August 2026

The Christian’s Subjection to Government

Greetings, saints.

Today we turn to Paul’s epistle to the Romans, at chapter 13 verse 1, where the apostle gives clear instruction concerning the believer’s relationship to civil authority. With both apostolic weight and pastoral clarity, he writes (quoting): “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”

Paul writes these words not from the comfort of a stable democracy, nor from the safety of a righteous government, but from within the shadow of Rome, an empire marked by corruption, injustice, and the growing dangers of the imperial power.

Yet he speaks on the matter with certainty and fearlessness, and he is able to do this because he views government not through the lens of human politics, but through that of God’s sovereign ordering of human affairs in this present dispensation of grace. Today God is forming the church, the Body of Christ, and Romans 13 teaches that his heavenly people must know how to live under earthly authority.

Paul begins with a universal decree: “Let every soul be subject to,” he says. Not some souls, not the agreeable souls; not the politically aligned souls, but every soul. Submission is not natural to us, yet Paul calls us all to the practice of it. As we shall see, this practice is to be shaped not by personal preference, but by divine perspective and purpose.

To be “subject to” means to consciously place oneself under the authority of. It is not passive resignation but rather active recognition that God stands above all rulers and that he works through them – even flawed ones – to restrain evil and preserve order in a fallen world. The believer is not asked to pretend that rulers are righteous, wise, or consistent; rather, he is called to perceive a higher hand over human institutions, and to mould his response to them from a conscience governed by scripture.

This principle is first established in Genesis chapter 9, in the solemn world that emerged from the waters of judgment, where God placed authority into man’s hands to restrain violence and preserve order in a fallen earth. When God said to Noah in Genesis 9:6 (quoting): “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed,” he instituted delegated authority to hold back human sinfulness.

This verse shows that civil authority exists because fallen humanity needs restraint; without government, sin does not disappear, it spreads. So, Paul is not presenting a new doctrine in Romans 13, he is applying an old one to the Body of Christ.

Romans 13:1 must therefore be allowed to stand in all its force: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.” Paul is not vague, hesitant, or merely suggestive; he gives a clear charge to the believer. Yet this charge is not detached from the rest of scripture, for the God who ordained government also ordained righteousness, truth, and holiness. Paul is not therefore requiring absolute, unconditional, or blind obedience to earthly powers, but submission that remains governed by the higher authority of God himself.

And we see this principle at work in scripture. In Acts 5:29, after the apostles had been forbidden to speak in Christ’s name, and after the angel of the Lord had commanded them to continue speaking (quoting) “all the words of this life,” they answered (quoting): “We ought to obey God rather than men.”

This same boundary is seen in Daniel: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego served respectfully under Nebuchadnezzar, yet refused to bow to his image, declaring, “We will not serve thy gods” (Daniel 3:18). Daniel likewise served faithfully under Darius, but when prayer was forbidden, he did not rebel or stir disorder, he simply continued praying to the living God.

This boundary remains immovable. Submission to authority must never override submission to God. We honour rulers, but we do not follow them into sin; we respect their office, but not their ungodly demands. Our conscience is captive to the Word of God, not to the decrees of men.

Taken together, these examples show that Romans 13 does not erase spiritual discernment, it orders it. Paul calls the believer to real submission under civil authority, but never to obedience that would make man supreme over God.

Paul develops his argument as Romans 13 progresses, as he goes on to speak of tribute, custom, fear, and honour. These belong to a government’s legitimate civil functions: taxation, order, and social structure. In verse 7 where he says (quoting): “Render therefore to all their dues,” he speaks of lawful, moral obligations.

Paying taxes, respecting office, and honouring authority are part of the believer’s testimony. But when rulers exceed their God-given sphere and demand unrighteousness, discernment is required. We render tribute because it is lawful; we refuse ungodly commands because they are unlawful in God’s sight.

In this age, God is not establishing a theocratic nation through the Body of Christ as he once did with Israel under the law, nor calling believers to overthrow governments or reform empires. He calls us to live as ambassadors of Christ within whatever structure we find ourselves. Government serves a civil purpose, not a redemptive one: it restrains sin, stabilises society, and prevents chaos. It is temporary, earthly, and imperfect, yet still part of God’s sovereign arrangement.

Paul’s justification for the instruction he gives to “be subject to…” is simple but profound: “There is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God,” he explains in our verse. The validity of the instruction does not rest on any characteristic of the institution in question. It rests of on the fact that all authority is ultimately God’s. Earthly rulers possess borrowed, temporary, accountable authority. Christ said to Pilate in John 19:11 (quoting): “Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above.”

God is never surprised by who holds office, threatened by political systems, or hindered by human decisions. This means that the believer’s peace rests not in governmental stability, but in God’s sovereignty. And this in turn means that submission to earthly institutions becomes worship. We submit not because rulers are worthy, but because God is worthy. And when rulers demand unrighteousness, our submission shifts upward to the one who never misrules.

Because civil authority sits beneath God’s sovereignty, the believer’s response is not only submission, but also prayerful dependence upon God. Paul gives this charge plainly in 1 Timothy 2:1–2 where he says (quoting): “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” Such prayer is not a retreat from public life; it is an expression of our recognition that civil authority itself has been ordained by God for the ordering of life in a fallen world.

We see, then, that Paul’s instruction in Romans 13:1 is liberating. It frees us from political anxiety because our hope is in Christ, not rulers. The church is not called to manage nations, but to proclaim a heavenly gospel.

And this does not make us careless citizens, it makes us steadier ones, because our conduct under authority is no longer driven by fear, outrage, or party spirit, but by faithfulness to the Lord. When rulers misuse authority, we stand firm in righteousness, knowing that obedience to God is our highest calling.

So how do we live this out today? We obey civil laws, honour leaders, avoid needless conflict, maintain a clear testimony, speak the truth with grace, pray for those in authority, and keep our focus on the gospel rather than political battles. When rulers demand what God forbids, we stand firm and obey God rather than men. Government is temporary, but the gospel is eternal; rulers change, but Christ remains the same; nations rise and fall, but the Body of Christ is secure in him.

Brethren, Romans 13:1 is not a burden, it is a blessing. It reminds us that God rules over nations, governments, and leaders. It calls us to live as citizens of heaven while honouring the structures of earth. It frees us from fear, anchors us in God’s sovereignty, and focuses us on Christ’s mission.

So let every soul be subject, not because rulers are perfect, not because government is ultimate, but because God is sovereign, Christ is Lord, and we are his ambassadors in this present age of grace.

And when rulers depart from righteousness, let every soul be steadfast, obedient to God, faithful to truth, and unwavering in the calling we have received.

Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

Grace to you all.

Amen.