Our natural inclination is to resist obedience because, ever since the fall, the human heart has been bent toward independence, self-will, and pride. We prefer to do what seems right in our own eyes, to follow our desires, and to maintain control of our own choices. This inner resistance makes obedience feel restrictive rather than life-giving. But Scripture consistently teaches that obedience is not only necessary—it is the pathway to blessing, intimacy with God, spiritual maturity, and true freedom. When we obey God, we submit our imperfect wisdom to His perfect wisdom. We lay down our rebellious impulses and trust that His commands are for our good. Obedience shapes our character, aligns us with God’s purposes, and protects us from the destructive consequences of sin. Though our nature resists it, God, through His Spirit, enables us to desire and pursue obedience. In the end, obedience becomes less about pressure and more about love—responding to the One who knows us, saves us, and leads us into life.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for reminding me that even though my human nature resists obedience, Your commands are always good, wise, and life-giving. Lord, I confess that many times I want to follow my own will instead of Yours. Please forgive my stubbornness and cleanse my heart from pride and self-reliance.

Father, teach me to obey You not out of fear, but out of love. Give me a willing spirit, a humble heart, and the strength of Your Holy Spirit to walk in Your ways. When my desires pull me in the wrong direction, help me remember that Your path leads to peace, joy, and blessing.

Thank You for Your patience, Your mercy, and Your grace that empowers me to grow. Make my obedience a reflection of my trust in You. Help me live a life that honors You in my thoughts, my choices, and my actions.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

ROMANS 13:1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.

All governing authorities exist under God’s sovereignty. Even imperfect governments operate within God’s overarching plan to maintain order, restrain evil, and promote societal stability. When Paul wrote these words, believers lived under the Roman Empire—ruled by Nero, one of the most notoriously corrupt and brutal emperors in history. Despite this, Paul still affirmed that God allows governments to exist because the alternative—anarchy—leads to chaos, violence, and suffering.

To “submit to authority” does not mean approving every action or agreeing with every policy, nor does it mean remaining silent in the face of evil. But it does mean recognizing that authority has a God-given place in human society. Government, even when flawed, provides structure, justice systems, and protection from disorder. Without any form of authority, life becomes unsafe and unstable. Thus, resisting legitimate authority is—in principle—a resistance against the order God established for the world’s good.

At the same time, Scripture also teaches that obedience to human authority has limits: when the commands of man directly contradict the commands of God, “we must obey God rather than men”. Christians are called to be respectful, prayerful, and peace-loving citizens, while remaining loyal to God above all.

It is a call to humility, discernment, and trust in God’s perfect sovereignty, even when governments are imperfect.

The word hupotassō, translated “be subject,” literally combines two Greek ideas: hupo, meaning “under,” and tassō, meaning “to place or arrange.” Together, it describes willingly placing oneself under an established order. This is crucial because it shows that submission to governing authorities in Romans 13 is not primarily about the human leaders themselves—it is about recognizing God’s structure for society. The focus shifts away from the character, merit, or morality of the authority figure and toward God, who designed authority for the purpose of order, protection, and stability. By using hupotassō, Paul teaches that when we submit to authority, we are responding to God’s arrangement rather than the person in power. It becomes an act of trust in God’s wisdom and sovereignty, not blind allegiance to flawed leaders. Even when governments are imperfect, the believer looks beyond them to the God who stands above all authority, making submission an expression of faith in Him rather than confidence in people.

ROMANS 13:3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same... 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. 7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom… honor to whom honor.

Governing authorities exist to promote order and restrain wrongdoing, which is why Paul says rulers are not a cause of fear for those who do good but for those who do evil. When we live righteously and responsibly, we generally have no reason to fear authority, because government is meant to protect, not harm. This is also why we pay taxes—because leaders, whether they recognize it or not, function as God’s servants in maintaining social structure. Paul is calling believers to render to each person what is due: taxes, customs, respect, and honor. This honor is not based on the personal worthiness of the leader but on the position God has ordained. True submission—hupotassō—is an attitude of the heart, a willing recognition of God’s design for authority.

Jesus Himself modeled this perfectly. He lived under one of the most abusive governments in history. Pilate, the Roman governor who sentenced Him, was unjust, politically motivated, and morally compromised. Yet Jesus remained respectful and submissive to the governing process, not because Pilate was good, but because Jesus trusted the sovereignty of His Father. By following Christ’s example, believers learn to honor authority out of reverence for God, not confidence in flawed leaders.

