What It's Really Called If She Disobeys

Last week we learned that there was a place created by God for Lucifer, also known as satan, the devil, the evil one and those angels that decided to go with him. This place was not only going to accept satan at the end of ‘time’, but also those that lived with wrong standards. Even as Christians, we can lower our standards, our ethics, our morals and slide backwards in our actions to the point of being cast into this place when we die or when Jesus returns to earth to take His brothers and sisters that are living in His righteousness. This place we are talking about is called hell.


We also learned in Isaiah 14 how Lucifer rose up saying that he would exalt or set up his throne above the angels and be like the Most High, God. This was the highest degree of rebellion against God’s authority as Creator.

Romans 13:1-7 {parenthesis are my thoughts}”Let every soul be subject unto the

higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers

that be {Police Officers, City Officials, The President, Pastor, our Parents} are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the

power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall

receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to

good works {those that abide by the law}, but to the evil {those that break the law}. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good {that’s why the Police cars usually have written on them ‘to serve and protect’}. But if thou do that which is evil {break the law}, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must be subject {obedient}, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For this cause pay ye tribute {taxes} also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear {respect} to whom fear; honour to whom honour”.

Taken from the book entitled ‘Spiritual Authority’ by Watchman Nee;

“The acts of God are performed from His throne, and His throne is established on His authority. All things are created through God’s authority and all physical laws of the universe {the law of gravity, etc} are maintained by His authority. Hence the bible expresses it as “upholding all things by the word of His power” Hebrews 1:3 which means upholding all things by the word of His power of His authority. For God’s authority represents God Himself. Sin against authority is a sin against God Himself. God alone is authority in all things; all the authorities of the earth are instituted by God. Authority is a tremendous thing in the universe - nothing overshadows it. It is therefore vital for us who desire to serve God to know the authority of God.

Lucifer turned into satan when he overreached God’s authority, competed with God, and thus became an adversary of God. Rebellion was the cause of satan’s fall.”

Remember last week when I gave a bit of my history growing up, having very little guidance, my life was built on what I found out, I discovered, I achieved and became very independent {I, I, I}. So, being independent, being convinced my way was the best way, I rebelled against all authority in my life. No one could tell me any better way than the way I had found through hard knocks. I knew the best way for my life. I thought this was a good thing. However, I explained that lifestyle was rebellion. Here Watchman Nee explains the same reaction and who I was really rebelling against, God Himself.

More from the book; “Satan’s intent of setting his throne above the throne of God was the thing which violated God’s authority; it was the principle of self-exaltation {self lifting up}. That act was but the product of his rebellion against authority. It was rebellion which God condemned. In serving God we must not violate authorities, because to do so is a principle of satan. How can we preach Christ according to satan’s principle? How very wicked for us to assume that we are doing the work of the Lord. Please take note that satan is not afraid of our preaching the word of Christ, yet how very much he is in fear of our being subject {obedient} to the authority of Christ. Whenever the principle according to Christ {surrendered to Christ’s authority} is operating, that of satan fades away. If we would truly serve God we must be completely purified from the principle of satan {rebellion}.

In the prayer which our Lord teaches His church, the word ‘and bring us not into temptation” points to satan’s work, whereas the word “but deliver us from the evil one” refers directly to satan himself. Immediately after these words the Lord makes a most significant declaration:

“for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen” Matthew 6:13. All kingdom, authority, and glory belong to God and to God alone. What sets us totally free from satan is the seeing of this most precious truth - that the kingdom is God’s.

The controversy of the universe is centered on who shall have the authority”. Remember when we studied in Romans that whoever you obey you are the servant of? The one we obey then receives the authority we walk in. That’s how Adam lost his authority on the earth, giving that authority over to satan, when he obeyed him. “Our conflict with satan is the direct result of our attributing authority to God. To maintain God’s authority we must be subject to it {obey it} with all our hearts. The greatest of God’s demands on man is not for him to bear the cross, to serve, make offerings, or deny himself. The greatest demand is for him to obey. Obedience alone is absolutely honoring to God, for it alone takes God’s will as your center”.

Satan rose up in pride, thinking more highly of himself than God. This was rebellion. He would not obey God, he rebelled. Anytime we rebel against authority, we are rebelling against God Himself.

Turn to Proverbs 17:11 “An evil girl seeketh only rebellion”. Here rebellion is named among those that are evil. Remember evil or wicked are those that have wrong standards, those standards that oppose the bible. The bible lists the standards we are to have. Wrong standards to live by will get us cast into hell, remember? This is some serious stuff, isn’t it? God looks at rebellion in a serious way. It was the original sin. Satan rebelled against God and Adam rebelled against God. So to rebel is sin. Rebellion is sin!
Turn to 1 Samuel 15:23. Here King Saul had disobeyed God’s instructions and He spoke through the prophet Samuel these words “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft {fortune-telling}, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king”.

Pretty strong words, isn’t it? Well, this was God speaking. So God is saying because you put yourself and your wants and what YOU thought should be right ahead of what I THOUGHT as God, then I call this like the sin of witchcraft, or fortune telling. Witchcraft is trying to get things done, drawing on evil powers. If you’re drawing on evil powers, you are drawing on powers that are not of God and are in opposition of God. So, God is saying rebellion is to Him as drawing on the powers of evil. Now, if God thinks that rebellion is a strong sin, then we should feel rebellion is a strong sin. We should evaluate where we rebel in our lives, where we oppose someone in authority over us, and ask for Him to forgive us, not doing this evil again.

This will go against our nature. Don’t think it won’t. Remember that sin-nature we were born with we learned about? That will try it best to take over and cause us to rebel. But God says ‘NO’. We are not to let it take over. We can, however, ask for His help. He wants this for us far more than we do, so He will definitely help us through moments when rebellion wants to rise up in us.

We should, though, want to get rid of this in ourselves if to do it would be comparing our actions to satan himself. Satan rebelled against God, his Creator. Let’s give our Creator the honor and respect He deserves to be trusted and obeyed. He has our best interests at heart.