Paul, writing from prison, calls the church in Rome to something that runs against every natural instinct we have — complete submission to the governing authorities. Not just the authorities we agree with, or the ones that seem fair, but all of them. This was a radical instruction, especially coming from Paul, who himself had brushes with both religious and governing authorities. The idea was not novel; it was something that Jesus had preached decades earlier. Yet, this is often one of the most ignored instructions in the Scriptures for believers, as submitting to our authorities, especially when we are not aligned with them, seems to be the one thing we don’t want to budge on.
Going Against the Plans of God
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Romans 13:1 (NIV)
Does God really appoint all authorities — political, religious, and even our superiors at work?
It is everyone over us. The word Paul uses leaves no room for exceptions — every person in a position above us has been placed there by God. Be it our schools, offices, community, or government, all have been appointed by Him. It is only when we understand this that the purpose of God in our lives can be truly fulfilled. The moment we begin to resist the people God has placed over us, we are, in effect, resisting His plan for our lives.
At the same time, satan wants to overpower what God has planned. This is why remaining close to God is so important — only then can we discern what is from the light and what is from the darkness. God created both good and evil for His purposes, and sometimes in our lives it may feel as though evil is prevailing. But what we must understand is even that does not happen without God’s will.
The LORD works out everything to its proper end — even the wicked for a day of disaster.
Proverbs 16:4 (NIV)
Understanding the Greater Plan
Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
Romans 13:2 (NIV)
Why is Paul asking for complete submission to authorities, whether religious or political?
It is worth noting that Paul himself unknowingly rebelled against the high priest during his trial, and the moment he realised who he was speaking to, he immediately apologised (Acts 23). Even someone as spiritually mature as Paul recognised that rebellion against authority was not something to take lightly. Jesus Himself never challenged worldly authorities — He was submissive to the Father above all things, and that submission extended to the powers around Him.
When we truly believe that God has established the authorities over us, we will not find ourselves wanting to rebel. But when we lose sight of that — when we forget that God is sovereign over all — we become vulnerable to the pressure of the enemy, who is always looking to stir up resistance in our hearts. If we are able to love all people, we will not have thoughts of rebelling against authority. Much of our conflict with authority stems from being overinvolved in the minutiae of everyday life — consumed by arguments and grievances — rather than listening to the voice of God. Even where we have the right to vote and choose our leaders, are we asking God whom we should vote for, or are we telling God to make our choice the person in power?
For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
Romans 13:4 (NIV)
What happens when this doesn’t feel like the people over have our best interests at heart?
There will be times when an authority over us does not seem to be working for our good at all. We may not see it as something positive in our lives at first, but eventually there will be a moment — sometimes only in hindsight — when we understand the purpose God was working through them, even through the difficult things they did. Christ Himself submitted to authorities who were actively working against Him, and yet it was through that very submission that good came to all of us.
This is an opportunity in the form of the learning and growth that God intends for us. That opportunity often comes precisely through the difficult people He has placed over us. When we take that posture — seeking the purpose of God in it rather than fighting against it — we grow in ways we could not have anticipated.
Whenever we get involved in politics, social justice, or any kind of activism without the leading of God, we are not only wasting the time we could be spending listening to Him, but we are also going up against the people He has put in power to accomplish His will. We may believe we are fighting for justice, but we may in fact be opposing the very plans of God.
This was the same mindset of the people exiled during the Babylonian reign. They spent their entire lives rebelling against their occupiers, gnashing their teeth in bitterness and resistance. The term used in the Bible to describe hell — the gnashing of teeth — is exactly what they did their entire lives in exile. And it is an apt comparison, because hell is a place of permanent separation from God, and that is precisely the state we enter when we get involved in things without His leading. We become separated from His voice and from His peace, consumed instead by the noise of resistance.
Paying Our Dues
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.
Romans 13:6 (NIV)
Why is paying our dues to those who serve us seem like such a pain?
Even Jesus affirmed the same principle — that we should aid the governing bodies in doing their work and render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. The same principle applies to churches that are serving people and need funds to operate. Yet both seem to stir something resistant in us.
Religious people like the Pharisees were perfectly comfortable with tithes, offerings, and even the temple tax, but they detested paying taxes to the authority over them. It reveals something deep in our nature. We are willing to contribute to things we have not yet seen completed, but once the benefit is in front of us, paying for it feels unwarranted.
People will happily pool together to build a bridge over a river that will save time in traveling to the other side— but if the bridge is already built and a toll is collected to pay for its construction, that same payment feels painful and unjust. We are glad to donate for things we do not yet enjoy, but we resist paying for benefits we already receive every day.
Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Romans 13:7 (NIV)
Paul is not simply talking about money. He is talking about the attitude in our hearts toward every person God has placed in authority over us. Taxes. Revenue. Respect. Honour. Each of these is a debt we owe — not because the authority deserves it in our estimation, but because God has placed them there.
Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Romans 13:10 (NIV)
If we truly love people — all people — we will be able to honour and submit to the authorities that God has placed over us. Love is not merely a feeling; it is a posture toward others that makes submission natural rather than forced. When love is the foundation, we will no longer resist or rebel against the authority over us but put our trust in God who has given them that position. Submission to authority comes from our trust in God’s plans and is not a sign of weakness. By yielding to authority, we find peace and trust in His plans that go beyond what we immediately comprehend.
The Jordan Valley 
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