Scripture

“What do you mean ‘if I can?’” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

Observation

Jesus and the three disciples come down from the Mount of Transfiguration to find a commotion happening between the remaining disciples and some teachers of the Law.

One of the men in the crowd comes to Jesus and explains that his son has a demon that prevents him from talking, and it tries to kill him by throwing him into the fire or water. The father had asked the disciples to cast the demon out but they could not.

Jesus has the boy brought to Him. The evil spirit throws the boy into a convulsion.

The father asks Jesus, “Help us if you can.” Jesus replies that all things are possible for anyone who believes.

Then Jesus addresses the spirit and tells it to come out. The spirit then throws the boy to the ground and leaves him.

Later, when the disciples are alone with Jesus, they ask him why they couldn’t remove the demon. Jesus Tells them that this kind can only be cast out with prayer.

Application

Jesus tells the father, “Anything is possible for the person who believes.”

They are various New Age and New Thought teachers who say that if you believe, the universe will change shape, so that whatever you want, will just come to you by the power of your thought.

This is not what Jesus is teaching!

Although he doesn’t explicitly say the words here, this is about trusting in Him and trusting in the Father. Faith must have an object or it is not faith. Who do you believe? Who do you trust?

Removing a demon that inflicted muteness was one thing, that many teachers In Jesus’ time believed that only the Messiah could do. As followers of Jesus the Christ, that is the Messiah, we have the authority to cast out all demons with a word, or sometimes a prayer.

Listen

Lord, why do some demons require prayer to remove them?

Keith, the truth is that you can only remove demons through my authority, and that means, listening carefully to my Spirit, and then doing and saying what I tell you. There is a trap that you can move from trusting my authority to believing in your own authority.

These spirits that have tormented a person with physical manifestations are harder to remove, especially when they have been in the person for many years. These are the spirits that need prayer – prayer for discernment, power and authority. Often, there is more than one spirit tormenting these people. Listen carefully Do not rush. Pray to expose all of the spirits.