The Biblical story is to a large extent the history of Yahweh's people warring against Satan and against Satan's government, the state.

Most Christians have a fairly good understanding of the war with Satan. This is a religious or spiritual war. A war of Church.

The War against the State is less visible and less well understood. Satan has purposefully used the State to further his interests because his control over the state is hidden. For this reason, the state is a proxy for Satan (acting for him).

Let's examine what we mean by "Church" and "State" and especially "church of the state" or, said other ways "religion of state" or "civil religion" or "American civil religion".

See also:
Government - Evil Proxies for Satan
Worship Through the State
Idolatry of State

While "civil religion" can refer primarily to societal religious beliefs, "religion of state" is a religious faith in state, itself.

Church refers to voluntary worship. This worship implies faith in something. That "something" is a god (elohiym) and is rightfully Yahweh, the Father in Heaven. But to the unsaved, it may be many other things too.

Thou shalt have no other gods (elohiym) before me... Thou shalt not (1) bow down thyself to them, nor (2) serve them: Exodus 20:3,5

This verse says both "not bow down" (to bow down or worship is part of church) and, it ALSO says "nor serve" (to serve or obey refers to government or state)

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; Romans 6:16

The original word "god" in this verse is elohiym. This word is plural and includes in the Hebrew definition the One True God, but also false gods, magistrates, judges, angels (good or fallen) and mighty.

State (or government) refers to obedience of the laws of some territory. This obedience is either voluntary or by force. The determination of whether it is forced or voluntary is by examining the result of failure to obey.

Most states eventually become churches. Some "churches" exercise the power of states.

EXAMPLES:


Babylon

Babel was the first state (government) mentioned in the Bible. Initially it was a state only. Yahweh instructed Abraham to leave Babylon and go to a place where there would be no government. We know this was a state because Abraham could leave only by physically removing himself from the geographical territory.

Now יהוה [Yahweh, our god] had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country ... unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation... Genesis 12:1,2

Babylon became a church:

To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, That at what time ye hear the sound of ... all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: Daniel 3:4-5

Nebuchadnezzar the king converted his state into a church, requiring worship of himself by his subjects (it had previously been converted into a church by the worship of Nimrod. See "The Two Babylons" by Hislop).

Nebuchadnezzar enforced the worship within this church by "laws" of the state. This was "religion of the state".

Medo-Persia

All the presidents of the kingdom ...have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king [Darius], he shall be cast into the den of lions. Daniel 6:7

Here is another issue of "religion of state". It was an issue of worship. No one could be worshipped except the king, on pain of enforcement by the state.

Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego refused to worship a false god (the head of state) and refused to serve the state by obeying its laws.

EGYPT

Joseph and his children lived in a "religion of state" as slaves for hundreds of years. The Pharaohs claimed to be gods, so here again we find false gods as head of state.

We don't find evidence of Israel "bowing down" (worshiping) the false gods, but they certainly did "serve" them. This also was under enforcement of the state.

Mordecai and Esther

This is another example of "religion of state" requiring worship of a false god, enforced by the state.

IDOLS

A false god or idol doesn't have to be a head of state or a state itself. It can be ANYTHING that one puts before Yahweh God. For some it may be a car or music or video games or TV or food or work or play. It is ANYTHING that we worship or serve ahead of Yahweh, the Father.

"Serve" includes "obey". If we serve (obey) the state that is serving another Yahweh. This is religion of state. It is a way of believing that government is another god - a false deity. What are the characteristics of a false god?

Powers of "Religion of State"

A "power" that orders and directs the lives of its believers.

A power believed to protect (a protector - to serve and protect).

A power believed to provide security and safety - to rescue and save (a savior).

A power that inserts itself above Yahweh to control families, marriages and children.

A power depended on to care for us in sickness and old age.

A power depended on to care for and support the poor, widows and orphans.

A power that makes life and death decisions and controls what one eats.

A power believed to offer hope.

A power believed to be great, glorious and overwhelming - whether good, evil or ambiguous.

A power believed to demand service above all else, even the lives of its followers.

A power believed to be fearful, violent and destructive when disobeyed.

A power with a strong visible presence - symbols, buildings, and temples of indoctrination.

A power maintained by a hierarchical, self-serving priesthood, obscuring the truth with blind faith.

These describe exactly the modern State and its believers (followers) who put their faith in the religion of state.