The unique controversy between God and Satan concerns authority and rebellion; rebellion is the denial of God’s authority and the rejection of God’s rule, so we as believers should submit to God’s authority and uphold it, and we should assert that authority is with God.
There are two great principles in the universe – God’s authority and Satan’s rebellion; the unique controversy in the univers (the controversy between God and Satan) concerns authority and rebellion (see Acts 26:18; Col. 1:13).
No being in this universe can stand neutral – we either are on God’s side or we are in rebellion against God, standing on Satan’s side.
We may think we’re on God’s side and we submit to God, but when it comes to submitting to the deputy authority that He has ordained over us, we may not obey them; by not submitting to the authorities God set over us, we rebel against God’s authority.
In Rom. 13:1-7 Paul tells us that we should be subject to the authorities over us, for there’s no authority except from God, and those which exist are ordained by God.
We may not agree with the moral character of the person in authority, but if we resist the authority, we oppose God’s ordination, and those who oppose will receive judgement to themselves.
The rulers are not a terror to the good work but to the evil; so if we want to have no fear of authority, we should do good, and we will have praise from him.
But if we do evil, we should fear authorities, for they are servants of God.
As believers in Christ we can either be those who submit to God and therefore submit to the authorities He has set over us, or we are in rebellion against God, and we disobey and not submit the authorities He has set over us.
When the Lord Jesus was on the earth, He submitted to the authorities that God set over Him; even when He was before Pilate, He acknowledged that God gave him such an authority, and He submitted to him.
Similarly, Paul and the other apostles submitted to the authorities over them, and never did they even once incite to revolution or insurrection against the government because of their corruption and immorality.
As believers in Christ, we have been rescued by Him from the heap of universal collapse, and we are in the process of being headed up in Christ; simply by calling, O Lord Jesus! we enthrone Him, we place ourselves in submission to Him, and we reject the principle of rebellion.
The Unique Controversy between God and Satan concerns Authority and Rebellion
Lucifer the archangel rebelled against God and he led other angelic beings to follow him; he established his kingdom and he injected his rebellious nature into man, making man rebellious at the core and thus bringing man into his satanic realm.
The gospel of the kingdom addresses this situation to call people out of the satanic kingdom and enlighten men to repent, have a change of mind and direction, and to be transferred into the kingdom of God.
The entire earth needs this gospel of the kingdom so that all men would repent of their rebellion and come into submission to God, being under God’s authority.
Rebellion is the denial of God’s authority and the rejection of God’s rule.
The archangel said that he will exalt his throne, he will not be ruled… – this is Satan’s rebellion. Satan was originally an archangel created by God, but due to his pride he uplifted himself, violated God’s sovereignty, rebelled against god, and became God’s adversary; he then established his own kingdom the satanic kingdom (see Isa. 14:12-14; Ezek. 28:2-19; Matt. 12:26).
The satanic kingdom includes the entire fallen human race plus the demons, the principalities and powers in the air, and Satan’s evil spirits and fallen angels.
But praise the Lord, God became a man to fulfill Gen. 1:26 by expressing God and representing Him with His authority; He came to defeat the rebel Satan, to destroy him, and to establish the kingdom of God, which is the church today.
When man sinned, he rebelled against God, denied God’s authority, and rejected God’s rule; furthermore, at Babel man rebelled collectively against God to abolish God’s authority from the earth (see Gen. 3:1-6; 11:1-9).
This was the lowest step of the fall; under the strong leadership of Nimrod, mankind built a tower to reach the heavens and build a name for themselves, so the Lord came and confounded their language and scattered them.
From then onward, the Lord stopped dealing directly with the fallen human race – He called Abraham, the father of the called race.
Oh, praise the Lord, although Satan rebelled against God’s authority and although man violates His authority by rebelling against Him, God will NOT let this rebellion continue! Amen!
Even right now, God will not let THIS rebellion continue – He will establish His kingdom on the earth (Rev. 11:15). Those who know God’s authority and who are His deputy authority do not deal directly with rebellion; rather, they defer everything to God, and He takes care of it.
We believe that not only at the end of this age or in the millennial kingdom but even today, in the near future, we will see and we will learn that God will not let this rebellion continue!
We refer everything to Him, we back off, and we give God the ground to do whatever He wants to do. In Numbers we saw that God opened the ground and Sheol swallowed the rebellious ones alive – and He has the perfect right and authority to do it!
And when a female took the lead to rebel and became leprous (Miriam) as a governmental dealing, no man can say or do anything about it, for this is God’s direct response to rebellion.
God will not let this rebellion continue – He will establish His kingdom on the earth! And we do not try to escape the current situation and be taken to heaven but rather we pray,
Lord, Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth! Show us the unique controversy in the universe concerning authority and rebellion, and bring us fully out of rebellion and under Your authority! Amen, Lord, we stand with You on earth today! We defer all rebellion today to You, and we allow You to come in and deal with any rebellion in us and deal with rebellion to bring in Your kingdom! Oh Lord, we agree with You: Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!
