The modern state promises more than order. It promises hope. It claims to secure justice, create equity, end poverty, and keep everyone safe. For many, government has become the first answer to nearly every social problem. But Scripture gives us a very different picture.
Government has a role. But it also has a limit.
When it steps outside that boundary, it doesn’t just waste money or become inefficient. It violates its God-ordained purpose.
A Biblical Definition of Government
In Romans 13:1–7, Paul lays out the role of governing authorities:
“…there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God… For he is God’s servant for your good… But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain.”
The government is God’s servant. That word in Greek (διάκονος, diakonos) is the same root used for deacon—a helper, not a master. The government exists to serve a particular function: to reward good, punish evil, and keep the peace.
Likewise, 1 Peter 2:14 describes rulers as sent by God “to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.”
Government was never designed to manage every detail of life, redistribute wealth, enforce ideological conformity, or replace family, church, and community. It is a guardian of order—not a savior, therapist, or life planner.
This is foundational: Government is a tool of justice, not a provider of redemption.
The Founders Echoed This
The biblical role of the State is rooted in the concept of justice, not utopia. Government cannot eliminate all suffering, equalize every outcome, or engineer human virtue. That’s not its role. That’s not its right.
When it tries to be more than God appointed, it ends up doing more harm than good. It ceases to be a minister of justice—and becomes a false priest, promising redemption it cannot deliver.
The Constitution limits government on purpose. It assumes that liberty is preserved not by growing state power, but by restraining it. Checks and balances, federalism, and the Bill of Rights exist to contain Leviathan—to prevent the very kind of overreach we now face.
Today, many argue that government should take on a far more expansive role:
- To equalize outcomes, not just protect opportunity.
- To control speech in the name of safety.
- To police morality according to popular ideology.
- To fund and regulate every domain—education, healthcare, religion, business, even parenting.
But this is not progress. It is mission drift. It is a departure from the proper function of the state.
Why Limits Matter
When government grows beyond its role, three things happen:
- Responsibility shifts away from individuals and families toward bureaucracies.
- Moral authority becomes centralized, with government defining good and evil apart from Scripture.
- Liberty shrinks, as more of life becomes regulated, monitored, and managed from above.
None of these are theoretical. They are visible in every modern society where Leviathan has gone unchecked.
- In China, the state monitors speech, limits worship, and shapes the moral beliefs of its people through surveillance and propaganda.
- In Europe, speech laws, state-run media, and expansive social programs have replaced much of what the church and family once provided, and now running with heavy debt.
This kind of expansion is often justified by phrases like “the common good” or “equity.” But without a clear moral standard and boundary, these terms become tools for control.
What Justice Really Means
In the Bible, justice is rooted in the character of God. It is not a moving target, nor is it defined by polling or political parties.
Micah 6:8 says, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God?”
Justice in this context is not about managing all of life’s outcomes. It is about rightful consequences—punishing evil, protecting the innocent, and ensuring fair treatment under law.
When government tries to go beyond this—when it tries to create perfect outcomes, solve every inequality, or guarantee a life without hardship—it stops pursuing justice and starts seeking control.
This is why Scripture insists that civil government is not ultimate. It is a necessary but limited institution, under God.
The Importance of Spheres
The Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper famously said:
“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’”
Kuyper’s teaching on sphere sovereignty helps explain what’s gone wrong.
God has established different spheres of responsibility:
- Family – for nurturing, training, and provision.
- Church – for spiritual care, truth, and mercy.
- State – for law and justice.
Each has authority in its own realm, but none has authority over all. When the State tries to take over the roles of family or Church, it doesn’t bring unity—it brings disorder.
This is where many Christians need reformation in their thinking. The government is not the head of the household. It is not the soul’s shepherd. And it is not the source of truth.
When the State takes over what God has given to others, it violates not just political liberty—it violates divine order.
What Christians Must Do
We are not called to be anarchists, nor are we told to trust in human government for liberation.
Here’s what this means for us:
- We honor the government when it punishes evil and protects peace.
- We resist the government when it overreaches into what God has reserved for others.
- We hold that ultimate authority belongs to God, not to man.
- We prepare to say “no” when obedience to Caesar would mean disobedience to Christ.
This is not rebellion. It is faithfulness.
Conclusion: Taming the State by Recovering Its Purpose
The Leviathan cannot be slain. Not until Christ returns. But it can be restrained.
And the first step in taming it is restoring a right understanding of its role. Not savior. Not shepherd. Just servant.
Because only one King saves. And His name is not Caesar.