Few months ago, news filtered into the public space of a military coup that was staged in Niger, a West African Country. Though bloodless, the erstwhile President has since then been under detention by the military junta. In a bid to resolve the issue, the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) is exploring all options in order to restore democracy and stability to the West African Nation. Still in the process of undoing the junta’s deed in Niger, the continent has once again experienced yet another coup, this time in Gabon. The Gabon coup closely followed the Niger coup both in time and style with their democratic Presidents being detained. By the records, this is the seventh coup in Africa in the last three years. There is a dearth of visionary and transformational leadership in Africa, and this partly explains the reason for the frequent coup attempts. Endowed with both human and material resources, Africa still lags behind in education, health care, technology, and other social amenities. Some African leaders are known for the tendency to perpetuate themselves in power. Examples abound in several African countries.

The Origin of all Coups

According to VOA News, there have been 486 attempted or successful coups around the world since 1950, many of which happened in Africa. Of the 486 coups, 214 were in Africa, with 106 of them being successful. The Bible provides the origin of rebellion against constituted authority in Revelation 12:7-9 – “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him”. In this account, Satan mobilized some angels to rebel against and possibly topple God’s authority. In his attempt, he failed woefully as God was never said to have fought him, but the angel Michael and his angels. God is the Almighty, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, including Lucifer, who is termed Satan today. God wouldn’t lift a finger against him because he is no match for the Almighty. Since leading his failed coup attempt, he was cast down, and in his rage seeks to possess the children of men, transferring the same tendencies which he failed to achieve to men and women who are willing to do his bidding.

The Ongoing Civil Coup

It is always common to hear about military coups because coups can be bloody, and it takes a man who is well armed to dislodge another from his place of authority. Most coups in history have been staged by the military. But today, the unregenerate man plots coups on a daily basis to dislodge God in the hearts of other men. These coups could be by individuals or institutions. For instance, the perverted sexual ideologies of homosexuality, transgenderism, pornography, bisexuality, queer, etc. are all targeted at dethroning God from the hearts of men. This is immoral coup! There’s also the movement of false teachers and prophets who thwart the Word of God to suit their selfish and inordinate affection in order to mislead others. They play ‘god’ by making themselves appeal more to men than the Christ in whose name they claim to come. Their singular aim is to depose God in the hearts of unsuspecting men and enthrone themselves in the hearts and consciousness of men. This is religious coup! This is worse than the military takeover of power in nations of the world. If their father, the author of all coups failed to assert himself in heaven, it is definitely certain that these have also plotted their fall before they began. In response to their evil plots and work, the Almighty God declares: “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sits in the heaven shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet I have set my King upon my holy hill of Zion” (Psalm 2:1-6). The natural man has the tendency to rebel against God’s government while trying to establish his which is contrary to God’s. To this, Paul wrote, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God” – Romans 10:3.

The natural man has the tendency to rebel against God’s government while trying to establish his which is contrary to God’s.

Where Do You Stand?

Having seen that the authority of God is being challenged on a daily basis by men, where do you stand? Are you also in the rebellion? Are you also being wooed by God’s arch enemy, the devil to revolt against His sovereign authority over your life? God declared of Jesus, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter” – Psalm 45:6. Also, in their vain efforts to depose Christ from the hearts of men, God declared, “Yet have I anointed (installed and placed) My King [firmly] on My holy hill of Zion” – Psalm 2:6. Your accepting or refusing His reign in your life does not in any way reduce His Almightiness. You have everything to gain if you accept and submit to Him; and if you refuse Him the rightful place in your life, you have everything to lose. He remains eternally God and King. Once again where do you stand?