{"id":8044,"date":"2021-08-27T13:41:06","date_gmt":"2021-08-27T17:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awarningministry.com\/?p=8044"},"modified":"2021-08-27T13:41:09","modified_gmt":"2021-08-27T17:41:09","slug":"8044","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awarningministry.com\/index.php\/2021\/08\/27\/8044\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Love Worth Finding Ministries<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

August\u00a025\u00a0at\u00a07:50\u00a0PM<\/strong><\/a> 2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0Submission to authority doesn\u2019t mean we blindly obey, but that we exercise submission. You must first and foremost submit to the King of kings and the Lord of lords! Read this article \u201cWhat to Do When You\u2019re Under Ungodly Authorities\u201d here: https:\/\/ter.li\/n8hkvj<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"What
What to Do When You\u2019re Under Ungodly\u2026 | Love Worth Finding Ministries (lwf.org)<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What to Do When You\u2019re Under Ungodly Authorities<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

August 22, 2021Save Article<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

King David was a mighty warrior, a man who exercised kingdom authority. As a boy, David killed a bear, a lion\u2014and then Goliath. Later, as king, he went from victory to victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But the greatest victory David ever won was not over someone else; it was the victory over himself. One day in a cave, he learned the lesson I want you to learn:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To have Kingdom Authority, you must remain under authority.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not God\u2019s plan for you to be defeated by the world, the flesh, or the devil; Jesus died and rose again to give you authority over these. But we will never be over<\/em> what God plans to put under<\/em> us until we are willing to get under<\/em> and stay under those things God has put over<\/em> us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In First Samuel 24, David is hiding from Saul, the current king of Israel at the time. Though he is an unworthy king, nevertheless, Saul is God\u2019s appointed and anointed king. Saul learns that God is going to replace him and put David on the throne. He sees David as the rising star\u2014and his own sun is setting. David becomes public enemy number one. Stewing with jealous rage, Saul\u2019s burning, malevolent ambition focuses all the kingdom\u2019s energies on killing David. He takes 3,000 hand-picked men to pursue David.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One day, as David hides in a cave, Saul enters. It\u2019s dark in the cave. David\u2019s eyes and those of his men are accustomed to the darkness, but Saul can\u2019t see them. They whisper, \u201cThis is your opportunity, David. Just one sword strike, and goodbye to hiding in caves. Welcome riches! Honor! Power! Authority! You\u2019ll be the next king!\u201d Sword in hand, David goes over in the darkness and cuts the hem off Saul\u2019s robe. That\u2019s how close he is, but he won\u2019t kill Saul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After Saul is a safe distance away, David cries out, \u201cSaul, see what I\u2019m holding? See what I could have done to you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Refusing to execute vengeance, David won a victory that day\u2014not over Saul, but over himself. \u201cHe who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city\u201d (Proverbs 16:32).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He practiced what the New Testament says in Romans 12:21, \u201cDo not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.\u201d David gained a great victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most Christians today are into the cult of self-realization, where all the answers are in you. Ours is a generation of self-aholics; we are pickled in ourselves, centered in \u201cme,\u201d preoccupied with \u201cme,\u201d dedicated to self. But the Bible teaches self-surrender, where all the answers are in Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus said that in the last days, \u201cbecause lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold\u201d (Matthew 24:12). We see it in our streets, in our homes, and in our churches. Children are rebelling against their parents like never before. In churches, there\u2019s a spirit of rebellion\u2014arrogant theologs are actually revising the Bible to make it politically correct. All this is Satan at work<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What should we do when facing ungodly authority? Three things I want to write upon your heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. We Must Recognize Kingdom Authority<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Even though Saul was unworthy, he was still Israel\u2019s anointed king. When David later had another opportunity to kill Saul, he said, \u201cDo not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord\u2019s anointed, and be guiltless?\u201d (1 Samuel 26:9<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do we recognize Kingdom Authority? Romans 13:1-5 tells us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God\u2019s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God\u2019s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience\u2019 sake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We may feel like David\u2019s friends who said, \u201cYou have a chance to get him. Get him!<\/em>\u201d But David humbly said, \u201cNo, God sets up kings and He brings them down. I will be subject to those authorities God put over me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may be thinking, \u201cWait. You don\u2019t know the kind of government we have.