Live Free and Die Hard

Martin Luther opened his famous tract On the Freedom of a Christian with a memorable paradox, “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject of all, subject to all.” Having been set free by grace through faith, the Christian ultimately belongs to no institution, person, or power—not even to sin itself. Simultaneously, a follower of Jesus is now bound in duty to serve all. Peter makes the same seemingly contradictory statement: “Live as people who are free…living as servants of God.” So be subject, as free people.

How can both be true? We first have to recognize that no one is completely free; everyone serves something. This is why Peter urges Christians to “abstain from the passions of the flesh.” The Greek word epithymia means more than base impulses; it describes desires in overdrive. The problem is not always the desire itself, but what happens when a good desire becomes an ultimate desire—when comfort, approval, pleasure, security, or control becomes sovereign. Our desires wage war against the soul when they cease to be subordinate to what is most good, beautiful, and worthy.

Having waged the war within, Peter calls them to wage the war without. His command to be subject to governing authorities is radical in two directions—not only does it mean voluntarily obeying human rulers, but it also means they are merely human rulers. We submit “for the Lord’s sake.” The emperor can be supreme on earth because Christ is supreme in heaven. And one position certainly outranks the other.