Throughout history, God’s people have found themselves living under systems and institutions that redefine good and evil according to human desires rather than God’s truth. The Bible often uses Babylon as a symbol for any human institution that demands allegiance to its idolatrous values. In our world today, we continue to see systems that elevate power, wealth, and self-interest over righteousness, justice, and loyalty to God. As followers of Jesus, we must ask: How do we live faithfully under such a system while remaining true to God’s kingdom?

Jeremiah 29:4-7 offers a surprising answer. Writing to the Israelites exiled in Babylon, the prophet instructs them not to revolt, not to assimilate, but to seek the welfare of the city where they were placed—while remaining completely loyal to God. This passage provides a framework for three ways people respond to a Babylonian system: 

• By revolting against it. 
• By compromising with it. 
• By seeking its wellbeing while maintaining total allegiance to God. 

Let’s explore each of these approaches in detail:

Revolting Against Babylon: Resistance Without Redemption

One way to respond to an ungodly system is to reject it entirely, resisting with hostility and withdrawing from society. Some Israelites in Babylon likely wanted to rebel, believing they could overthrow their oppressors by force or isolate themselves to remain pure. While righteous indignation against evil is justified, pure resistance often leads to self-righteousness, violence, or disengagement from God’s mission.

An example of this approach was demonstrated by the Zealots and Essenes during the time of Jesus. The Zealots sought to overthrow Roman rule through armed rebellion, while the Essenes chose isolation to maintain their purity. However, Jesus rejected both approaches. When Peter attempted to defend Jesus with a sword in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Put your sword back in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52).

The problem with outright rebellion is that it fails to trust God’s sovereignty over history. Revolt often replaces one human power structure with another rather than ushering in the Kingdom of God. Instead of calling his followers to overthrow Rome or isolate themselves, Jesus taught them to be salt and light within the world, influencing it through righteousness rather than violence or outright isolation. Isolation is like hiding your light instead of letting it shine. But Jesus says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

Compromising with Babylon: Losing Our Identity

Another response is to assimilate, blending into the Babylonian system by adopting its values and redefining morality according to culture rather than God’s Word. Some Israelites in exile likely abandoned their distinct identity as God’s people, choosing instead to embrace Babylonian gods, customs, and ways of life.

Many people today fall into the same trap. When followers of Jesus compromise with worldly systems, they dilute their faith, lose their witness, and ultimately serve the kingdom of Babylon rather than the Kingdom of God. The apostle Paul warned against this in Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”

A biblical example of compromise is seen in some of the Jews who remained in Babylon long after the exile ended. Even though they had the opportunity to return to Jerusalem, they had grown comfortable and no longer longed for their true home. In contrast, faithful figures like Ezra and Nehemiah left Babylon to rebuild God’s temple and city, prioritizing their spiritual identity over material comfort.

In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees and Sadducees had different approaches to handling Roman rule, with the Sadducees compromising more to keep their influence in the temple and society. Jesus often criticized both groups—not for their stance on Rome specifically, but for their hypocrisy and failure to follow God’s will.

Seeking Babylon’s Wellbeing While Remaining Loyal to God

The third way—the way Jeremiah instructed the exiles to follow—is to seek the welfare of Babylon while maintaining unwavering allegiance to God. Instead of rebelling or compromising, they were to build homes, plant gardens, raise families, and pray for the city’s prosperity, knowing that its wellbeing was tied to their own (Jeremiah 29:7).

This approach does not mean endorsing or accepting Babylon’s idolatry but rather engaging with society in a way that reflects God’s kingdom while remaining distinct in faith and practice. It means being in the world but not of the world (John 17:14-16).

Daniel and his friends—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—lived this way in Babylon. Though they served in the king’s court, they refused to eat defiled food (Daniel 1), bow to idols (Daniel 3), or stop praying to God (Daniel 6). They worked for the prosperity of the empire while staying wholly devoted to Yahweh.

The disciples of Jesus also modeled this approach. They lived under Roman rule but did not revolt violently against it, nor did they conform to its corruption. Instead, they committed to seeking God’s kingdom, proclaimed its message, healed the sick, cared for the poor, and transformed society from within. Even when persecuted, they remained faithful to Christ and prayed for their oppressors rather than seeking vengeance (Acts 4:29-31).

Living This Way Until Jesus Returns

As followers of Jesus, we are called to live as exiles in a Babylonian world, even in today (1 Peter 2:11-12). Governments, corporations, and cultural movements will continue redefining morality, but our mission remains clear: seek the good of the city, work for justice, love our neighbors, and shine as God’s representatives—while never compromising our ultimate allegiance to God.

Jesus will one day return to establish his kingdom in full, putting an end to every Babylonian system. In the face of persecution, suffering, and pressure to compromise, we must hold fast to our faith, knowing that earthly kingdoms will pass away, but God’s kingdom is forever. Until then, we live faithfully, courageously, and prayerfully—not by fighting the system with earthly weapons, nor by bowing to its idols, but by being God’s faithful people in the midst of it, just as Daniel, the apostles, and Christ himself demonstrated.

When Jesus returns, He will not simply take his followers away to heaven; He will bring heaven to earth, restoring creation and ruling from Jerusalem as the righteous King (Revelation 21-22). Every nation, ruler, and authority will bow before Him, and those who have remained faithful to Him will reign with Him in His everlasting kingdom.