The Lord warned in Matthew 24:12 about the time of the end of the age that we are now in: “Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold.” Lawlessness begins when we start to push our own concepts of law and justice above God’s, as He has clearly laid them out in His Word.
Another example of how this spirit of lawlessness begins its encroachment upon a nation is how laws are disregarded or changed by those who do not have the authority to do so. An example of this in the U.S. is how district court judges, who have been given authority in specific districts, try to extend their authority over the entire country by countering or making changes to executive orders by the president or mandates from Congress. This is also a violation of Article I, the “separation of powers” clause in the Constitution, which is “the supreme law of the land.”
Such denial of clearly established rules is an attempt to seize control where one has no authority. This can be compared to the way a 5-year-old may try to control their whole family with tantrums or other outrageous behavior. If such behavior is not reigned in, this behavior can grow increasingly extreme and dangerous. Such children will grow up convinced they don’t need to obey rules, but can make their own. Isn’t that what the devil did, thereby causing the first rebellion and causing a third of the angels to fall? He sought to seize authority he had not been given, which is the root of every rebellion since.
Only recently has the Supreme Court started to reign in the rogue judges by overturning their rulings, but that will not likely be enough. These judges swore an oath to defend the Constitution, which was established as the “supreme law of the land” and the basis upon which the entire government stands. Such lawlessness is what compels the most dangerous rebels we face. Such lawlessness must also bring the penalties that the Constitution mandates if we are to stop this poison that threatens our constitutional republic.
Our Founders called for the impeachment of such judges and/or having their courts defunded by Congress. This authority was given in the Constitution to Congress by giving it the power of impeachment and the power of the purse. So far, Congress has been like parents who know they should discipline their children but don’t have the courage to do it. So, the dangerous behavior only gets worse, and legitimate constitutional authority is eroded.
Lawlessness is released when there are no consequences for bending or breaking the laws. This is the foundation of the sin of man and the foundation upon which the “man of sin” will assert power over the nations. To combat this, we must fortify our devotion to righteousness and justice and resist lawlessness, standing firm as the salt and light we’re called to be.
There’s a reason the “man of sin” is also called the “man of lawlessness.” The end result of allowing the laws to be bent or broken without consequence is to ultimately be ruled by one who is not governed by restraint to their whims and desires, which is anarchy, the worst form of tyranny.
With one act of disobedience, the rebellion in heaven spread and drew a third of the angels to follow Satan. Then it spread to the earth so that the apostle John would write, “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (see 1 John 5:19). Lawlessness is contagious and will spread fast if not countered.
Lawlessness will also grow in the hearts of those infected. The 5-year-old who learns they can control their whole family with their rebellion, which ultimately destroys the family, grows up thinking they can do the same to their city, and even their country. These are now the anarchists who are burning and wrecking our cities.
There is a difference between power and authority. All authority has been given to Jesus, and the time is coming when He will use His power to take His authority over the earth. Until He does, the battle with lawlessness will increase until the end of this age, as He and His apostles and prophets predicted. This will get so bad that we’re told in Scripture that the Lord will have to return to keep the whole earth from being destroyed.
One way that we can prepare the way for Him and His kingdom is to have His laws written in our hearts. As we are taught throughout the Scriptures, God promotes respect for authority and obedience. The serpent, which is the devil in Scripture, is called “crafty.” This is the nature of one who is always trying to bend the rules and see how much they can get away with doing. Jesus is the opposite; He lived to obey and please the Father, as do those who truly follow Him.
© 2025 Rick Joyner. All Rights Reserved.
