The Sign of Anarchy

How the current riots in America are a sign of the end times

In recent days, in cities across the United States, peaceful protests following the death of George Floyd have turned violent. For students of Scripture, this is not surprising.

For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)—9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, 11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord. —2 Peter 2:4-11 (emphasis mine)

In 2 Thessalonians 2:8-9, the apostle Paul refers to the Antichrist as “the lawless one.” The spirit of the Antichrist is rebellion, and it is intensifying in America. It is easy to see the increasing presence of rebellion to both human and divine authority. We are living in rebellious, lawless times.

Make no mistake: the death of George Floyd was such a horrific tragedy. I don’t believe there is any doubt that his murder was racially motivated. And I support the black community and all others who peacefully protest the heinous crime that was committed against Floyd, his family and the larger black community. One of our most important constitutional rights is the freedom of assembly and the right of free speech to protest the actions of our government.

But, knowingly or unknowingly, those who are peacefully protesting are now being used as human shields by other violent groups. There are disputing claims about which groups are fueling this violence. Some speculate it is being caused by Antifa, a radical leftist group who have vowed to spread their anti-fascist beliefs by any means possible. Other officials have put the blame on white supremacists, foreign actors, drug cartels and other non-local agitators. It may very well be a combination of all these groups, from one city to the next.

Regardless of who is behind it, the chaos and looting have nothing to do with the death of George Floyd. These malevolent groups are exploiting an opportunity to rise up against the government and to do as much damage as they can. And as is clear from news reports, a growing number of people are joining their ranks and defying authority in the most blatant manner.

The Biblical Importance of Authority

The Kingdom of God is one of authority. The Bible is a book that teaches us to submit to God and human authority. Romans 13 is one of the most explicit texts in the Bible telling us to submit to secular authority as God’s minister to us. King David submitted to King Saul even as Saul was trying to kill him. Jesus submitted to His mother when he was thirteen years old when she refused to allow Him to begin His earthly ministry.

Like it or not, we must embrace authority as God’s instrument in our lives. We may refuse to obey authority should someone demand we violate our faith. But even so, we must do so with a reverent spirit.

Authority is covering. It is protection. This is why the apostle James tells us submission is the secret to successful spiritual warfare:

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble. 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”—James 4:6-7 (emphasis mine)

Here is an important principle to understand: In God’s Kingdom, you only have as much authority as you are under. That is why the apostle James tells us we do not have authority over the devil when we are walking in pride—when we remove ourselves from God’s authority. When this happens, God Himself resists us.

The word for “resists” in ancient Greek (the original language of the New Testament) is the word antitasso and it means “to set yourself in battle formation against.” God loves us and is always for us, but He will not allow us to destroy ourselves in pride and rebellion without resistance from Him. He sets Himself against us. That is His love trying to protect us.

James 4:7 tells us that once we are submitted to God, we can then resist the devil and he will flee from us. But the word “resist” in this sentence is a different Greek word. It is the word anthistemi and it means “to oppose; to stand against.” This is significant. It implies less action and more of a mindset. In other words, we don’t have to do anything dramatic to defeat the devil once we are submitted to God. Instead of our actions, God’s authority overcomes the devil. The main thing we must do is to remain under God’s authority and resist what the devil is trying to do against us. We must resist His lies, intimidations and temptations.

The Secret Power of Submission

Jesus Himself walked in humility during His ministry on this earth. He was completely submitted to His mother, Mary, until He began His public ministry at age 30. After that, He completely submitted to God the Father. That was the secret to His authority over the devil and the power of His public ministry.

As His followers, we must reject the rebellious and prideful spirit of our current age and remind ourselves of the importance of walking in submission to human and divine authority.

The devil is the ultimate anarchist. He hates authority on all levels, because it prevents him from wreaking the devastation he desires. Just look at the cities across America whose mayors have refused to use their rightful authority to stop the looters and rioters. Their weakness empowered the agents of chaos and allowed lawless people to leave a wake of destruction in their paths. Innocent citizens, business owners, and peaceful protestors in those communities have suffered immeasurably because of the weakness of their “leaders.”

Other mayors, such as the mayor of Miami, Francis Suarez, who is a former firefighter, used his authority to empower local law enforcement to stop rioters and looters from doing what they desired. Miami stands in stark contrast to other cities because of the unapologetic and noble authority used by its courageous mayor.

As I watch what is happening in America today, I have no doubt we are witnessing the spirit of the Antichrist, the lawless one, at work. The subversion of authority is his trademark. Inciting anarchy has been his specialty since the Garden of Eden. And it will grow in intensity as his evil rise to power draws closer.

But I remind you of the text from 2 Peter, chapter 2, at the beginning of this article. There is a coming judgment on the world that will render God’s final justice on fallen angels and rebellious humans.

And as the apostle Peter noted, this judgment will be especially severe for those who despise authority.