Submit to every human institution.

1 PETER 2:13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority... 8 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.

Peter is reminding believers that their motivation is rooted in their relationship with God. They submit not because earthly rulers are always just, but because honoring authority brings honor to the Lord who established it. This gives submission a spiritual dimension: it becomes part of our witness to the world.

Submit to your boss.

1 PETER 2:8 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.

Be submissive not only to masters who are kind and reasonable, but also to those who are harsh or unfair. This does not mean God approves of cruelty or injustice, but it highlights the believer’s calling to reflect Christ-like humility in difficult circumstances. Our attitude toward authority should not fluctuate based on how well we are treated. Instead, we are to respond in a way that demonstrates trust in God’s justice, patience, and ultimate authority.

Submit to your own husbands.

1 PETER 3:1 In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, 2 as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.

Peter applies the same principle of God-centered submission to the marriage relationship. When he says, “In the same way,” he is directly connecting a wife’s submission to the broader biblical teaching on submission to authority for the Lord’s sake. This kind of submission is not rooted in weakness, inferiority, or silence, but in trust in God’s power to work through godly conduct. Even when a husband is disobedient to the Word, the wife’s respectful and pure behavior becomes a living testimony. Peter emphasizes that transformation does not always come through arguments or words, but through a consistent life that reflects Christlike character. By submitting from the heart, a wife places her confidence in God rather than trying to control or change her husband through force or pressure. Her conduct points beyond herself to God’s authority and grace, showing that true influence flows from obedience to Him, not from dominance or confrontation.

Obey the leaders of the church.

HEBREWS 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

Believers are called to obey and submit to their leaders because these leaders carry a serious responsibility—they “keep watch over your souls” and will one day give an account to God for how they have cared for those entrusted to them. This places both leaders and followers under God’s authority: leaders are accountable upward to God, and believers respond with trust and cooperation. Submission here is not about control or blind obedience, but about recognizing God’s order within the body of Christ for spiritual protection and growth. When believers submit with a willing heart, leaders are able to serve with joy rather than grief, which benefits the entire community. In this way, submission becomes mutual in its effect—leaders serve faithfully under God, and believers grow profitably by aligning themselves with God’s appointed care and oversight.

Submission to authority starts at home.

EPHESIANS 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), 3 so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.

Submission to authority begins in the home, where children first learn what it means to obey, honor, and respect those God has placed over them. Paul makes it clear that this obedience is not merely social training but spiritual formation. Honoring father and mother teaches children to recognize authority as God-given, and it establishes a foundation for how they will later respond to teachers, leaders, employers, and governing authorities. This command is unique because it carries a promise—that it may go well with them and that they may live long on the earth—showing that God attaches blessing to submission.

Teaching children to honor and obey is therefore not about control, but about guiding their hearts toward God’s order and protection. As parents lovingly exercise authority under God, children learn that submission brings peace, stability, and blessing. When they are taught to submit first to God and then to their parents, they begin to understand that authority is not an enemy but a gift designed for their good. In this way, the home becomes the training ground where obedience is learned, character is formed, and a lifelong pattern of honoring God through submission is established.

Obey God rather than Man.

When a believer disagrees with those in authority, Scripture points us not toward rebellion, but toward respectful appeal. Biblical submission does not mean silence or blind compliance; it means maintaining a submissive heart while engaging authority in a proper and orderly way. To appeal is to acknowledge the legitimacy of authority while presenting a reasoned and respectful counter proposal. This preserves honor, even in disagreement, and reflects trust in God’s order.

We see this principle throughout Scripture. Paul appealed to his Roman citizenship rather than resisting arrest. Daniel respectfully requested an alternative diet instead of defying the king’s command. Even Jesus spoke truth to authority without contempt or disrespect. In each case, the appeal was reasonable, measured, and conducted within the framework of submission. The posture was not “I reject your authority,” but “I recognize your authority, and I ask you to consider a better way.”

This approach keeps the heart aligned with God. It shows that our obedience is first to Him, while still honoring the structures He has established. By offering a thoughtful counter proposal rather than reacting in anger or rebellion, believers demonstrate wisdom, humility, and faith. In this way, submission and appeal work together—submission maintains respect, and appeal allows truth and conscience to be expressed without opposing God’s ordained authority.

