There is a voice that rises above all human commands, louder than every protest and louder than every law passed by man. It is not the clamor of politics, the noise of social media, or the shifting tides of cultural opinion. It is the voice of the Creator Himself, the One who spoke the universe into existence, who stretched out the heavens and fashioned the earth by His wisdom. This voice is eternal, unchanging, and supreme. NO ONE has ANY power over His!!!
When Scripture calls us to obey God rather than men, this is not a cute slogan for rebellious spirits. It is a sacred command rooted in covenant loyalty, faithfulness, and reverence for the One who holds all authority in heaven and earth. This call reverberates throughout the Bible, through stories of courage, conviction, and costly obedience.
Let’s start at the beginning of this sacred struggle, in the land of Egypt. Pharaoh, the self-proclaimed god-king, issues a brutal decree: every Hebrew boy born was to be killed (Exodus 1:22). This was not a small order; it was genocide, a violent attempt to crush God’s chosen people. But God raised up two midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, to stand in defiance.
The Hebrew text says plainly: וַתִּירֶאןָ הַמְיַלְּדֹת אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים וְלֹא עָשׂוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֲלֵיהֶן מֶלֶךְ מִצְרָיִם (vattir’ēnā hamyalledōt et-ha’Elohim v’lo ‘āśū ka’asher dibbēr ‘ălēihen melekh Mitsrayim), “The midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them.”
That verb יָרֵא (yare’), usually translated as “fear,” carries profound weight. It’s not mere terror but a reverence and awe that binds the heart and conscience to God’s authority above all else. This fear of God—yirat Elohim—is a foundational biblical concept. It means recognizing God as the ultimate Judge and King, whose commands carry eternal significance.
The midwives’ choice wasn’t just about defying Pharaoh; it was about honoring life, God’s gift, above the mandates of a tyrant. They risked their lives to protect God’s people because their loyalty was first to God, not man.
Egypt was a ruthless empire. Pharaoh was seen as a living god, wielding absolute power. To disobey him was dangerous. Yet these women chose to honor God’s higher law. Their faithfulness set a pattern that echoes through Scripture and into our lives today: when God’s commands conflict with human laws, our loyalty must be to God.
Jump centuries ahead to the fiery furnace of Babylon, another stage in this ongoing struggle between divine and earthly authority. The golden statue set up by Nebuchadnezzar was not merely an idol but a symbol of imperial power demanding worship (Daniel 3). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s refusal to bow was an unmistakable declaration of allegiance to God alone.
Their words, אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֲשֶׁר־אֲנַחְנוּ עָבְדִים יָכוֹל לְהַצִּילֵנוּ (Eloheinu asher-anachnu avdim yakhol le’hatzilenu) mean “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us.” Notice the verb עָבַד (avad), “to serve” or “minister,” also translated in Greek as λατρεύω (latreuō), a word rich with meaning about worship, service, and devoted allegiance. Their service to God was total and exclusive.
Even when the outcome seemed bleak, they were willing to face death rather than disobey God. The fiery furnace, a literal trial by fire, became a testament to the power of faithfulness. Their story inspires us: faithfulness to God means trusting His power but also submitting to His sovereignty even when deliverance seems uncertain.
Now, in the New Testament, the apostles stand before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council, after the resurrection of Yeshua HaMeshiach. They are commanded to stop preaching in Yeshua HaMeshiach’ name. Peter responds with bold clarity: δεῖ πειθαρχείν Θεῷ μᾶλλον ἢ ἀνθρώποις (dei peitharchein Theō mallon ē anthrōpois), “We must obey God rather than men.”
The Greek verb πειθαρχέω (peitharcheō) means “to obey,” “to be persuaded by,” or “to submit to authority.” Here, Peter acknowledges the Sanhedrin’s earthly authority but asserts God’s authority is higher. This statement is more than defiance; it’s a declaration of ultimate loyalty to God’s truth, even under threat of punishment.
The Sanhedrin wielded immense religious and civil power. To oppose them publicly was dangerous. Yet the apostles’ faithfulness sparked the growth of the early Church and laid the foundation for generations of believers to come.
The apostle Paul later clarifies this relationship in Romans 13:1–7. He teaches submission to governing authorities because “there is no authority except from God.” But, and this is critical, this submission has limits. When human laws contradict God’s commands, believers must obey God rather than men. This tension between earthly authority and divine command calls for wisdom, courage, and unwavering faith.
Throughout Scripture, this theme repeats—obedience to God above all. It is costly. It is courageous. It is the path of faithfulness.
And what of those who choose their own way, rejecting God’s authority? Scripture warns clearly of their fate. Psalm 2 paints a vivid picture of the rebellious nations “plotting against the LORD and His Anointed.” But God laughs and declares judgment is coming. Proverbs 3:7 warns against being wise in our own eyes, a fate of ruin.
The book of Romans cuts straight to the heart: “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). To reject God is not a small thing. It is rebellion against the Creator, and judgment is sure.
But here is the mercy woven through all of this: God’s heart is to restore, forgive, and welcome back the repentant. He disciplines those He loves (Deuteronomy 8:5) and calls sinners home like the prodigal son (Luke 15). His mercy is greater than our sin, and His grace abounds.
Still, rebellion is not without consequence. To choose the path of Hasatan, opposing God, living in pride and sin—is to set oneself against the Almighty. The day of reckoning is coming, and none will escape His righteous judgment.
For believers today, this means walking a narrow path of faithfulness, obedience, and love. It means saying boldly, with Peter, “We must obey God rather than men,” regardless of the cost.
The phrase “religious freedom” resonates loudly in our culture today. It’s often held up as a sacred right, a shield for conscience, and a rallying cry in political and social debates. Yet, beneath this banner, a dangerous deception is spreading, one that distorts true freedom and promotes rebellion against God’s moral order.
