Matthew 12:22–32 begins with Jesus
healing a demon-oppressed man who cannot see or speak. The passage ends with a controversial, troubling statement. The crowds wonder if Jesus is the Messiah. Some Pharisees say Jesus casts out demons by the power of the prince of demons. Jesus counters their argument with both logic and a harsh rebuke. The Pharisees have missed the truth: the kingdom of God has come. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit—seeing such a miracle and attributing it to Satan—is a sin which will not be forgiven.
Jesus taught that to be His disciple—His follower—the spiritual discipline of self-denial is required: “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me’” (Matthew 16:24, ESV). Denying yourself is an essential part of the Christian life. Jesus called upon those who wish to be His followers to reject the natural human inclination toward selfishness. The Lord Himself exemplified self-denial (John 13:1–17).
The Dictionary of Bible Themes defines self-denial as “the willingness to deny oneself possessions or status, in order to grow in holiness and commitment to God.” The words Jesus used in the original language for “deny yourself” were strong terms similar in meaning to Paul’s wording in Philippians 3:7–8: “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (ESV, emphasis added). The purpose of self-denial—counting as “loss” all earthly gains—is to become more like Jesus in holiness and obedience to God.
Denying yourself includes overcoming the persistent fleshly demands of the body, also known as the carnal self or the natural man, and bringing them into submission to God’s Word so that you don’t give in to sin: “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24, ESV).
Self-denial for the Christian means renouncing oneself as the center of existence (which goes against the natural inclination of the human will) and recognizing Jesus Christ as one’s new and true center. It means acknowledging that the old self is dead and the new life is now hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3–5).
From the moment of our new birth into Jesus Christ, self-denial becomes a daily exercise for the rest of this life on earth (1 Peter 4:1–2). With the Holy Spirit now indwelling us, we are thrust into a conflict between the divine Spirit of God and the carnal self. Paul describes this ongoing struggle in Romans 7:14–25. Only by God’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit can we learn to deny self: “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11–13).
Through daily self-denial and crucifying the flesh, our life in Christ grows, strengthens, and develops more and more. Christ now becomes our life. These famous words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer help us understand the meaning of self-denial: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die” (The Cost of Discipleship, SCM Press, 2015, p. 44). A follower of Jesus must be prepared to die if death is where the path of discipleship leads: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20; see also Romans 6:1–11).
Fasting is one of the disciplines of self-denial that Jesus practiced Himself (Matthew 4:1–2). Giving to the poor and needy is a form of self-denial that Jesus encouraged (Matthew 5:42; Luke 11:41). Watching in prayer is another way to deny yourself in service to God, as Jesus demonstrated (Matthew 14:23; 26:41). Likewise, living modestly rather than indulging in excessive luxury is an area in which believers can exercise self-denial (Matthew 8:20; 10:10; 1 Timothy 2:9).
Perhaps the most significant way we practice self-denial is in how we love and esteem our brothers and sisters in Christ. Self-denial is the basis for Christian fellowship and service within the church: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:4–8, ESV; see also Matthew 5:38–48; Mark 10:42–45).
Denying yourself means seeking the good of others before looking out for yourself (1 Corinthians 10:24). When Ruth followed Naomi, she practiced self-denial for the benefit of her mother-in-law (Ruth 2:11). When Esther put her life at risk to save her people, she demonstrated self-denial (Esther 4:16). Scripture teaches us to deny ourselves for the sake of those who are weak in the faith (Romans 14:21; 15:1–3; 1 Corinthians 8:13; 9:23). When you are willing to sacrifice your time, energy, rights, position, reputation, privileges, comforts, and even your very life for the sake of Christ, you exemplify what it means to deny yourself: “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39; see also John 12:24–26; 2 Corinthians 6:4–5).
In Luke 14, Jesus lays out the terms of discipleship. There were great crowds following Him. Everyone loved the miracles, healing, and free food. Jesus was cool, the talk of the town, and the latest fad. But He knew their hearts. He knew they desired the benefits of what He did rather than an understanding of who He was. They loved His gifts, not the life He was calling them to. So He explained what it takes to be one of His followers:
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26-33).
Jesus said a lot in those simple illustrations. He quickly put an end to the idea that He offered some kind of welfare program. Although the gift of eternal life is free to anyone who asks (John 3:16), the asking requires a transfer of ownership (Luke 9:23; Galatians 5:24). “Counting the cost” means recognizing and agreeing to some terms first. In following Christ, we cannot simply follow our own inclinations. We cannot follow Him and the world’s way at the same time (Matthew 7:13-14). Following Him may mean we lose relationships, dreams, material things, or even our lives.
