“The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.” (Isaiah 42:21)
We live in a day when law is despised. Men would be a law unto themselves – following only the dictates of their own heart and mind. All authority is looked upon as oppressive – depriving individuals of their “freedom” to do as they please. Paul warned that this spirit of anarchy would become more pronounced immediately prior to the rise of the Man of Lawlessness, otherwise known as the Antichrist.
The spirit of antichrist is identical with the spirit of lawlessness. Jesus did not come to abolish the law; He came to establish it in the hearts of men. To be of the Spirit of Christ is to be in submission to the law of God, and respectful of earthly authority. Human government will always be imperfect; but we are not to “despise government,” or “speak evil of dignities.” (2 Pet. 2:10) There is a troubling rise of a militant spirit in the ranks of those who profess to follow Christ. Such zealotry has greater affinity with the lawless spirit of the world than the Spirit of Christ.
Instead of fearing what men can do to us we need to live in the fear of God. Although it was a popular idea in His day, Jesus never advocated armed rebellion against the powers that be. Yes, it will become darker before the dawn. The freedoms we have enjoyed will be taken away from us. Our government will increasingly reflect the values of an ungodly populace. But what should the response of Christ’s disciples be? A willingness to die at the hands of an evil government, rather than an organized effort to overthrow it. That task is reserved for the Lion of Judah. Until then, follow the Lamb.