True חופש דת(ḥofesh dat), religious freedom, is a gift from God, rooted in the freedom He gives through His Son. It is the liberty to worship Him in Spirit and truth, not the freedom to reject Him or His commands. The Apostle Paul makes this clear: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). But this freedom is inseparable from holiness and obedience.
Sadly, many today misuse this concept, turning it into a license to embrace sin openly and demand acceptance for lifestyles and practices that Scripture (i.e. God) calls rebellion. It is no coincidence that those who once sat in church pews and heard the gospel now champion ideas and behaviors that contradict God’s Word.
This turning away from God is the work of הַשָּׂטָן (ha-satan), the adversary. He is the great deceiver, the father of lies (John 8:44), who blinds minds and hardens hearts to God’s truth. Hasatan’s strategy is to seduce humanity into believing that God’s commands are oppressive shackles rather than loving guidance.
“Pride parades”, the elevation of sexual immorality, and the resurgence of idolatry—such as pagan worship involving animals like boars, are not just cultural shifts. They are spiritual battlegrounds where Hasatan works to pull people away from the living God and into darkness.
The Bible is clear: idols are powerless and dead (Psalm 115:4–8). They cannot see, hear, or save. Yet people bow to them, exchanging the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man, birds, animals, or creeping things (Romans 1:23). This rejection of God’s glory is the heart of rebellion.
“Religious freedom,” when used to justify turning away from God, is a Trojan horse. It invites sin into the heart of society, claiming rights that clash with God’s law. When the demand is made to redefine marriage, silence biblical truth, or celebrate what God calls sin, it’s not freedom at all. It is bondage to sin and spiritual death.
Yeshua HaMeshiach said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). Freedom apart from Christ is a mirage, false liberty leading to destruction. The enemy masquerades as an angel of light, but his kingdom is built on lies, confusion, and death.
Believers must wake up. This is a spiritual war, not a simple cultural disagreement. We are called to stand firm, speak truth in love, and obey God rather than man.
The enemy we face is no myth or fairy tale. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word שָּׂטָן(satan) means “adversary” or “accuser.” The prefix הַ(ha-) makes it definite: הַשָּׂטָן(ha-satan)—the adversary, the accuser, the relentless opposer of God and His people.
In the Book of Job, ha-satanappears as a kind of prosecutor in the heavenly court, testing Job’s faithfulness. But this is just the beginning. As Scripture unfolds, ha-satan emerges as the ultimate enemy—the prince of darkness who seeks to deceive, accuse, and destroy.
The New Testament Greek word διάβολος (diábolos) translates this Hebrew concept and means “slanderer” or “accuser.” Yeshua HaMeshiach exposes him in John 8:44 as “a murderer from the beginning, not standing in truth, because there is no truth in him.” He is “the father of lies,” whose sole purpose is to lead people away from God’s truth into destruction.
This enemy is not distant or vague. The apostle Peter warns us sharply in 1 Peter 5:8 to be sober and vigilant because “your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” His tactics are clear: deception, accusation, and temptation.
Hasatan twists God’s Word, promoting false religions, counterfeit freedom, and rebellion against God’s holy design for life and marriage. This is why we see pagan worship resurging in some cultures, including idolatrous reverence for animals like boars or other creatures, under the guise of heritage or “tolerance.”
Understanding Hasatan’s nature and methods is vital to standing firm. The Apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12 that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, authorities, and powers of this dark world.” The spiritual battle is real, fierce, and ongoing.
But the good news is this: Hasatan is defeated. Through the cross, Christ triumphed over principalities and powers (Colossians 2:15). Believers share in that victory and are equipped with God’s armor, truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God, to resist the enemy.
The Spirit God gives is not one of fear but of power, love, and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7). When we stand on God’s Word and obey Him rather than man, we thwart the enemy’s plans.
The battle is fierce, but the victory is sure. God’s people are called not only to recognize the enemy but to stand boldly in the strength of the Lord. When the world pressures us to conform—to bow to false gods, to silence truth, or to embrace sin in the name of “freedom”—we must remember that our citizenship is in heaven, and our allegiance belongs to the King of kings.
God’s discipline is a mark of His love. As Deuteronomy 8:5 reminds us, “As a father disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.” Discipline is not rejection; it is correction aimed at restoration. Like a parent who refuses to let a child wander into danger, God’s hand guides us back to the path of life.
The story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11–32 beautifully illustrates God’s heart for restoration. No matter how far we wander, no matter how many times we stumble, God eagerly awaits our return. He runs to us with open arms, clothes us with honor, and throws a feast to celebrate our repentance.
But restoration comes with a call to change. The same God who forgives also calls us to holiness and obedience. The freedom Yeshua HaMeshiach offers is not a license to sin but the power to live righteously.
John 10:10 tells us Yeshua HaMeshiach came that we might have life—and have it abundantly. This abundant life is not found in the fleeting pleasures of sin but in the deep, lasting joy of walking with Him, obeying His Word, and living under His grace.
So stand firm, beloved of God. Obey God rather than man. Speak truth with love, live boldly in faith, and never forget that the Lord your God is with you—strong, faithful, and victorious.
Prayer:
Yeshua HaMeshiach, You are our Savior and King. We thank You for Your mercy and grace that restore us when we fall. Help us to obey You above all else, to stand firm against the enemy’s lies, and to walk in the abundant life You promise. Strengthen our hearts, guard our minds, and fill us with Your Spirit. In Your holy name we pray, Amen.
Now go forward, beloved, walking in truth and freedom, fearless, faithful, and fully alive in Christ.
and THAT is…