\u201d Maybe you don\u2019t know the government in power when Paul wrote Romans. Nero was the emperor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut what if I have an unworthy authority? What if my parents are unworthy? My husband? My President? My mayor? What do I do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what you don\u2019t <\/em>do: do not have a spirit of rebellion<\/strong>. We must recognize the authority God put over us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a time when Samuel, speaking for God, told Saul to do something. Saul refused, and Samuel rebuked him with these words: \u201cFor rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king\u201d (1 Samuel 15:23).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David was a man after God\u2019s own heart. Saul was a man after the devil\u2019s own heart. Saul had the spirit of rebellion; David had the spirit of submission. You\u2019re never more like the devil than when you\u2019re a rebel; you\u2019re never more like the Lord Jesus than when you submit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That doesn\u2019t mean we approve what some authorities do any more than David approved what Saul did. Saul was very wrong, but David understood the principle of being under authority. Therefore, David learned to rule with great power and authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. We Must Respect Kingdom Authority<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Even though Saul was unworthy, David recognized and respected his authority. He spoke to Saul respectfully, while not giving in to Saul\u2019s wicked ways. David said, \u201cI\u2019m trusting God to get me out of this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the hard part. It\u2019s one thing to grudgingly obey that authority; it\u2019s another to respect that authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes children have parents who don\u2019t deserve respect. If your parents are like that, be respectful to them anyway. If you have teachers who don\u2019t deserve respect, treat them in a respectful manner anyway. If your church pastor doesn\u2019t deserve respect, be respectful anyway. If your government doesn\u2019t deserve respect, be respectful anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, that doesn\u2019t mean we give in to wickedness or approve error, any more than David approved what Saul did. But it was David\u2019s submission that brought Saul\u2019s kingdom crashing down and made David the king he was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope you will not only understand but also live and practice kingdom authority. If not, you\u2019ll never understand spiritual authority. Teach your children to behave respectfully to authority. Around the dinner table, if you begin criticizing policemen, pastors, and presidents, you\u2019re building in your children a spirit of rebellion. It\u2019s going to come back on you, and you\u2019re going to have a little rebel on your hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember, it\u2019s not respecting the individual but getting yourself in a place under authority. When you do, God is going to work in your life in an incredible way. God wants His people to live with kingdom authority. When He sees you don\u2019t have the spirit of rebellion, God will infuse you with power and give you kingdom authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. We Must Rest in Kingdom Authority<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We don\u2019t rest in governments or the Sauls who lead them; we rest in the Lord. David was ahead of his time. He understood what the Spirit later wrote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, \u201cVengeance is Mine, I will repay,\u201d says the Lord. Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.\u201d Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:19-21)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is contrary to human nature, isn\u2019t it? Be honest! It is for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That doesn\u2019t mean we blindly obey ungodly government. If you think I believe in that, you are wrong. We exercise submission, but not acquiescence. God\u2019s prophets preached against wickedness. Nathan confronted David. Elijah warned Ahab, Daniel spoke to Nebuchadnezzar, and Moses confronted Pharaoh. God forbid that our pulpits be silent today when wickedness prevails in so many places!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We do not acquiesce, but like David, there must be in us a spirit of humility and surrender over ourselves, and when we get under those things that God has put over us, then God can trust us to bring these wicked kingdoms crashing down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David\u2019s greatest victory wasn\u2019t killing a bear, a lion, or even Goliath\u2014but that day in the cave, he said, \u201cI\u2019m going to get under those God has put over me so I can be over those things God has put under me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we do the same, God can trust us to bring wicked kingdoms crashing down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Church is not the master of the state nor the servant of the state. We\u2019re the conscience of the state to preach God\u2019s truth. That\u2019s how to behave in a cave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will never win a victory over self, dear friends, or anything else until you yield to Jesus Christ. You must submit, first of all, to the King of kings, the Lord of lords, Jesus Himself. And when you give your heart to Jesus, He will cleanse you and forgive you of every sin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related Video Programs<\/h5>\n\n\n\n