During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Christians got a severe wake-up call to what it looks like when one sphere of authority (the government) takes more power than it has been granted. Some people lost the ability to travel, go to church, work at their jobs, and run their businesses, while others were forbidden from visiting their elderly and dying relatives.

My own government’s actions (in Canada) led many Christians to do a deeper study of Romans 13, a chapter that describes the God-given role of government authority. A close reading of that text, especially in harmonization with other passages, shows that the government does not possess sovereignty over all of life. It has a rightful authority, but it is limited and for a specific purpose.

Just as life is difficult and unstable when living under a tyrannical government, so it is for a wife and children living under the roof of a tyrannical husband. In this article, I will explain the doctrine of “Sphere Sovereignty,” which provides limits on all human authority, including that of the husband. This will show women how, when, and why they can refuse their husband’s leadership when necessary – without being unsubmissive in the Lord’s eyes. Read more