Authority is a big topic, it is hard to resume in a few simple paragraphs the profound effects of understanding and applying authority correctly. The importance of understanding kingdom authority cannot be overestimate. So here goes…
The bible states quite clearly that all authority is from God. Full stop (period! If you are American). This means that any time we see someone in authority in any area of life, the authority they have belongs to God, even if that authority was wrongly obtained and used, it still belongs to God.
Does this mean that all leaders are Godly? No.
Does this mean that everything a leader does is right? No.
Does this mean I have to agree with everything a leader does or says? No.
Does this mean I can usurp or rebel again abusive authority? No.
There are many areas of authority, from government to arts to education to media to family etc. Initially, all authority is always given by God to bless those that sit under it. An example might be a worship leader or teacher who when they are in their area of authority bless those in attendance. But it could just as well be a business man who treats his employees with dignity and fairness or a mother or father who bring up their children lovingly in the ways of the Lord.
Lets take kingdom authority as the example. God is the highest of highs and above all, He has all authority on heaven and on earth. He delegates authority (i.e. allows others to act in His name) to angels, men, spirits and even demons have varying degrees of authority over each other but also over territories and sometimes people (demonic authority stems from rebellion and is always usurped i.e. stolen, as it was from Adam in the garden of Eden, Christ took back all legal authority on the cross so any authority the Devil has is usurped). We see that even animals have authority, for example wolves have pack leaders and herds have dominating males and females. There are even dominating species within nature which contend with other species for territory or supremacy. So authority is everywhere.
This does not mean we have to agree with abuse of authority or accept it, what it does mean is that we recognise that all authority comes from God and we do not try to dislodge, rebel or usurp that authority. Doing this creates chaos and correct transitions in authority and power come from God who is the “maker and breaker” of kings or leaders.
We turn to God and he gives us justice, we never do justice ourselves, we are not judges. The exception to this is demonic authority which God has taken back through Christ Jesus, all demonic authority is abusive, usurped and illegitimate and we actually have a legitimate mandate as co-heirs in Christ to take it back and rule with Christ on earth (how to do this is the subject of another topic).
The purpose of our authority is to bless others and empower them to do better than us, to rise higher, to prosper more, to go from glory to glory so that heaven would be established on earth through godly use of authority.
Often the difficulty lies in submitting to authority and relying on God for justice. This is a point of contention for many. We see uprisings in many countries, we see populations rebelling against government, many of these uprisings seem justified and from a human perspective, they probably are.
The thing is that if the body of Christ was in the business of “making disciples of nations” and there was heaven on earth in governmental spheres then social and criminal justice would be in operation and there would be much less scope for people wanting to rebel and undermine leadership and governance. This is just one of the reasons that Jesus is the desire of the nations and that everyone wants a king like Jesus, He is perfect authority, perfect justice and perfect salvation.
Authority itself is the very presence of the Holy Spirit in a place and/or on a person.
Update: The way authority flows can be illustrated by a simple family dynamic: If a thief comes into a house, usually the man will step in front of the wife and children to protect them, the wife will then stand in front of the children as a second line of defense. In this scenario, God has empowered the man by giving him physical strength for the purpose of defending his family, the wife also has more strength than the children to be able to defend them.
With authority, the dynamic is very similar. God gives authority and empowers those in authority to do a job or execute a task, when that person is in their authority they are backed by God who gives them the strength they need. They “hide behind” God and everyone under their authority “hides” behind them and is protected because God has ordained it that way.
I a church that authority is a pastor or prophet or apostle etc. The congregation that works in submission to that authority stands behind them, they are the first line of defense and are empowered to stand for the congregation. In government there are heads of state, congresmen/MPs, mayors, administrative staff etc. each with their own level of authority. If the head of state give and order (good or bad) those under his authority are not blamed for executing that order if something goes wrong, they are flowing submission to authority and are thus protected from the consequences of wrongdoing or errors. The same goes for the church, family, communities. God has established authority for our protection and our own good, not as a means of oppression or humiliation.