers, the north would not have had the moral fiber and fortitude to endure through the Civil War. Lastly, the Civil Rights Movement was pioneered by the gold standard of Christian resistance, Pastor Martin Luther King Jr, who used his peaceful protests to change the status quo and shift the future for generations to come. What did all of these have in common? Men and women who feared God above all else and were willing to be misunderstood, ostracized, and condemned for what they believed was right.

There is a way to honor authority while voicing disagreement

Throughout this journey, God has revealed to me that “rebellion” is not as much an outward action or decision of the will as much as it is a posture of the heart. Now, obviously, rebellion can make its way out of the heart and into our choices, but it starts in the heart. Renowned author and pastor John Bevere puts it this way, “Submission and obedience are different directives, and this is where many get confused. We can obey and not necessarily be submissive. [and vice versa] Obedience deals with our actions in response to authority. Submission deals with our attitude toward authority. But where do we draw the line? The Bible teaches unconditional submission to authorities, but the Bible does not teach unconditional obedience. However, even in those cases we are to keep a humble and submitted attitude.” There are times where God will call us as Christians to resist authority and even government, but our heart posture should always be one of honor and respect. A few ways to do this are through titles, tone, and tactfulness. Address a leader with their proper title: Congresswoman, Senator, Officer, Lieutenant etc. (Dan 3:9). Use a gentle tone as it is more effective in disagreement (Prov. 15:1). Finally, know when to speak and when not to speak. Sometimes it is better to say nothing at all and let God do the convincing (Prov. 17:28)

I hope after reading this you are encouraged to both submit and speak, to hold the tension between honor and conviction. Would you respect authority while still raising your voice to lead the next generation into purity and revival. May God raise up His Church in this time, with the right attitude, to show a different way of effecting change. May God use each and everyone one of us to speak the truth in love to a hurting and dying world. And may God continue to catalyze brave men and women of God throughout the world to raise His righteous standard for generations yet to come (Psalm 22:31).