What are the dangers of power?
Ezekiel 31:18“O Egypt, to which of the trees of Eden will you compare your strength and glory? You, too, will be brought down to the depths with all these other nations. You will lie there among the outcasts who have died by the sword. This will be the fate of Pharaoh and all his hordes. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
Nahum 2:11-12Where now is that great Nineveh, that den filled with young lions? It was a place where people—like lions and their cubs—walked freely and without fear. The lion tore up meat for his cubs and strangled prey for his mate. He filled his den with prey, his caverns with his plunder.
Power that does not recognize its source in God is fragile. Those who appear to be mighty today will fall tomorrow. You cannot count on any power that does not acknowledge God and stand on his authority.
Numbers 16:1-4One day Korah . . . conspired with Dathan and Abiram, . . . They incited a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 other leaders of the community, . . . They united against Moses and Aaron and said, “. . . What right do you have to act as though you are greater than the rest of the Lord’s people?”
Judges 9:1-2One day Gideon’s son Abimelech went to Shechem to visit his uncles—his mother’s brothers. He said to them and to the rest of his mother’s family, “Ask the leading citizens of Shechem whether they want to be ruled by all seventy of Gideon’s sons or by one man. And remember that I am your own flesh and blood!”
1 Kings 2:17He [Adonijah] replied, “Speak to King Solomon on my behalf, for I know he will do anything you request. Ask him to let me marry Abishag, the girl from Shunem.”
Psalm 2:2The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one.
Isaiah 14:13-15“For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’ Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths.”
As these different Scriptures recall, the desire for power is seductive and addictive. Even Satan, a former archangel, succumbed to that lure. Self-serving power is almost always destructive. Never seek or wield power to get what you want or to control others. Power that comes from God will always come with the call to serve those under your charge.
1 Kings 21:7-10“Are you the king of Israel or not?” Jezebel demanded. “Get up and eat something, and don’t worry about it. I’ll get you Naboth’s vineyard!” So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and other leaders of the town where Naboth lived. In her letters she commanded: “Call the citizens together for a time of fasting, and give Naboth a place of honor. And then seat two scoundrels across from him who will accuse him of cursing God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.”
Power is often used for evil purposes. Those in power need to be careful not to drift toward evil but toward good. Once evil has been embraced, the spiral of corruption is always downward unless reversed by profound repentance.
Jeremiah 9:23-24This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!”
Having power can lead to pride. Power and pride are often closely related. It is pride that seduces people in power to use their power for their own benefit. This invariably leads to harming others along the way. People with power who remain humble realize that their power is a gift from God, which comes with great accountability and responsibility. The powerful who know God never boast in their power. They know that their power comes from God, who can strip it away at any time.
2 Chronicles 18:1-3Jehoshaphat enjoyed great riches and high esteem, and he made an alliance with Ahab of Israel by having his son marry Ahab’s daughter. A few years later he went to Samaria to visit Ahab, who prepared a great banquet for him and his officials. They butchered great numbers of sheep, goats, and cattle for the feast. Then Ahab enticed Jehoshaphat to join forces with him to recover Ramoth-gilead. “Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?” King Ahab of Israel asked King Jehoshaphat of Judah. Jehoshaphat replied, “Why, of course! You and I are as one, and my troops are your troops. We will certainly join you in battle.”
Alliances with evil people often corrupt legitimate power. Power can lead to quick decisions that have not been properly tested by godly advice and wisdom. Such decisions can blind us to truth, blurring lines between right and wrong, truth and lies.
Daniel 3:15“I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?”
Power can cause us to act as though we are God. When we have everything we want, and when everyone does whatever we tell them, it’s easy to think we are in charge of the universe. Sooner or later, God will correct our misunderstanding.
Esther 3:5When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage.
Powerful people often wrongfully use their power to demean others in order to elevate themselves. Such power is easily offended and often quickly upended by God.
Judges 6:2The Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.
1 Samuel 13:14“But now your [Saul’s] kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”
Psalm 9:20Make them tremble in fear, O Lord. Let the nations know they are merely human.
Proverbs 3:27Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them.
Proverbs 28:12When the godly succeed, everyone is glad. When the wicked take charge, people go into hiding.
Proverbs 28:28When the wicked take charge, people go into hiding. When the wicked meet disaster, the godly flourish.
Ecclesiastes 4:1Again, I observed all the oppression that takes place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, with no one to comfort them. The oppressors have great power, and their victims are helpless.
Jeremiah 5:27-28Like a cage filled with birds, their homes are filled with evil plots. And now they are great and rich. They are fat and sleek, and there is no limit to their wicked deeds. They refuse to provide justice to orphans and deny the rights of the poor.
Jeremiah 23:10The land is full of adultery, and it lies under a curse. The land itself is in mourning—its wilderness pastures are dried up. For they all do evil and abuse what power they have.
Daniel 4:27“‘King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.’
Micah 2:1, 9What sorrow awaits you who lie awake at night, thinking up evil plans. You rise at dawn and hurry to carry them out, simply because you have the power to do so. . . . You have evicted women from their pleasant homes and forever stripped their children of all that God would give them.
Micah 7:3Both their hands are equally skilled at doing evil! Officials and judges alike demand bribes. The people with influence get what they want, and together they scheme to twist justice.
Power often prevents a leader from listening to the people, which can lead to terrible abuse of the people. The power we exercise in doing good or evil to our neighbors takes the same trajectory. God approves of those who use power to serve others as he intends, but he ultimately will destroy those who selfishly use power and bring suffering to others.
2 Chronicles 12:1-4When Rehoboam was firmly established and strong, he abandoned the Law of the Lord, and all Israel followed him in this sin. Because they were unfaithful to the Lord, King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam’s reign. . . . Shishak conquered Judah’s fortified towns and then advanced to attack Jerusalem.
Matthew 4:8-9Next the devil took him [Jesus] to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”
The desire for power can be a cause for abandoning God, a trap that Satan may set for anyone. Power is often deceptive and addictive, blinding our discernment and leading us to embrace the perceived benefits of Satan’s plans over and against God’s plans. We would be wise to remember that any alliance with evil powers is still no match for God’s power.
