Obeying Government Rulers: When to Submit and When to Stand for God
Obey Your Government Rulers - Romans 13
13 All of you must obey the government rulers. Everyone who rules was given the power to rule by God. And all those who rule now were given that power by God. 2 So anyone who is against the government is really against something God has commanded. Those who are against the government bring punishment on themselves. 3 People who do right don’t have to fear the rulers. But those who do wrong must fear them. Do you want to be free from fearing them? Then do only what is right, and they will praise you.
4 Rulers are God’s servants to help you. But if you do wrong, you have reason to be afraid. They have the power to punish, and they will use it. They are God’s servants to punish those who do wrong. 5 So you must obey the government, not just because you might be punished, but because you know it is the right thing to do.
6 And this is why you pay taxes too. Those rulers are working for God, and they give all their time to the work of ruling. 7 Give everyone what you owe them. If you owe them any kind of tax, then pay it. Show respect to those you should respect. And show honor to those you should honor.
Do Christians have to obey the laws of the land?
Ref: https://www.gotquestions.org/laws-land.html
The next question is “Is there a time when we should intentionally disobey the laws of the land?” The answer to that question may be found in Acts 5:27-29, “Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 'We gave you strict orders not to teach in this Name,' he said. 'Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.' Peter and the other apostles replied: ‘We must obey God rather than men!'“ From this, it is clear that as long as the law of the land does not contradict the law of God, we are bound to obey the law of the land. As soon as the law of the land contradicts God’s command, we are to disobey the law of the land and obey God’s law. However, even in that instance, we are to accept the government’s authority over us. This is demonstrated by the fact that Peter and John did not protest being flogged, but instead rejoiced that they suffered for obeying God (Acts 5:40-42).
1. The Call to Obey Authorities (Romans 13:1–2)
Paul reminds believers that “there is no authority except that which God has established.”
Christians are called to live orderly, respectful lives — paying taxes, following laws, and showing honor to leaders — because government exists to maintain peace and justice.
👉 Principle: Obey laws that promote order and do not contradict God’s Word.
2. When Obedience to God Comes First (Acts 5:29)
When the apostles were forbidden to preach in Jesus’ name, they boldly replied, “We must obey God rather than men.”
This wasn’t rebellion or arrogance — it was loyalty to God above all.
👉 Principle: When human laws command what God forbids, or forbid what God commands, obedience to God must come first — even at personal cost.
3. Examples of Respectful Disobedience: Obeying God over Men
1. The Hebrew Midwives (Exodus 1:15–21)
Pharaoh commanded the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, to kill all newborn Hebrew boys. But they “feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do.”
👉 Lesson: When government commands murder or injustice, we must obey God’s moral law. God blessed the midwives for their courage.
2. Rahab the Spy (Joshua 2:1–6)
Rahab disobeyed Jericho’s king by hiding Israelite spies. Her act of faith in God spared her family and became part of the Messiah’s lineage.
👉 Lesson: Loyalty to God’s kingdom sometimes means breaking allegiance to corrupt earthly systems.
3. Esther (Esther 4–5)
Queen Esther risked her life by approaching the king without being summoned — an act punishable by death — to save her people from genocide.
👉 Lesson: When silence supports evil, courage means speaking up, even against royal command.
4. The Three Wise Men (Matthew 2:7–12)
After visiting baby Jesus, the magi disobeyed King Herod’s order to report back to him, because God warned them in a dream.
👉 Lesson: Obey God’s direction above political orders when they conflict with divine truth.
5. Jesus Himself (Mark 3:1–6, Luke 6:1–11)
Jesus healed on the Sabbath, defying man-made religious restrictions. He taught that doing good and showing mercy outweighs rigid law-keeping.
👉 Lesson: God’s heart of mercy surpasses legalism or unjust authority — even within religious systems.
6. Early Christians under Rome (Acts 4–5, 7, 12)
The apostles continued preaching despite threats, imprisonment, and persecution. Many, like Stephen and Paul, accepted suffering for Christ rather than silence.
👉 Lesson: The gospel cannot be chained. Faithfulness sometimes means obeying God’s mission even when the law forbids it.
7. Daniel’s Example: Respectful Disobedience
In Daniel 1, he refused to eat food that would defile him before God.
In Daniel 3, his friends refused to worship the king’s golden image.
In Daniel 6, he continued praying to God despite the king’s decree.
👉 Principle: Daniel and his friends didn’t rebel or insult authority — they disobeyed respectfully and accepted the cost. Their courage honored God and influenced even pagan kings.
4. The Balance: Obedience with Integrity
Christians are called to:
Respect authority (Romans 13:7)
Pray for leaders (1 Timothy 2:1–2)
Do good in society (1 Peter 2:13–15)
But our ultimate allegiance is to God’s kingdom, not earthly systems. True obedience is not blind submission, but faithfulness guided by conscience and Scripture.
6. Conclusion: Submission and Conviction
From Egypt to Babylon, from Jerusalem to Rome, God’s people have faced the same question: Whose command will I follow?
The Bible’s answer is consistent — respect rulers as far as possible, but never at the cost of disobeying God.
Daniel, Esther, the midwives, the apostles, and even Jesus Himself showed that obedience to God sometimes means standing alone, but never without His presence.
True submission honors authority.
True conviction honors God.
The wise believer learns to do both — with courage, humility, and faith.