Those who are following Jesus simply for what they can get won’t stick around when the going gets tough. When God’s way conflicts with our way, we will feel betrayed by the shallow, me-first faith we have bought into. If we have not counted the cost of being His child, we will turn away at the threat of sacrifice and find something else to gratify our selfish desires (cf. Mark 4:5, 16-17). In Jesus’ earthly ministry, there came a time when the free food stopped and public opinion turned ugly. The cheering crowds became jeering crowds. And Jesus knew ahead of time that would happen.
Jesus ended His description of the cost of discipleship with a breathtaking statement: "Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:33). “Renouncing” may mean we give up something physically, but more often it means we let go emotionally so that what we possess no longer possesses us. When we become one of His, we cannot continue to belong to this world (1 John 2:15-17). We must make a choice, for we cannot serve both God and Mammon (Matthew 6:24). The rich young ruler, when confronted with that choice, turned his back on Jesus (Luke 18:18-25).
Suppose you learned that you had been given an all-expense-paid condo on a beach in Tahiti, complete with airfare, a car, food, and a maid. You could brag about your new lifestyle, plan for it, and dream about it. But until you pack up and leave your current home, the new life is never really yours. You cannot live in Tahiti and your current hometown at the same time. Many people approach Christianity the same way. They love the idea of eternal life, escaping hell, and having Jesus at their beck and call. But they are not willing to leave the life they now live. Their desires, lifestyle, and sinful habits are too precious to them. Their lives may exhibit a token change—starting to attend church or giving up a major sin—but they want to retain ownership of everything else. Jesus is speaking in Luke 14 to those with that mindset.
We cannot earn salvation by lifestyle change or any other good deed (Ephesians 2:8-9). But when we choose to follow Christ, we are releasing control of our lives. When Jesus is in control, pure living results (1 John 3:4-10; 2 Corinthians 5:17). In Jesus’ parable of the sower, it was only the soil that allowed the seed to put down roots and bear fruit that was called “good.” If we are going to be disciples of Christ, we must first count the cost of following Him.
Jesus has rebuked the Pharisees (Matthew 12:25–28) for accusing Him of casting out demons by the power of Satan (Matthew 12:22–24). The exact opposite is true. He said in the previous verse, in the form of an analogy, that to accomplish His work on earth, He had to first bind the "strong man," meaning Satan, so He could plunder Satan's domain (Matthew 12:29).
In other words, Jesus came to earth to gather citizens for the kingdom of God by the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:28). Those who receive Him by faith will be rescued from Satan's domain of darkness and delivered to Jesus' kingdom (Colossians 1:13). Contrary to the Pharisees' charge, Jesus is declaring to them and the listening crowds just how deeply He is working against Satan.
Now Jesus looks the Pharisees in the eyes and draws a line in the sand. Whoever is not with Him in this work He is doing is, by definition, against Him. Whoever does not help Him in His mission to gather citizens into His kingdom is guilty of scattering them. That means that the Pharisees, in their conspiracy to destroy Jesus, have put themselves against the Holy Spirit and the kingdom of God. With Satan, they stand against the work of God.
Jesus makes this absolute statement as a warning to all who hear Him. Nobody can remain neutral on the issue of Jesus (Acts 4:12). He demands full acceptance and participation in His mission from those who are with Him. Anyone who does not join Him is on the other side, no matter how much he or she may wish not to have an opinion (John 3:36).
Mark quotes Jesus as declaring that the positive version of this statement is also true. When His disciples were concerned about someone who was casting out demons in the name of Jesus even though that person wasn't one of them, Jesus told them not to stop the man. "The one who is not against us is for us," Jesus said (Mark 9:40).
“Casting down imaginations” appears in
2 Corinthians 10,
which provides a defense of Paul’s ministry as he is interacting with others
in person and through letter (see verses 7–11). In the middle of Paul’s argument
for the weapons of warfare that he utilizes in his ministry is 2 Corinthians 10:5,
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing
that exalteth itself
against the
knowledge of God,
and bringing into captivity every thought to the
obedience of Christ” (KJV).
Paul is utilizing divine weapons,
not weapons according to
human standard or the flesh.
Some in Corinth had
accused Paul of
walking according to the flesh
(2 Corinthians 10:2).
