Relationships lived out loud for Christ

Speak to the Mountain

A post on the authority found in Christ.

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself lying awake at night, contemplating some painful emotions I am experiencing in this season of my life. The words “speak to the mountain” were made plain in my spirit. It was a profoundly encouraging moment for me, and I hope you'll receive the same encouragement from these words.

Mark 11:23 says, “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”

Mountains can look like tangible problems or emotional barriers. The need for more resources to buy food or pay bills is a physical mountain that needs to be moved. But so are emotions like envy or covetousness for what someone else has, as well as bitterness, unforgiveness, and resentment. They infiltrate our hearts and color the lens through which we see the world. When we choose not to address them, they can function as barriers to joy and purposeful living. Our position as adopted children in Christ means we are not powerless in or against our circumstances (John 14:12-14). We have inherited authority through Christ to speak to our physical and emotional challenges. We can tell the mountains to move, and they must obey.

What are the barriers to living this out? Usually distractions. One of the many tactics of the enemy is distraction, and we also get distracted by our flesh. We focus on why someone doesn't deserve our forgiveness, for example, or dwell on our lack of strength to extend it. In our humanness, this makes sense. However, these foci are distractions from walking in authority, which comes from acknowledging our weaknesses in Him to make us strong ( 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ). We experience power when we admit that we need faith in God to move our mountains. Our faith in Christ Jesus unlocks the same power He used to overcome death, which we've received upon accepting the gift of salvation. Essentially, we have rights and privileges in Christ! Why don't we use them?

With this authority, we can declare things that are not as if they are ( Romans 4:17). Jesus spoke with authority and overcame death [ the result of sin] ( Matt 7:29). “Walking in authority ” involves knowing who you serve, and to whom you belong. So, though you're never going to be perfect, in living for Christ, you are continually becoming more like Jesus by seeking to live as He did. It's not our power to wield, but the Holy Spirit’s through us, which enables us to speak to our situations and expect them to move.

I appreciate that the Word is candid about how hard it is to live for Christ. Our Father doesn't sugarcoat the challenges nor minimize our pain. He tells us that we can expect to experience persecution and that the days will be full of trouble ( 2 Timothy 3:12; Job 14:1). However, He also tells us that we have authority and help in them (Romans 8:17). In Christ, you can overcome what robs you of joy and peace, including the mountains that keep you in the valleys of your heart.

Know this: God would not tell us to do something if we couldn't expect it to work. He wants us to walk in authority and utilize what belongs to us. To do this, confess whatever you have joined to in your heart that isn't of God ( anxiety, shame, unforgiveness, resentment, etc). Remind Him what His Word says about what we can expect as co-heirs with Christ, then speak to the mountain and cast it into the sea.

Sometimes, we remain stuck because we're asking God to do things for us that we can do for ourselves. We wait for Him to move on our behalf, but He is waiting for us to apply our faith to what He has already told us in His Word. Studying the Bible tells you what belongs to you and how to take hold of it. Your tongue is a weapon (Proverbs 18:21 ). Require it to submit to the things of God. The circumstances may not change immediately, but your position toward them will. You'll experience a mindset of victory and an assurance that God can do the impossible with our faith ( Matt 19:26).

I encourage you to start to speak to the mountains in your life with the authority of one who belongs to Christ. Expect things to change. Expect the mountains to move!