ACTS 5:29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

When Peter and the apostles declared, “We must obey God rather than men,” they were not being rebellious; they were being faithful. Human authority is real and God-ordained, but it is not absolute. When an authority demands what God forbids—such as stealing, cheating, lying, or breaking the law—submission to God requires refusal, even at great personal cost. In such moments, faith may mean being prepared to lose a job, a position, or security, trusting that obedience to God is worth more than any earthly gain. This kind of obedience reflects a settled conviction that God is the ultimate authority and provider. Choosing righteousness over convenience demonstrates that our loyalty belongs first to God, and it affirms that no command from man can override God’s truth or holiness.

EXODUS 1:17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live... 20 So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. 21 Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them.

This verse provides a clear biblical example of righteous disobedience rooted in the fear of God. Pharaoh, the highest authority in Egypt, issued a cruel and sinful command—to kill the Hebrew baby boys. The midwives were under legitimate authority, yet they recognized that this command directly violated God’s will and the sanctity of life. Because they feared God more than the king, they refused to obey his order. Their disobedience was not rebellious or self-serving; it was an act of faith and moral courage grounded in reverence for God.

God’s response is significant. Scripture says that God was good to the midwives and established households for them because they feared Him. This shows that when human authority commands what is evil, obedience to God takes precedence, and such obedience brings God’s approval and blessing.

1 SAMUEL 16:11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the children?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.”... 3 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

David’s story shows how God’s calling often begins in obscurity and unfolds through a process of preparation rather than instant promotion. Although God had already chosen David as the next king, Jesse did not even consider him worth presenting to Samuel. While his older brothers appeared more qualified by human standards, God rejected them because He looks at the heart, not outward appearance. David was faithfully tending sheep, unseen and overlooked, yet fully known by God. When he was finally called, David obeyed immediately, honoring his father and responding without hesitation. This reveals that God values humility and faithfulness long before public recognition.

After David was anointed and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, his life did not change outwardly right away. The anointing did not place him on the throne; instead, it marked the beginning of God’s training. God sovereignly used King Saul’s distress to bring David into the palace, not as king but as a servant—playing music, carrying armor, and observing leadership firsthand. Through this, David learned how the kingdom functioned and how a king should and should not lead. Yet even palace service was not enough. God still needed to make David known to the people, which would later happen through public trials and victories. David’s journey teaches that God’s purposes unfold in stages: calling, anointing, preparation, and finally fulfillment, all according to God’s perfect timing.

1 SAMUEL 17:14 David was the youngest. Now the three oldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem.

David is still living a life of humility and service even after being anointed. Though he had been called by God, he remained the youngest son, moving back and forth between tending his father’s sheep and serving Saul. David was essentially a messenger and errand boy, faithfully obeying his father when he was sent to the battlefield to bring food and check on his brothers. He did not go with ambition or expectation; he simply submitted (hupotasso) to authority. Yet God used this ordinary act of obedience to place David in a moment that would change his life forever.

At the battlefield, David encountered Goliath, who was defying Israel and challenging the armies of God. While trained soldiers and experienced warriors were paralyzed by fear, David saw the situation through faith. He had no idea that God would use this moment to make him known throughout Israel; he simply trusted the Lord and volunteered to stand against the giant. By defeating Goliath, David’s name became well known, but public recognition did not mean immediate readiness to reign. Instead of the throne, David was sent into the wilderness. Saul’s jealousy drove David into years of hiding, hardship, and testing. Even then, David proved his heart when he refused to kill Saul in the cave, choosing to honor “the Lord’s anointed” rather than seize the kingdom by force. This season of restraint and suffering showed that God was shaping David’s character, teaching him patience, submission, and reverence for God’s authority before entrusting him with the throne.

1 SAMUEL 24:10 Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord had given you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you; and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’

David’s life beautifully illustrates the principle of patience, submission, and God’s timing. Even when Saul, the king, pursued him with murderous intent, David consistently refused to take matters into his own hands. When Saul unknowingly walked into a trap, David had a clear opportunity to kill him, and his men even urged him to strike. Yet David refused, saying, “I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed”. David’s obedience reflected his deep respect for God’s authority and his commitment to hupotasso—submission—even under extreme provocation.

