Brent Pollard
Christians often experience an inner tension when considering their relationship with civil government. We belong to a heavenly kingdom whose values frequently stand in sharp contrast to the world around us, yet we remain citizens of earthly nations—subject to laws, rulers, and civic obligations that demand our attention and participation. Scripture does not ignore this tension. Instead, God’s Word provides principles that help believers navigate their dual citizenship with clarity, humility, and unwavering faith.
The apostle Paul reminds us that entering the brotherhood of Christ does not sever our connection to the broader human community. While the church thrives on humility and sacrificial love, the civil sphere requires submission to authority and the pursuit of justice toward our fellow citizens. Far from being contradictory, these obligations are complementary expressions of Christian discipleship lived out in the real world.
Why Christians Should Submit to Government: The Practical Case (Romans 13.1-4)
Paul opens his instruction with a command that echoes through the centuries: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities” (Romans 13.1). This is not blind compliance but thoughtful, conscientious obedience rooted in practical wisdom.
At the most basic level, civil government exists to accomplish specific purposes: promoting order, restraining wrongdoing, and encouraging what is beneficial to society. “For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad,” Paul writes. “Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval” (Romans 13.3). Laws—when rightly administered—serve the common good, providing the stability and protection necessary for human flourishing.
Think of it this way: A ship requires a captain, a household requires order, and a society requires governance. Without structure, chaos reigns. Roads crumble, courts fail, emergency services disappear, and defense collapses. These necessities do not materialize from thin air—they require resources, planning, and the coordinated effort that only organized government can provide.
It is reasonable, then, for Christians to obey the law in their general conduct. Lawful behavior benefits both the individual and the community. Similarly, paying taxes and other civic dues is not merely a burden imposed by the state but a contribution toward maintaining public order and security (Romans 13.6-7).
Yet Scripture presses us beyond mere outward compliance. Paul speaks of rendering “to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed” (Romans 13.7). Even in civil matters, the heart must be engaged. Respect for authority is not simply about avoiding penalties; it reflects an inner disposition shaped by reverence and integrity. Mechanical obedience—though better than rebellion—falls short of what God expects from His children.
The Higher Foundation: God’s Sovereignty Over All Authority (Romans 13.1-2)
While practical reasoning can justify civic obedience—the desire to avoid fines and penalties—the Christian’s motivation runs far deeper. Submitting to governing authorities is not just sensible; it is divinely commanded. Paul declares the foundation plainly: “For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment” (Romans 13.1-2).
This is the bedrock truth that transforms civic duty from pragmatic necessity into spiritual worship: God Himself stands behind human authority. The Old Testament confirms this reality throughout its pages. Job declares that God “makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and leads them away” (Job 12.23). Daniel proclaims that “the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will” (Daniel 4.25; see also Daniel 2:21). Even pagan rulers exercise power only because God, in His inscrutable wisdom, has permitted it.
Nebuchadnezzar learned this lesson the hard way. This mighty king was humbled—literally driven to eat grass like an animal—until he acknowledged that “the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will” (Daniel 4.32). Jesus Himself reminded Pontius Pilate, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above” (John 19.11).
These passages confront us with a stunning reality: No government rises or falls apart from God’s providence. Authority is not a purely human invention or the result of social contracts alone. It exists because God, in His sovereign wisdom, has ordained the structures necessary to maintain order in a fallen world. To resist lawful authority without biblical cause, therefore, is not merely to defy human institutions but to rebel against the divine order God has established.
This does not mean that every action of every ruler is morally right or that Christians owe absolute obedience to human commands. Scripture itself records moments when obedience to God required civil disobedience—when Peter declared, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5.29), or when Hebrew midwives defied Pharaoh’s infanticide (Exodus 1.17). But these are exceptions that prove the rule. The default posture of the believer is submission, not suspicion; respect, not rebellion; honor, not contempt.
How to Honor Imperfect Rulers: Seeing God’s Hand in Human Government (Romans 13.4)
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of Paul’s teaching is learning to see God’s hand at work in imperfect—even deeply flawed—human institutions. This requires spiritual vision that penetrates beyond the visible to the invisible.
