"All of you must obey the government rulers. Everyone who rules was given the power to rule by God. And all those who rule now were given that power by God. 2 So anyone who is against the government is really against something God has commanded. Those who are against the government bring punishment on themselves. 3 People who do right don’t have to fear the rulers. But those who do wrong must fear them. Do you want to be free from fearing them? Then do only what is right, and they will praise you.
4 Rulers are God’s servants to help you. But if you do wrong, you have reason to be afraid. They have the power to punish, and they will use it. They are God’s servants to punish those who do wrong. 5 So you must obey the government, not just because you might be punished, but because you know it is the right thing to do.
6 And this is why you pay taxes too. Those rulers are working for God, and they give all their time to the work of ruling. 7 Give everyone what you owe them. If you owe them any kind of tax, then pay it. Show respect to those you should respect. And show honor to those you should honor." -Romans 13:1-7
The United States is a Constitutional Republic, meaning that each citizen has a right and a duty to participate in the civic processes that elect rulers. So, proper submission to authority is to dutifully engage in the voting processes of your local, state, and federal governments. It's as simple as that.
Get out and vote. Not just in presidential elections, but also in local elections. And in accordance with the mandate to be preservation to society, salt and light, vote for your values when you vote. Vote for your Christian beliefs, because these values make society better. They make the world better. It is your duty to vote, and participate in this process.
And please, don't vote for who you like better as a person. That is not the goal of voting, to vote for who makes you feel nicer. Or who you'd like to hang out with. You are voting for policies, laws, and a perspective on the country that will either make it better or worse. Take a look at the positions of the candidates on all key issues from abortion to economics, to marriage, and freedom of speech, and freedom of religion, just to name a few. Study the key issues, study the platforms of the major parties, and study the viewpoints of the candidates running in the various races. Vote your values!
