Spiritual Warfare
Jesus’ Encounters with Demons Part 6 of 7
Matthew 17:14-18; Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:28-42
Delivered a Demon-Possessed Boy
A desperate father begged Jesus to deliver his tormented son from a cruel and vicious demon who would cause him to fall into fire and water, cast him to the ground, throw him into convulsions, and was slowly killing him.
See the ensuing conversation…
The father: “If you can do anything, please do it.”
The Savior: “If you believe, I can do all things.”
The father: “Lord, I believe—help thou my unbelief.”
How much faith does it take to please God?
How much faith do you have?
If your need is valued at one million dollars and you have $10
Give Him your $10 no matter how small it is and how hard it is to give up
So, He can add to your faith of $10 to the $999,990 needed
Don’t short change God the little faith you have, use it
Jesus’ Encounters with Demons Part 5 of 7
Matthew 17:14-18; Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:28-42
Delivered a Demon-Possessed Boy
A desperate father begged Jesus to deliver
his tormented son from a cruel and vicious demon
who would cause him to fall into fire and water,
cast him to the ground, throw him into convulsions,
and was slowly killing him.
See the ensuing conversation…
The father: “If you can do anything, please do it.”
The Savior: “If you believe, I can do all things.”
The father: “Lord, I believe—help thou my unbelief.”
With this,
Jesus rebuked the evil spirit and freed the son.
We see the father struggling with his faith…
“But if you can do anything.”
Mark 9:25b
Jesus’ response…
“Everything is possible for him who believes.”
The father had an immediate response and says…
“I believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
Mark 9:24
The disciples had the same problem
of little faith…
When they tried to cast out
the demon from the boy.
Matthew 17:20
God recognizes our weakness.
He remembers that we are dust.
Psalms 103:13-14…
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
The Lord’s compassion takes
our little faith so it can grow.
The example Jesus give is…
"Because you have so little faith.
I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed,
you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move.
Nothing will be impossible for you.
Matthew 17:20
Faith comes by understanding
the Word of God.
Understanding God’s Word
takes time and nurturing.
When we hear God’s Word
in a way of understanding it…
The impossible, becomes possible.
To the point of driving out a violent demons
with no care for man or child
would inflict seizures and great suffering,
take away the ability to speak
and seek to kill by torture of fire and water.
For many of us
our faith is a seed of hope…
Wishing these things God has said are true.
But like that mustard seed,
put into the ground deposited in us
who are made of the dust of the earth.
It works in our hearts with hope…
But when we meditate on it in our minds,
branches of revelation begin to spring
from that small seed.
The seed searches for the deep things of God
looking for water and nourishment.
When this happens…
Faith becomes substance of the things
we hope for and evidence or proof
is understood in our minds.
The Word is no longer a seed of hope…
But a conviction.
We find three other reasons
the disciples could not drive out the demon
and heal the desperate father’s boy.
1. They had too little faith (Matthew 17:20)
2. They had too little self-denial (Mark 9:29)
3. They had too little prayer (Mark 9:29)
4. They had too much bickering (Mark 9:14)
We are like a container.
Ephesians 5:18-20 tells us not
only to be filled with the Spirit…
But how to do it.
Be filled with the Spirit.
19 Speak to one another with psalms,
hymns and spiritual songs.
Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus said…
But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God,
surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Matthew 12:28 NKJV
Jesus was filled with the Spirit
and led by the Spirit.
We, too can be, and should be,
filled with the Spirit.
A sad story is told in 1 Samuel 4:21-22.
A story of Samson…
And the power and strength he had
as he was dedicated from birth to the Lord.
His dedication was seen in the length of his hair.
When he gave into a deceptive woman,
his secret of commitment,
in his sleep Delilah cut off his hair.
The Bible says…
He awoke from his sleep and thought,
"I'll go out as before and shake myself free."
But he did not know that the Lord had left him.
Judges 16:20
Samson took for granted his walk with God
and the walk was compromised.
And…
“He did not know that the Lord had left him.”
In 1 Samuel 4:21-22…
We see the name Ichadbod is given to mean,
"The glory has departed”
21 She named the boy Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel"-because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 She said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured."
If we are to be compassionate
to those in suffering…
And set them free for demons…
And heal the sick…
We need to be filled with the Spirit.
Don’t be like Samson or Israel
who did not realize the Lord has departed…
Because we did not keep ourselves
filled with the Spirit.
How much faith does it take to please God?
How much faith do you have?
If your need is valued at one million dollars
and you have $10…
Give Him your $10
no matter how small it is…
And how hard it is to give up.
So, He can add to your faith of $10
the $999,990 needed.
Don’t short change God
the little faith you have…
Use it.
Scripture Reading
Mark 9:14-29 NIV
14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
16 "What are you arguing with them about?" he asked.
17 A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."
19 "O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."
20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21 Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"
"From childhood," he answered. 22 "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."
23 "'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."
24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."
26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
29 He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."
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