The wind came out of nowhere. Within minutes, the waves were breaking over the side of the boat, and experienced fishermen were bailing water and shouting over the noise, convinced they were about to drown.

And Jesus was asleep.

When they woke him, he didn’t panic or start bailing with them. He stood up and spoke to the storm:

“Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.”

Mark 4:39 · NKJV

Throughout this series, we’ve talked about finding shelter in God when the storms of life hit. That’s where every one of us needs to start. But this story shows us something more. Jesus didn’t just survive the storm. He spoke to it.

He spoke sternly to the wind and he muzzled the power of the sea by his words. He just spoke and it happened. This is reflective of how all of creation came into existence. God spoke and it was.

Jesus’ disciples had seen him work miracles and saw he was sleeping in the midst of the storm, not because he was so tired he didn’t notice but because he was not afraid of what was happening. All the training and experience of the fishermen didn’t help them in this moment. They thought they were going to die.

Jesus gets up, tells the storm to stop, and then he turns to his disciples and asks why they were so afraid. He knew that they did not understand the power and authority they had in them as image bearers of God the Creator.

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More than riding it out

Many of us have learned to endure. We grit our teeth, hold on, and wait for the storm to pass. Endurance is a real gift, and there are seasons when holding on is exactly what God asks of us.

But somewhere along the way, many believers have settled for less than God intended. We’ve come to assume that all we can do is put up with the darkness around us, as if we were powerless spectators rather than God’s own children. It’s as though we’ve been lulled to sleep.

The Bible has a wake-up call for us:

“Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

Ephesians 5:14 · NKJV

Waking up starts with seeing clearly what we’re facing. The chaos in our world isn’t only political, economic, or technological. Behind much of it is a spiritual battle:

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Ephesians 6:12 · NKJV

Our enemy isn’t the people around us, however difficult they are. It’s the darkness working behind the scenes. And that’s a battle God hasn’t left us to face unequipped.

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Where our authority comes from

After his resurrection, Jesus made a staggering claim:

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

Matthew 28:18 · NKJV

And he didn’t keep it to himself. Earlier, he had sent his followers out and told them:

“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Luke 10:19 · NKJV

Think of a police officer stepping into traffic and raising a hand. The trucks stop, not because the officer is stronger than a truck, but because of the authority behind the badge. Our authority works the same way. It doesn’t come from our strength, our volume, or how spiritual we feel on a given day. It comes from Jesus, and we use it in his name.

A policeman can be having a really bad day but can still work under the authority of his rank and badge. We are no different. If our authority in God was based on how we were feeling in any given moment, we would be in trouble.

Thankfully God is prepared and knows that if we believe Jesus can heal, move mountains, make a way where there is no way, then miracles can happen.

Believe in the power in you. Realise your authority. Walk in that authority. But, use it against the spiritual darkness, not against people.

Even more, God hasn’t just given us authority from a distance. He has put his own Spirit inside us:

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

Romans 8:11 · NKJV

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in every believer. That’s why John could write with such confidence:

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

1 John 4:4 · NKJV

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Authority flows from relationship

On another stormy night, the disciples saw Jesus walking towards them across the water. Peter called out, asking Jesus to tell him to come. Jesus said one word: “Come.”

And Peter walked on water.

He kept walking while his eyes were on Jesus. It was only when he looked at the wind and the waves that fear took hold and he began to sink. Even then, Jesus immediately reached out and caught him (Matthew 14:28–31).

That story holds the key to everything we’ve been exploring. Authority isn’t a technique we master or a formula we recite. It flows from relationship. The closer we walk with Jesus, the more we know his voice, his character, and his will. And the more we know him, the more naturally we step out in faith when he says “Come.”

That’s also why holiness matters. God won’t play games with sin, and neither should we. Unconfessed sin gives the enemy a foothold in our lives. James puts the order clearly:

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

James 4:7 · NKJV

Submit first. Then resist. Authority over darkness grows out of surrender to God.

And notice what happened when Peter sank. Jesus didn’t abandon him. He caught him. If you’ve stepped out in faith and found yourself sinking, or prayed with all your heart and not seen the answer you hoped for, that doesn’t mean you have no faith or that God has let you go. Keep your eyes on him. He is still holding you.

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What standing firm looks like

Paul tells us how to get ready for the battle:

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

Ephesians 6:10–11 · NKJV

In everyday life, standing firm might look like this:

• Speaking truth over lies When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, he answered every lie with “It is written.” When fear, shame, or deception whisper to you, answer with what God says.
• Praying with confidence, not just pleading As God’s children, we can pray boldly in Jesus’ name, standing against darkness in our homes, our families, and our communities.
• Worshipping in the storm Praise shifts our focus from the size of the problem to the size of our God, and darkness has no comfortable place where God is honoured.
• Refusing to live in fear Fear is one of the enemy’s favourite tools. Choosing trust is an act of defiance.
• Standing together Soldiers don’t fight alone. We are stronger in community, praying for and protecting one another.

None of this makes us invincible or guarantees every outcome we want. God remains God, and his ways are higher than ours. But it means we no longer have to live as victims of the darkness. We can stand as children of the light.

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This week: stand on what is written

Think about one area of your life where you’ve been simply putting up with the darkness: a fear that keeps returning, a lie you’ve believed about yourself, or a situation in your family that feels hopeless.

Find one or two verses from this series that speak directly to it. Write them down. Each day this week, before you pray about that situation, read those verses out loud. Then pray from them, not as someone begging for scraps, but as a son or daughter standing on your Father’s word.

You could pray something like this:

Next time, we’ll look at how God’s children carry his light into a dark world, not just by standing against the darkness, but by loving, sharing, and lifting others up.

The storm may be loud.
But you carry the One who speaks to storms.