Some believers are being taught that our rights as citizens should not be pursued. Paul was not some right-wing conspiracist. He used his rights as a Roman citizen to confront those in power when they abused his rights.

On one occasion, while Paul was going to a place of prayer, a demon-possessed woman began to follow the disciples. In a robotic and annoyingly repeated way, “She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, ‘These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved’” 16:17).

At one point, Paul had had enough of the woman’s constant repetitive interruptions, and confronted the demon inside the woman, “She kept this up for many days. Finally, Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her!’ At that moment, the spirit left her” (vs. 18).

The previously demon-possessed woman had made a lot of money for her masters by fortune-telling. Because the financial gain she brought to her masters was lost, her masters then turned the city against the disciples, making false claims against them.

“The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the city magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully” (vs. 22-23). Paul and Silas were put in the inner prison in stocks to prevent their escape. During the night, a strong earthquake took place, and the shackles of the inmates fell off. The doors of the prison cells were opened, and no inmate escaped.

The next morning, the city officials ordered that the Paul and Silas be released, but Paul responded, “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.” (vs. 37). “When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens” (vs. 38).

This was not an isolated event. Paul demanded his rights again as a Roman citizen in Acts 22 when he was about to be whipped once again. Paul asked, “Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been tried?” (vs.25).

Paul wasn’t some right-wing conspiracy dissident. He was simply requiring Rome to uphold and protect his rights as a Roman citizen, just as many believers are doing today.

Why are these abuses happening today? It’s because we have allowed it to happen without a challenge. The Lord used Paul’s challenge of his abuse as a Roman citizen to lead him into new territory where the Gospel would be declared, even before Caesar.

When an angel spoke to Paul during a storm while he was a prisoner in custody on a transport ship, the angel said, “‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar!” (vs. 24).

Paul’s demand that his rights as a Roman citizen be upheld would be used by the Lord to expand the audience of his witness to the highest courts of the Roman Empire. This can happen today if we simply follow the leading of God’s Spirit, and not worry about the labels people attach to our obedience.