To walk according to the flesh is to live independently of God and in hostility to Him (Romans 8:5–8). Paul tells us that living according to the flesh must be eliminated, as it leads to death (Romans 8:12). We should live in dependence on God, yielding to His Spirit, resulting in obedience to Him (Romans 8:13). With Paul’s teaching on the sinfulness of living according to the flesh, the magnitude of the accusation against Paul becomes apparent. For this reason, Paul takes time in 2 Corinthians to defend himself against such an accusation.
Paul tells the Corinthians
the war he fights is being waged
with divine power
(2 Corinthians 10:3–4)
and weapons of divine origin—these are not fleshly weapons.
The war he is discussing is a war of the mind. In just verses 4–5, Paul addresses speculations (or imaginations or pretensions), the knowledge of God, and thoughts, all of which occur in the mind. Paul’s actions in this war are casting down imaginations, taking thoughts captive, destroying systems of sophistry raised against God,
and demolishing arrogant philosophies contrary to the knowledge of God.
All of these things involve the mind.
It seems clear that Paul is describing a war of the mind.
The Greek words translated “casting down imaginations” in the KJV
can also be translated as “destroying arguments” (ESV)
or “destroying speculations” (NASB 1995).
These latter translations add some clarity to the meaning of the phrase.
Paul is utilizing divine weapons to destroy or bring down speculations, arguments, and
reasoning that are against the knowledge of God.
The knowledge of God is that which
He has revealed about Himself throughout
the Scriptures
(Hosea 4:1; Romans 11:33)
and is contrary to the imaginations or speculations Paul is discussing. This knowledge is passed to others through the Scriptures (Proverbs 2:6; 2 Timothy 3:16–17) and through those who live according to the Scriptures (2 Corinthians 2:14). Understanding God’s will, as revealed in the Scriptures, leads to a knowledge of Him (Colossians 1:9–10). As the Scriptures are better understood, the mind is renewed, and the Christian is transformed (Romans 12:1–2). This principle leads to the destruction of strongholds or fortresses of thought as the Bible is the divine weapon (Ephesians 6:17).
The reasoning of this world is
opposed to the
truth of God.
The unbelieving mind clings to what it considers logic
and rock-solid arguments to fend off any impingement of
God’s truth into their lies.
But when a person is born again, he or she admits the folly
of the old way of thinking and
discovers Christ to be the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24).
Let us then study the Scriptures (2 Timothy 2:15),
understand God’s will,
and attain the
knowledge of God.
Then we can cast down imaginations that are
contrary to the knowledge of God.
We can maintain freedom from the empty
philosophies of man and remain
loyal to the philosophy of Christ (Colossians 2:8),
walking according to the Spirit (Romans 8:5).
God told the Israelites that their power
to defeat the evil nations in Canaan was not
due to their own righteousness (Deuteronomy 9:4–6),
and in a similar way we Christians are issued our spiritual weapons due entirely to Christ’s righteousness, not our own (Philippians 3:9).
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). To enter a battle without God’s righteousness assures defeat (see Numbers 14:42).
There is no “neutral” side in the spiritual war.
All people must choose to join
one side or the other, for
“no one can serve two masters”
(Luke 16:13).
Jesus told His disciples,
“Whoever is not against you is for you” (Luke 9:50),
but He also declared,
“Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever
does not gather with Me scatters” (Luke 11:23).
Those statements leave no middle ground—you’re either on one side or the other. So Paul commands,
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?
For we are the temple of the living God” (2 Corinthians 6:14–16).
Second Corinthians 6:3–10 provides the context of Paul’s reference to weapons of righteousness. Here Paul describes the tough life of a devoted warrior for Christ. The hardships he faces are of every kind—spiritual, emotional, and physical—and they are continuous. That’s why he must always carry his “weapons of righteousness” in both hands—right and left are equally occupied.
God has equipped us for the battles we face. “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3–5).
Any gift from God that has power to destroy evil can be described as a “weapon of righteousness.” Here are a few things that can be called a weapon of righteousness:
The Bible. All God’s words are true and righteous (Psalm 119:160, 172) and useful for “training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). That makes the Bible an effective weapon for Christians. “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Jesus used God’s Word to defeat Satan’s temptations (Matthew 4:1–11). The word of the Lord is pictured as a sword coming out of His mouth, having power to strike down the nations (Revelation 19:15, 21). God’s Word is one of the “weapons of righteousness” against the forces of hell.
