DEMONS

So, as was indicated in the previous article Satan is real!! Well, today we will look at the fact that demons are real. Both of these are scary topics that we normally would prefer to avoid. Many Christians would even prefer to hide from the reality of evil in the world. Hiding from the evil does not diminish the reality of evil. What we find to be a wiser approach is to be aware of who it is who seeks to do us harm. We stand by knowing who it is we are standing against. We need to stand against Satan and his demons when we stand in Christ, the one who defeated our greatest enemy. We had just studied when and how Jesus removed the many demons from one man who was being controlled by this evil spirit recorded in Mark 5. Jesus is greater than any spiritual power and He said He has given us all authority in Him to defeat the enemy.

Read Mark 9:17-22a

Peter, James and John had just experienced the “transfiguration” of Jesus when they accompanied Jesus to the top of the mountain. Jesus had promised His disciples that He would return in glory after His death, but Peter and James, and John got a preview of that glory in the transfiguration experience. When Jesus was transformed, the disciples literally saw Him in a new light of heavenly glory. Then Elijah and Moses reappeared just as mysteriously as they had left the earthly scene. Why these two? Perhaps it was because Moses commonly represented the Law, and Elijah stood for the Prophets. Into that spiritual summit there came the voice of God to claim Jesus as Son and to approve His ministry (1:9-11). For Jesus, the experience was further preparation for the cross (Luke 9:31) and reassurance of His divine Sonship.

With Elijah there and Moses, too, Peter must have thought the kingdom had come in its completeness. Whatever he thought, he wanted to build three booths or shelters. But a cloud enclosed Jesus, Elijah, and Moses. And God’s voice reaffirmed that Jesus was His Divine Son and told the disciples to listen to Him. Jesus had said for those with ears to hear (4:9,23; 8:18); now God reinforce that command. Every Christian has the promise of a future transfiguration. Interestingly enough, the Greek word for transfiguration (v.2) is applied in Romans 12:1-2 and 2 Corinthians 3:18 to obedient Christians who let God transform their lives. ‘

Once more Jesus descended to the surroundings of frail mankind. The scene was    disheartening powerless disciples, arguing scribes, and a brokenhearted father with an epileptic son. The boy reportedly had an evil spirit (demon), and the symptoms came out in the form of epilepsy. That was the scene when Jesus came down from the glory of the transfiguration. The details of this even contrast messiahship and discipleship.

When Jesus, Peter, James, and John came down to join the other disciples, they were met heby the disciples, scribes, and a crowd that seemingly sensed that Jesus would settle an argument. Jesus’ question in verse 16 could have been directed to the disciples, the scribes, or the crowd as a whole. The question was: “What is all of this arguing about?” Before a disciple or a scribe could answer the question, a troubled father said, in effect: “I’m responsible. I brought my son to you for healing. You were one, so I appealed to your disciples who were supposed to have your authority to cast out demons and heal. But they were powerless. That’s when the argument began”. The argument may have been about how to cast out demons or who had the authority to cast out demons. The disciples’ failure was striking in view of the authority of Jesus had given them earlier (6:7, 13). While Jesus had been gone, the disciples were unable to heal, and they probably were unable to hold their own in a debate with the scribes; so, the situation was embarrassing for them. No wonder Jesus was dismayed with the lack of faith of the disciples matched by the unbelief of the crowds who then ordered the boy to be brought to Him (v.19).

The picture of the demon-possessed boy and his father was pathetic. From childhood, the boy had these symptoms unable to speak and hear (vv. 17-26), convulsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth, grinding his teeth, and rigid or exhausted. Whenever the seizures would come, the boy’s life was endangered by demon’s plan of plunging the boy into fire or water. (The image of God was distorted in this person, and Satan would have liked to destroy it altogether.)

Read Mark 9:22b-27

For years, the boy had required twenty-four-hour watch care. No wonder the father said, “But if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us” (v. 22). The implication was, “Your disciples are powerless; but if you have any power, help us!” Jesus immediately set the record straight. His power was not in question; the man’s lack of faith was the problem (v.23). The man had had some faith, or he would not have brought his boy to Jesus. But when Jesus pointed to faith as the missing quality, the father didn’t argue. He prayed, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (v.24). Jesus healed the boy once and for all and showed that salvation is for all of life as well as for death. The boy lay as peacefully after the convulsive spirit left him as if he were dead. But Jesus lifted him to life- almost as a preview of final death and resurrection.

Privately, the disciples wanted to know why they hadn’t been able to cast out the demon. Though Jesus had grown weary of their lack of faith (v.29; also see 4:40; 6:50.52; 8:17-21), they were still learners; and He was still their Master Teacher. Jesus explained that this kind of demon could be driven out only by prayers of faith (vv. 19. 29). The best ‘t manuscripts do not include fasting as a requirement for casting out demons. Jesus did not have to fast to cast out the demon, and He had exempted the disciples from any need to fast while He was with them (2:18-22).

So, why couldn’t the disciples cast out the evil spirit? In 6:13, we read that they cast out demons while on their mission to the villages. Perhaps they had special authority only for that trip, or perhaps their faith was faltering now. Mark tells this story to show that the battle with Satan is a difficult, ongoing struggle. Victory over sin and temptation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not through our own efforts. This faith must be ongoing, renewed, and strengthened.

Jesus’ words do not mean that we can automatically obtain anything we want if we just think positively (there is a person on TV that seems to be saying this). Jesus meant that anything is possible if we believe, because nothing is too difficult for God. We cannot have everything we pray for as if by magic, but with faith, we can have everything we need to serve Him.

Read Mark 9:28-29

The attitude of trust and confidence that the Bible calls “belief or faith” (Hebrews 11:1, 6) is not something we can obtain without help. Faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). No matter how much faith e have, we never reach the point of being self-sufficient. Faith is not stored away like money in the bank. Growing in faith is a constant process of daily renewing our trust in Jesus. The disciples would often face difficult situations that could be resolved only through prayer. Prayer is the key that unlocks faith in our life. Effective prayer needs both the attitude of complete dependence and the action of asking. Prayer demonstrates our reliance on God as we humbly invite Him to fill us with faith and prayer. There is no substitute for prayer, especially in circumstances that that seem impossible.

This incident proved that only lack of faith and lack of prayer hinder man’s full deliverance. When faith is not what it should be, we need to pray for a better quality of faith. Further, a person with real faith will not set a limit on God’s power that is available in Jesus. So, the only real answer in facing any demon is to call on God for even more faith. Furthermore, we cannot live the Christian life well without a full, continuing commitment to Christ through faith and dependence upon Him alone.