You live in a country and your government has just passed a law that you do not like. You can show your disagreement in different ways, but the Bible is clear: not through civil disobedience.
There is no room for interpretation in Titus 3:1 (NIV): “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good.” A verse that looks a bit like Romans 13:1 (NIV): “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”
Let’s look at the example of Daniel. “At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent” (Daniel 6:4 NIV). This is what our fellow citizens should be able to say about us, this is the testimony we should leave. Jesus also obeyed all the laws of his land. So when the religious brought him to be accused before Pilate, the latter found no grounds for accusation (John 18:38). Jesus angered the religious leaders of His day, but He did nothing to anger the Romans. And even while under the reign of a horrible and unjust emperor, Nero, the apostles encouraged Christians to remain submissive. “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people” (1 Peter 2:13-15 NIV).
Why?
To have a good reputation and thus obtain the approval of the authorities. “For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended” (Romans 13:3 NIV). If we want to have a positive impact with our non-Christian governments on really important issues, to have them listen to us when we want to make a point, we have to have a good testimony. Which child will we bless: the one who is often disobedient and dissenting, or the one who is obedient and respectful?
To live in peace. “For kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:2 NIV). We should seek to be at peace with everyone. To our brothers and sisters in Christ, this is done by forgiving when we have cause to complain (Colossians 3:13). Towards the unsaved, this is done by respecting their traditions so as not to offend them (1 Corinthians 9:22). And to the authorities of this world, by following the laws in place. We must seek to live a peaceful life. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18 NIV).
Because our real fight is spiritual. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV). We have to fight more on our knees than on the public square. We may be against a government rule, but when we choose to fight it in the spirit, we realize that either that law is not bad spiritually, or that it is part of a much greater demonic plan. Challenging the law will not change the great demonic plan, but prayer will change something.
Does this mean that we must obey blindly, never contesting anything? No. When a law compels us to disobey God, then it is different. But examples of this in the Bible are very rare. Daniel disobeyed the new law of his land because it prevented him from praying and he was cast to the lions. The apostles disobeyed the laws that prevented them from speaking about Jesus and they were sent to prison. Civil disobedience should be reserved only in those rare cases where we cannot obey God. We can challenge a law while being respectful of the system in place. We can go to court, we can make our voices heard through petitions, or we can request hearings from our authorities to make our point. But before embarking on a campaign of protest, we must be convinced that the time we are going to invest in this project will not take away our time to extend the Kingdom of God. Our mission on Earth is not to transform governments, but to win souls and make disciples.
What about Singles in all of this? It is to your advantage to seek a partner who seeks peace with everyone. If during your time of dating you see that this person is protesting, disobedient, rebellious, how do you think they will behave in their marital commitment? If they try to win against the government, do you think they will be accommodating at home? Observe this in the other person before you get married, to avoid arguments after the wedding.