We need to Set ourselves to Submit to God’s Authority and Reject any Rebellion
The center of dispute in the universe relates to who has the authority (Rev. 4:2-3).
Satan is in rebellion against God and rejects the authority of God, and fallen mankind has joined Satan in his rebellion; we, however, need to content with Satan by asserting that authority is with God.
We believers in Christ need to set ourselves to submit to God’s authority and to uphold God’s authority.
We must contend with Satan by asserting that authority is with God (Acts 17:24, 30); we humble ourselves before God and submit to His authority, and we tell the enemy, We assert the authority of God in this country, right here and right now! Amen!
We need to set ourselves to submit to God’s authority and uphold God’s authority (Matt. 11:25).
Paul was such a one; before he realized authority, he wanted to eradicate the church from the earth, but he met the Lord on the way to Damascus, and he realized that it was difficult to kick against the goads (God’s authority) with his feet (man’s energy).
He fell down, he acknowledged Jesus as Lord, and he submitted to the instruction of Ananias in Damascus; in this way, Paul was brought not only into a realization of God’s salvation but also into a realization of God’s authority.
When we touch God’s authority, we do not look at the man who represents it; in Paul’s case, Paul was an intelligent and capable man, while Ananias was an insignificant small brother mentioned in the Bible only this time, but authority from God flowed through him.
Anyone who has met authority will deal with the authority alone – he will not deal with the person involved. Our submission is not to a person but to the Lord, to God’s authority in that person.
God’s goal in the church is to manifest His authority in the universe through the church; in the coordination in the church we can see God’s authority.
God exercises the utmost of His strength to uphold His authority, which is stronger than anything else.
But many times we are so self-confident – yet in reality we’re very blind – so we need to come at least once face-to-face with God’s authority, and then we will submit to God’s deputy authority whom God appoints.
May the Lord save us from having a spirit of rebellion; may we realize the principle of authority and rebellion, and may we be saved from the principle of rebellion in our being.
In Num. 16 there are two rebellions: in vv. 1-40 there’s the rebellion of the leaders, and in vv. 41-50 there’s the rebellion of the whole assembly.
After the leaders rebelled and God dealt with them by opening up the earth and swallowing some of them alive while others died, the people still rebelled against Moses and Aaron, accusing them that they killed God’s people.
Sometimes people are bold – they are not afraid even when they see the judgement coming on the rebellious ones, because they themselves don’t have the knowledge of authority.
The sin of rebellion is more serious than any other kind of sin (1 Sam. 15:23); the sin of rebellion is the principle of Satan in action, that is, defying authority, refusing rule, and rebelling against God’s authority in various ways.
There are many sins that are gross sins, most serious, but in God’s eyes rebellion is THE SIN, the origin of sin, for it is Satan operating again in a human being, whether he or she realizes or not.
God can bear our murmurings and our sins, and He may even pardon them, but once rebellion appears, God can’t tolerate it, for it is according to the principle of death, the principle of Satan.
May we set ourselves to submit to God’s authority and reject any rebellion in our being so that we may stand on earth for God to bring in His rule and kingdom!
Lord Jesus, we assert that authority is with God and we submit ourselves to God and His authority! Satan, you have been defeated: you are in rebellion, and we reject any rebellion in us and submit ourselves to God and His authority. May God’s kingdom come and His will be done on earth and in heaven. Amen, Lord, we agree with You: although man violates God’s authority and rebels against God, this rebellion will NOT continue – God will come to establish His kingdom on the earth! Amen, Lord Jesus, come and deal with all rebellion and bring in Your kingdom!
This article can also be read in the Romanian language / Citiți acest articol în limba română vizitând următorul link, Autoritatea și răzvrătirea: trebuie să ne supunem autorității lui Dumnezeu și să respingem răzvrătirea.
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Inspiration: the Word of God, my enjoyment in the ministry, the message by bro. Ron Kangas for this week, and portions from, Collected Works of Watchman Nee, vol. 47, ”Authority and Submission,” chs. 1-3, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Crystallization-Study of Numbers (2), week 8, Authority, Rebellion, the Vindication of Delegated Authority, and a Proper Representative of God.
- Hymns on this topic:
# Here in this heav’nly realm we live, / And with this heav’nly pow’r possessed / We walk and fight in heav’nly light / Until the Kingdom’s manifest. (Hymns #942)
# From the beachhead in our spirit / To our mind, emotion, will. / Christ will spread through all our being / And our vessel wholly fill. / He will cast out all rebellion, / Change our darkness into light. / Satan’s kingdom will be swallowed, / And Christ will reign with might. (Hymns #1297)
# Submitted to God’s ruling, / All virtue thus will win; / Rebellion to His Headship / Is but the root of sin. / The evil aim of Satan- / God’s throne to overthrow; / Our aim and goal is ever / His rule to fully know. (Hymns #941)
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