I'm still wrestling with it. A governing authority/ruler does not necessarily mean "the State." I believe God does use human rulers/governors for His own purposes, including administering justice. In this role, they act under His authority and on His behalf, and in this sense could be called God's servants. However, as the apostle Peter wrote , governors are sent out by God "to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good" (1 Peter 2:14). This, to me, defines and limits what "government," or rather "governance," is for.

The State, however, is something more than just a ruler/governor, as I see it. The State, with all of it's double-standards of what it is "allowed" to do vs. the individual, and it's claimed monopoly on violence, may actually represent "the Beast(s)" as presented in Scripture (Daniel and Revelation). If this is true, Christians then should be anti-state and not participate in or further the activities of the State. But then, taxes are what feeds the Beast, and Christians are commanded to pay taxes... So perhaps my understanding of the State is faulty.