This is my Word for Wednesday:
Mark 9:20-29 is a passage worthy of deeper study. What is often taught is “this type of unclean spirit” cannot come out except for prayer and fasting.
However, I’m convinced, with proper study, the focus in this passage is on “unbelief” not the unclean spirit.
The father of the possessed boy confesses “I believe, help my unbelief.” (vs 24 ESV) Jesus himself in this passage didn’t take time for fasting before He commanded the unclean spirit come out of the boy. (By the way the words “and fasting” are added to many MSS—see the reference below.)
Jesus has all authority. Jesus has given His disciples all authority (Matthew 28:18-30). Even with a hierarchy of fallen angels, there is nothing the authority of Jesus can’t control—except He has chosen to limit himself to the will of man. Man’s free-will is what makes our devotion to Christ genuine, and not pre-programmed. Likewise, man’s free-will is what makes our rejection of Him genuine, and not pre-programmed. Man’s free will is what brings him to believe or not believe any matter. Our free will is influenced by what receive.
Jesus could not do the same extent of miracles in His own home town He did elsewhere, because of the people’s unbelief. (Luke 4:24)
In Mark 9:20-29, Jesus is not presenting a formula of “prayer and fasting” for His disciples to follow to gain “more power.” They (we) already have all we need. He is explaining that unbelief will dictate where His authority is effective or not. The unbelief of the boy’s father, and others like the father who suffer unbelief, must be recognized and directly dealt with. We must personally choose to overcome unbelief through intentional prayer—and certainly also fasting is consistent with Jesus’ teachings. Unbelief based on lies is dissolved with truth.
The boy was subjected to a spiritual stronghold. What is a spiritual stronghold? Ed Silvoso of Harvest Evangelism defines it as, “a mindset impregnated with hopelessness that causes us to accept as unchangeable, situations that we know are contrary to the will of God.” When we find ourselves experiencing hopelessness, we have evidence we’ve been wrongly influenced with lies. The boy was so far gone, he needed intercession/exorcism. But so long as the father’s unbelief was present, success of the disciples was impaired.
Deeply dedicated, devoted born-again Christians can be influenced by unbelief. We are not immune. Therefore, we must be on guard, discerning thoughts and the origin of the thoughts to reject the lies of darkness, else we find ourselves experiencing beliefs contrary to the Word and will of God. The remedy is to intentionally take the thought captive, and replace the lie from the enemy with the truth of God’s Word. This is what the Apostle Paul instructed in Romans about renewing our minds (Romans 12:1-2). As born-again Christians our spirit has been completely replaced with a new Spirit aligned with Jesus. However, our soul and flesh need to be instructed and trained how to function consistent with the Spirit. The weapons of warfare are both offensive and defensive. (See Ephesians 6:10-18). When we realize we are entertaining thoughts of hopelessness, we must be deliberate in applying the Word of God to our mind, confident we’ve been given every weapon and all authority we need to see God’s will manifest in our lives. The helmet of salvation in Ephesians 6:17 is to guard our mind—our knowledge, which is the basis of our faith.
Another subject that has been wrongly taught is God’s will. It is not God’s will for you to suffer under the schemes of the enemy in ANY way. Christ died to set us free and give us the ability to overcome. We too often attribute works of the enemy to the will of God. We must take the situation before the Lord and ask Him for discernment regarding the origin of the suffering. If it is the enemy, get angry and get fighting! If it is the discipline of God, repent and seek the help of the Holy Spirit to be transformed and fortified in your Spirit. Then, allow the Holy Spirit to help you transform your mind and instruct your flesh. If it is a matter that’s been inflicted upon you through nothing of your own doing, seek the Lord for His strategy to get through the situation/circumstance the best way possible. We live in a fallen world. Being a Christian does not mean we will not suffer. Being a Christian does, however, give us the supreme advantage for ultimate victory, even experiencing peace and joy in the midst of suffering, as Christ experienced.
Let us be intentional about fortifying:
Our understanding of God’s will (Knowledge)
Our understanding of the imputed authority we have (Power)
Our belief in the certainty of God’s promises, decrees, commands, instructions, and revelation (Confidence)
Our understanding of God’s character (Trust)
Our ability to stand strong in the face of opposition (Faith)
Our experience of the inner witness of the Holy Spirit (Hope)
Our connection with the Father’s heart (Love)
1 Corinthians 13:7 reads: “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (ESV) It’s this kind of love, which defines faith, that brings us through any hardships we encounter with the certain hope of the victory that has already been secured for us through Jesus.
Mark 9:20-29 reference: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/mark/9-29.htm
About the Author:
Pamela Christian is an itinerant, International minister, award-winning author, speaker, Bible teacher, and radio and television host. She’s been prophetically called by God’s grace to be a strong asset to the Church to impart wisdom and insight through teaching, instruction, and prophetic awareness. For over 25 years Pamela has compassionately helped people discover and live in life-giving truth. She is certified in apologetics by Biola University. However, her teaching style is personable and respectful—not overly academic. Her Faith to Live By book series has exceptional reviews and is endorsed by Josh McDowell, Dr. Craig Hazen, Dr. Charles H. Kraft, Dr. James Goll, Dr. Richard Land, Bill Johnson, Mike Bickle, and Dr. Heidi Baker, among others. Pamela is ordained as apostle through the International Fellowship of Ministries Apostolic Center and was awarded an honorary Doctorate Degree in Divinity from HSBN International School of Ministry. Pamela is a board member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association and is a member of the International Fellowship of Women in Apologetics. Pamela and her husband of over 30 years have two grown and married children with only furry “grandchildren” so far. More at www.PamelaChristianMinistries.com and www.FaithToLiveBy.com
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