The Pride That Says "I Am My Own Authority"

Standing Firm in Shifting Sands – The Assault on Authority – Day 2

“Everyone did as they saw fit.” (Judges 21:25b)

Good morning, friends! Have you ever watched a toddler insist "I do it myself!" while stubbornly refusing help with something clearly beyond their ability? There’s something almost endearing about a child’s declaration of independence, until we realize that same spirit never really leaves us. Today we examine the ancient lie that whispers to every human heart: "You don’t need anyone telling you what to do. You are your own authority."

This isn’t a new problem. It’s the oldest problem. The book of Judges records a dark period in Israel’s history, and the refrain that echoes through those chapters tells us everything we need to know about what happens when people reject God’s authority: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit” (Judges 21:25). The result? Chaos, violence, idolatry, and misery. When each person becomes their own final authority, society doesn’t flourish, it fractures.

But this pattern goes back even further. In the Garden of Eden, the serpent’s temptation wasn’t primarily about fruit, it was about authority. Genesis 3:4-5 records his words: “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Notice the promise: "You will be like God." Not "you will understand God better" or "you will appreciate God’s wisdom," but "you will be like God," your own authority, your own lawgiver, your own determiner of right and wrong.

The Deceptive Heart

This is the heart of human pride. Proverbs 14:12 warns us, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” Our natural inclination is to trust our own judgment, to believe that if something makes sense to us, it must be true. We want to be the final court of appeal in our own lives. But Scripture reveals a devastating truth about this self-reliance. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

We cannot trust our own hearts to guide us rightly because our hearts are corrupted by sin. The very instrument we want to use as our compass is broken. Yet we insist on navigating by it anyway, certain that we know better than our Creator what will make us happy, what will fulfill us, what is right and wrong.

Isaiah captured God’s perspective on this human arrogance in Isaiah 53:6: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Every one of us has declared independence from God. We have turned to our own way, insisting on self-rule, self-determination, self-authority. This isn’t freedom; it’s rebellion. And the tragic consequence is that we wander like lost sheep, vulnerable and directionless, while proudly insisting we know exactly where we’re going.

Here’s what makes this so devastating for the Gospel: if we are our own authority, we don’t need a Savior. If we get to decide what’s right and wrong, then we can simply declare ourselves "good enough." But the Gospel begins with the recognition that God is the authority, that His law reveals our sin, and that we stand condemned before His perfect justice. Romans 3:23 doesn’t leave room for self-justification: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Not some of us. Not the worst of us. All of us.

The Beautiful Paradox of Submission

The beautiful paradox of the Gospel is this: freedom comes through submission. When we acknowledge God’s rightful authority over us, when we stop insisting on our own way and submit to His way, we discover what we were looking for all along. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

The yoke of self-rule is crushing. The burden of being our own authority is unbearable. We weren’t designed to carry it. But Jesus Christ offers us rest, not through abolishing all authority, but through submitting to the right authority. His authority is gentle. His burden is light. Because unlike us, He actually knows the way. Unlike our deceitful hearts, His guidance is perfect and leads to life. In Him, we find the freedom we have been searching for, the rest our souls desperately need, and the joy that comes from walking in the way we were created to walk.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I confess that my natural inclination is to resist Your authority and insist on my own way. Forgive me for the countless times I have trusted my own judgment over Your Word, thinking I knew better than You what would make me happy or fulfilled. Thank You for Your patience with my stubborn pride.

Today, I choose to submit to Your authority. I acknowledge that You are God and I am not. Help me to see Your commands not as restrictions, but as the loving guidance of a Father who knows what is best for His children. Thank You for sending Jesus, who perfectly submitted to Your will even to death on a cross, securing my salvation. In His strength, help me to daily take up my cross and follow Him. In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.

As we go through this day, we’ll face countless small decisions where we must choose between our way and God’s way. Maybe it’s how we respond to someone who annoys us. Maybe it’s whether we’ll be honest in a situation where a small lie would be convenient. Maybe it’s whether we’ll obey God’s Word even when it costs us something. In each moment, the question is the same: Who is the authority? The world trains us to trust ourselves, to do what feels right, to be our own guide. But we know better. We have a Father who loves us, a Savior who died for us, and a Spirit who guides us into all truth. We can trust Him. We can submit to His authority. And in that submission, we find the freedom we’ve been searching for all along.

We praise You, Lord God Almighty, for You alone are worthy to receive glory and honor and power! We praise You, Jesus, for Your perfect submission to the Father’s will. We praise You, Holy Spirit, for working in our rebellious hearts to create willing submission.

To God be the glory.

Pray, praise, and give thanks, for God is good and His mercy endures forever.

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