This pattern repeated itself, showing that David’s ultimate rise to kingship was not about seizing power prematurely but waiting for God’s appointed time. Through years of hiding, running, and enduring hardship, David grew in character, faith, and dependence on God. During this period, he poured out his heart in the Psalms, expressing his trust, sorrow, and hope in the Lord. Only when God’s timing was perfect—after Saul’s death—did David ascend to the throne at the age of 30, fully prepared to lead Israel. His life teaches a profound truth: to experience God’s best, one must submit to His timing, respect His ordained authorities, and allow hardship to refine and mature character. Most of God’s will is revealed through His Word and the authorities He designates, and obedience in these areas positions us for His perfect plan.

God Guided David through Designated Authorities

God Guided Joseph through Designated Authorities

GENESIS 37:2 Joseph, when seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers while he was still a youth.. And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father... 13 Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “I will go.”

Joseph’s story highlights God’s sovereignty and the importance of faithful submission, even in the midst of hardship. At just seventeen, Joseph faithfully served his father, tending the flocks and reporting honestly on his brothers’ behavior. Though this earned him the resentment and hatred of his brothers, he continued to obey his father’s instructions. When Israel sent him to check on his brothers in Shechem, Joseph went without hesitation, demonstrating hupotasso—honor, respect, and submission to authority.

However, his obedience placed him in danger. His brothers plotted to kill him, but God’s providence intervened, and he was sold to traders who took him to Egypt. There, Joseph was purchased by Potiphar, a high-ranking officer in Pharaoh’s court. What seemed like misfortune and betrayal was actually God’s sovereign plan unfolding. Through these trials, Joseph was being prepared for a far greater purpose—to save many lives during famine. Joseph’s experience reminds us that even when bad things happen to good people, God is at work, using circumstances and authorities to accomplish His plan. Faithful obedience and submission, even when it leads into hardship, position us to fulfill the extraordinary purposes God has designed for our lives.

GENESIS 39:3 Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. 9 There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?” 10 As she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her.

GENESIS 41:46 Now Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt.

Joseph’s experience shows the profound way God develops character through trials and faithful obedience. While serving in Potiphar’s house, Joseph’s integrity and commitment to God were evident—his master recognized that “the Lord was with him” and that everything he did prospered. When faced with temptation from Potiphar’s wife, Joseph refused to sin, saying, “How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?” His obedience was not selective; he honored authority in every area, but he drew the line when commands contradicted God’s will. This demonstrates that true obedience to God sometimes requires resisting human authority, even at personal cost.

Because of his refusal, Joseph was unjustly thrown into prison. Yet this period of hardship was part of God’s refining process. In jail, he encountered the cupbearer and made a faithful prediction of his release, though initially, the cupbearer forgot him. This illustrates that people may forget or overlook us, but God never does. God’s timing is perfect. Years later, Pharaoh’s troubling dreams brought Joseph to prominence, and at the age of thirty, he was elevated to become prime minister of Egypt. Joseph’s story teaches that obedience, integrity, and faithfulness, even in suffering, prepare us for God’s ultimate purposes, and that God’s plans unfold through patience, character-building, and His sovereign orchestration of circumstances.

Prayer.

Heavenly Father,

We come before You acknowledging that all authority comes from You and that You are sovereign over every ruler, leader, and institution. Teach us to submit with humble hearts, not because people are perfect, but because You are perfect. Help us to honor those You have placed in authority and to live lives that reflect respect, order, and obedience for Your sake.

Lord, give us wisdom to discern when to submit, when to appeal, and when we must stand firm in obedience to You alone. Like the apostles, give us courage to say, “We must obey God rather than men.” Like the Hebrew midwives, help us to fear You more than any earthly power, refusing to participate in what is sinful, unjust, or dishonest, even when it costs us comfort, position, or security.

Teach us to train our children in our homes to honor, respect, and obey authority, beginning with obedience to You. May our submission be from the heart—hupotassō—willingly placing ourselves under Your divine order. When we face unjust or unreasonable authority, help us to respond with grace, respect, and truth, trusting that You see all and judge righteously.

We place our lives, our work, our families, and our future in Your hands. Strengthen us to walk in obedience, for we know that obedience brings blessing and that fearing You is the beginning of wisdom.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our perfect example of submission and faith,

Amen.

The content of this article is adapted from the source below:

Attributes of God - God is in Charge: Hupotasso