A Balanced Look at Submission to Authority

By Joyce Meyer
  Maintaining balance in every area of our life is very important. I believe it is a major key to
walking in victory. The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:8, Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be
vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion
roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Satan cannot devour anyone
he pleases. He can only gain access to those who are out of balance—living their life at one
extreme or another.
  I believe that one of the most important areas for us to be balanced in is our understanding of
submission to authority. Believe it or not, all authority is instituted by God. In fact, it is His will that
you and I submit to the people He has placed over us. Romans 13:1 says, Let every person be
loyally subject to the governing (civil) authorities. For there is no authority except from God [by His
permission, His sanction], and those that exist do so by God’s appointment.
In most cases, when you and I choose to go against authority and do our own thing, we are
actually rebelling against God. As a result we give Satan an opportunity to bring problems into our
life. However, there are times when our submission can actually become enslavement to someone
else’s manipulation and control. This too opens the door to the attack of the enemy. In order to
avoid this, I believe we need to have a balanced understanding of submission to authority—
knowing when to submit and when not to.
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