And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full… And He [Jesus] arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
— Mark 4:37,39
When you are doing something significant for God, the enemy doesn’t like it. His attacks against you will intensify. It is essential to be mentally prepared for a spiritual attack. If you are acquainted with the devil’s schemes, his attacks won’t surprise you when they intensify against you. You will recognize and resist each demonic attack with the authority Jesus has given you.
Jesus was crossing the Sea of Galilee with His disciples on the way to cast out a legion of demons in a demon-possessed man. Satan had held the people in the surrounding area hostage with fear for many years through the crazy actions of this man. He knew that if Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee and reached the other side, He would cast the demons out of that man. Satan would lose a valuable asset. So that night, a fierce and devastating wind came out of nowhere to drown Jesus and his disciples in the sea.
Mark 4:37 says, “And there arose a great wind…”
The phrase “there arose” is taken from the Greek word “ginomai”, which in this verse describes something that happens unexpectedly. Since there is no mention of rain in this “storm of wind,” this indicates that no rain clouds were forming that would have warned the disciples of a storm. Bad weather was obviously not anticipated by the disciples. The usage of the Greek word “ginomai” indicates that this occurrence completely took the disciples by surprise. But Jesus was not caught off-guard.
Next in the verse, Mark uses the Greek word “mega” to describe the intensity of this wind storm. This word signifies something of an enormous size. This was a gigantic wind storm that suddenly arose in the night.
The Greek word for wind is “lalaipsi.” This word signifies that this storm was turbulent and powerful. This word denotes a hurricane, a cyclone, or a tempest. The wind storm rose unexpectedly creating huge waves to capsize their boat and drown them. Suddenly intimidating and formidable, the storm was fearfully overpowering to the disciples.
Satan was concerned that he was about to lose one of his most valuable weapons in his arsenal—the demoniac who had kept so many in bondage through the years. The sudden wind storm was no coincidence. It was a tactical maneuver of the devil to keep Jesus from delivering this terrorized man.
Jesus was not shocked by the sudden attack. He rose up and exercised His authority and spoke to the sudden turbulence, “Peace! Be still!”
“The wind ceased,” Mark wrote, “and there was a great calm.” In that moment, Jesus proved that He was Lord of the wind and the waves. What Jesus really revealed to the disciples that night, was the fact He was Lord of everything.
You can be sure that Satan will try to attack you with unexpected turbulence from time to time. Just as was the case with Jesus that night, the enemy’s attacks against you will probably accelerate whenever you are right on the verge of something important to God. However, just as a wind storm provided an opportunity for Jesus to reveal His power and authority, you should recognize each demonic attack against you as an opportunity to rise up, take authority, and reveal the person you have become in Jesus.
God is all-powerful, and Jesus has given you His authority over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19). It is your choice whether you exercise your authority or not. It is your choice whether you speak with Jesus' authority to the enemy’s storms (Proverbs 18:21). Just as the disciples had an opportunity to experience Jesus as Lord of everything, you, also, have an opportunity to experience the power of God in your life.
Don’t be caught off-guard. Be spiritually and mentally prepared for the enemy’s attacks. Put on the whole armor of God. Jesus did not leave you defenseless and powerless against the enemy. You have the free will to exercise what Jesus has given you. Rise up and take authority in Jesus' name over the turbulence that comes against you, your family, and those you love. He is the Lord of everything. He is Lord of you, and He is Lord in you when you choose Him to be.
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