Rulers are fallible. Governments make unjust decisions. Leaders disappoint us. Yet Paul wrote these very words to Christians living under Nero, one of history’s most despicable tyrants, a man who would soon ignite the first great persecution of the church. Still, Paul calls him “God’s servant for your good” and “the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13.4).
How can this be? Because God’s purposes transcend human wickedness. He uses even unjust rulers to accomplish His sovereign will—sometimes through their good actions, sometimes despite their evil ones. Joseph understood this when he told his brothers, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50.20). God’s ability to work all things together for His glory does not excuse human sin, but it does mean that no human ruler operates outside the boundaries of divine providence.
This perspective transforms how we engage with civil authority. When Christians obey the law, pay their taxes, and show honor to those in positions of leadership, they do so not merely for pragmatic reasons or from servile fear, but as an act of reasonable service. Paul emphasizes this: “Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience” (Romans 13.5). Civic responsibility becomes a spiritual discipline. The ordinary duties of citizenship are transformed into opportunities to glorify God.
This biblical vision guards us against two opposite errors. On one side, we avoid the idolatry of placing ultimate hope in governments, political parties, or charismatic leaders. On the other side, we reject the cynicism that treats all authority with contempt and every civic obligation with resentment. Instead, we acknowledge government’s limited but real role under God’s greater rule, participating faithfully while keeping our ultimate citizenship in heaven (Philippians 3.20).
Living as Citizens of Two Kingdoms: Practical Steps for Today
The Christian life does not retreat from the public square—it redeems it. Just as Paul instructs us to do everything “to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10.31), our civic engagement is part of our Christian walk. Here are practical ways to live out Romans 13 in our daily lives:
First, cultivate a posture of respect. Even when you disagree with policies or disapprove of leaders, maintain respectful speech and behavior. Remember that God has placed them in authority, however temporarily (1 Timothy 2.1-2).
Second, fulfill your civic duties faithfully. Pay your taxes honestly and completely. Obey traffic laws. Serve on juries when called. Vote thoughtfully and prayerfully. These mundane acts become sacred when done “as to the Lord” (Colossians 3.23).
Third, pray consistently for those in authority. Paul commands us to pray “for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Timothy 2.2). Prayer acknowledges God’s sovereignty while interceding for His purposes in government.
Fourth, know when to say no. While submission is the rule, obedience to God takes precedence when human laws directly contradict divine commands. But let this be a last resort, exercised with wisdom, humility, and willingness to accept the consequences (Acts 5.29; Daniel 3.16-18).
Finally, maintain your eternal perspective. Governments will rise and fall. Political parties will gain and lose power. Leaders will come and go. But the throne of heaven remains unshaken. Our hope rests not in Washington, London, or any earthly capital, but in the New Jerusalem where Christ reigns eternally.
The Christian Difference in a Polarized Age
In an era of bitter political polarization, pervasive mistrust of institutions, and constant outrage, Christians have a unique opportunity to model a radically different spirit—one marked by humility, respect, and unshakable confidence in God’s sovereignty.
We can disagree without demonizing. We can advocate without idolizing. We can submit without compromising our ultimate allegiance to Christ. This is not weakness but strength—the strength that comes from knowing that “the king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will” (Proverbs 21.1).
Paul’s words in Romans 13 invite us into this paradox: We submit to earthly authority precisely because we belong to a heavenly kingdom. We honor human rulers precisely because we worship the King of Kings. We engage politically precisely because our citizenship is ultimately elsewhere.
And because God reigns—truly reigns, not as a distant concept but as the living Lord who governs nations and guides history—His people can submit without fear, obey without resentment, and honor without compromise, trusting that the Most High still rules in the kingdom of men.
This is how Christians navigate the tension between heaven and earth: not by escaping the world, but by bringing the kingdom’s values into it; not by grasping for power, but by wielding influence through faithful presence; not by placing ultimate hope in any government, but by honoring all governments under the Government of God Himself.
In this way, even our relationship with earthly authorities becomes a testimony to the reign of our heavenly King.
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