We found also that God has set up the church. The church is given certain responsibilities, concerning the salvation of souls, and exerting influence in the spirit dimension, and touching the hearts and lives of people; so God gives us authority to do that job. The church is the only body of people that has authority over demons. Church is the only body of people that can deal with spiritual forces and influences. The Bible tells us also that there is set up the family. In the family there is a divine order, which we're looking at in this part of the series we're doing, and we found that in the family there is a certain authority structure that God has set in place, all related to the responsibilities. Then finally there is the individual; you have responsibility for your life. You can choose to spend a life serving God, you can choose to spend a life serving the devil, you can choose to spend a life serving yourself. You have authority to do that.
God has given you responsibility for your life, therefore you have authority for your life as well. You can choose what you do with it. You can misuse your life, you can use it well. You can invest your life so it serves God; you can invest your life so you cause great havoc to the cause of godliness in the earth. You choose. You have authority because you have responsibility - but everyone gives account one day, everyone, no exceptions. Romans 14 tells us: every one of us, no one excepted, will one day give account of their life, and what they did, before the source of that authority. So if you've been given a lot of authority, you'll be required to give more account. If you have less, then you'll have less to give account for. It just works quite simply and quite straight forward. Now the Bible tells us: let every soul; turn to someone and say: that means you, talking about you right now. Let every soul be subject to the higher power; and then it says: for whoever resists the authority, resists what God has set in place.
Now you have two choices whenever you face an authority. You have a choice of resisting, or a choice of subjecting yourself, it's as simple as that. So we've got the first one, resisting. Whoever resists - that word is an interesting word in the original language. It means like this: it means to put yourself in a position, where you are opposed to, or against, that authority. So it says: if you put yourself in a position, where you are opposed to, or resisting, or standing against, what God has set in place - you are opposing God, simple as that. Whoever resists the authority, resists what God has set in place. Now of course, some authorities misuse and abuse their authority. You have to confront them. Sometimes you have to withdraw from them, for your own safety. There are situations, and the Bible says that. Jesus said: if they persecute you, flee to another city; so you don't have to stay. When you're being persecuted, you can get out of it. Not only that, sometimes we need to set a strong boundary where there's oppressive leadership, in order that we can be saved, or safe, from being hurt or wounded in some kind of way.
So we have to understand that God has got some safeguards around this area, but remember we're just trying to find what the principle is, before we go looking at all the exceptions, and the misuses. So those who resist the authority find themselves fighting against God; now why is it that people resist? Basically, it's one of usually three reasons: one, they're ignorant of what God has set in place, and because we're ignorant, we just fight against it. As soon as we use the word authority or submission, people have got great emotions rise up. Most people have very negative emotions. They have negative feelings, because they've never understood God's proper use of authority, how it works for protection and blessing and good; and the experiences they've had with people with authority, have been very negative and painful and hurtful. So whenever the word authority comes up, then we have negative feelings about this. Whenever the word submission comes up, we have negative feelings about that; and we're going to try and take away some of those things during this session, to help you understand that authority, rightly used, is for your blessing, benefit and to build you up, never to destroy you. That's how God has designed it.