Crucifying the Flesh: The Pathway to Mountain-Moving Faith

There is a connection between living a crucified life and having the kind of faith that moves mountains, sets captives free, sees miracles, and believes God for healing.

I keep coming back to this.

Paul writes, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24, NKJV).

And in Galatians 2:20 he says:

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Those are strong words.

I think sometimes we want the power of the Holy Spirit without really wanting the cross. We want greater faith. We want to see prayers answered. We want healing, miracles, freedom, and the gifts of the Spirit operating in our lives.

But we still want to hold onto ourselves. Our plans. Our control. Our pride. Our own strength. Our way of doing things.

Paul tells us that the flesh and the Spirit are opposed to one another (Galatians 5:17). So if I am continually operating out of my own strength, motives, and abilities, how can I expect the Holy Spirit to have complete freedom in my life?

This is where the cross becomes so important.

The Holy Spirit did not come simply to make me a better version of myself. He came so that the life of Jesus could be lived through me.

That requires surrender.

It does not mean trying harder to become spiritual. In fact, I think it is almost the opposite. It is learning to yield. It is admitting that my own strength is not enough and allowing Christ to become my strength.

Then faith begins to look different too.

Jesus spoke about faith that could move mountains (Matthew 17:20 and Mark 11:22-24). I don't believe that kind of faith comes from trying to convince ourselves to believe harder. It comes as we learn to trust Christ and allow His life to operate through us.

Paul even lists faith among the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22. The Spirit produces in us what we cannot manufacture ourselves.

I wonder sometimes if this is why so many of us become frustrated in prayer. We want greater effectiveness. We want to see people healed. We want strongholds broken and people set free. So we look for another method, another teaching, or something else we can do.

Maybe the answer isn't another technique.

Maybe the answer is surrender.

Romans 6:11 tells us to reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Galatians 5:25 tells us that if we live in the Spirit, we should also walk in the Spirit.

This isn't passive. It is something we choose every day.

Jesus said to take up our cross daily.

Every day I have another opportunity to put my own will, pride, fear, control, and self-reliance back on the cross and say, “Jesus, You live through me.”

And perhaps that is where the kind of faith we read about in Scripture begins.

Not with a stronger version of me.

With less of me and more of Him.

The mountains before us may be personal strongholds, sickness, spiritual bondage, or circumstances that seem impossible. Whatever they are, I want to face them from a place where I am no longer depending upon what I can accomplish in my own strength.

My prayer is that the Holy Spirit would continue to show me what still needs to be surrendered, and that the life of Jesus would become more evident in me.

All glory belongs to Him.

Without Him, nothing of lasting substance can happen.

And for me, it keeps beginning in that quiet place of solitude and silence, where I come before Him and yield once again.