Faith. The Old Testament tells of heroes “who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies” (Hebrews 11:33–34). This should not surprise us, since Jesus revealed that even a small amount of faith has enough power to move mountains (Matthew 17:20). “Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4).
In Mark 11:23, Jesus makes an astonishing statement: “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says” (NKJV). Does this mean we can move mountains with our words? Is it true that we can have whatever we wish simply by speaking it into existence?
First of all, no, Jesus is not teaching that our words of faith can move actual mountains or that we can have whatever we want if we just believe. Rather, Jesus is teaching an important lesson on faith and prayer and the power of God.
Let’s back up and take a look at the context. The day before His statement about “whoever says to this mountain,” Jesus had approached a fig tree, expecting to find fruit. To His dismay, the tree had no figs (Mark 11:13). Jesus cursed the fig tree, saying, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again” (Mark 11:14). The next day, as they were passing the same fig tree, the disciples “saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!’” (Mark 11:20–21). The disciples were amazed by two things: the power of Jesus’ word and the speed of the withering.
It’s at this juncture that Jesus says, “Have faith in God. . . . Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:22–24).
Is this passage applicable to the believer in Christ today? Yes, all of Mark 11 is applicable to believers today. In Mark 11:24 and again in verse 25, Jesus makes clear that He is speaking of prayer, and we are all to pray (1 Thessalonians 5:17). In this passage following the fig tree lesson, Jesus teaches two things about prayer:
1) We are to pray believing, without doubting, a truth taught elsewhere, too: “When you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do” (James 1:6–8). Our prayers should be wholehearted.
2) We are to pray boldly; we are to be courageous, even when the situation seems impossible. God is the God of the impossible (Luke 1:37), and nothing stands in His way.
The mountain referenced in Jesus’ words
is the Mount of Olives.
The imagery Jesus uses, of a mountain uprooting itself and casting itself into the sea, is hyperbolic, but there is more to it than that. The phrase mover of mountains seems to have been a commonplace idiom at one time. Rabbah Bar Nachmani was called “a remover of mountains” because of his great learning and ability to overcome great doctrinal difficulties (Lightfoot, J., The Harmony, Chronicle, and Order of the New Testament, 1655, § LXXIV, p. 57). Interestingly, the Mount of Olives is the site of Jesus’ future return, at which time the mountain will literally move: “The Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south” (Zechariah 14:4).
We do not think Jesus meant that mountains will literally throw
themselves into the sea at our bidding.
The Matterhorn is safe from the whims of larky Christians.
The Mount of Olives that Jesus pointed out
was representative of huge obstacles and impossible situations.
We seek spiritual applications.
Matthew Henry has a good word on this: “Christ taught them from hence to pray in faith. It may be applied to that mighty faith with which all true Christians are endued, and which does wonders in spiritual things. It justifies us, and so removes mountains of guilt, never to rise up in judgment against us. It purifies the heart, and so removes mountains of corruption, and makes them plain before the grace of God” (Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible, 1706, entry for Mark 11:19–26).
In forming doctrine and establishing practice, we draw on the whole of the Bible’s teaching on any subject. Concerning the doctrine of prayer, we look at all of Scripture and we find that we pray to the Father (Matthew 6:9), in the authority of the Son (John 16:24), for good and needful things (Matthew 7:11; Philippians 4:19), from a righteous and grateful heart (James 5:16; Philippians 4:6), persistently (Luke 18:1), unselfishly (James 4:3), in faith (James 1:6), and according to the will of God (1 John 5:14). Scripture makes evident the fact that prayer is not just wanting something done and expecting it to be done according to our wishes and words.
How should the believer apply the truth of this passage today? We apply the truth of Mark 11:23 every time we pray for an errant son or daughter who is living in rebellion. Every time we pray for the salvation of the curmudgeonly atheist down the street. Every time we pray for the gospel to make inroads into a historically resistant community. Every time we pray for hard hearts to be softened, closed minds to be opened, and wagging tongues to be stilled. Jesus’ words are not a guarantee that our prayers will remove cancer, prevent tornadoes, or give us riches. But, if God wants the mountain to be moved, it will move. We should pray boldly, in faith.
Word of Faith teachers sometimes latch on to Mark 11:23 to claim a special power in their words. This is a twisting of the passage. According to Word of Faith doctrine, what we believe ultimately controls all things that happen. Faith is a force that shapes our reality, and our words possess miraculous power. According to biblical doctrine, God controls what will happen. Faith in Him and His sovereign plan gives us confidence even when we are faced with seemingly impossible situations.