Demonic Activity

Mark 9:17–29 KJV 1900

17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; 18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. 19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. 20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. 21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. 22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. 23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. 25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. 26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. 27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. 28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? 29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

On the platform of this narrative we see the characteristics of Heaven, earth, and hell. (1) Compassion and power; (2) Doubt and weakness; (3) Hate and misery. We have demonic activity all around us. God desires for us to launch deeper into Him for the Glory of God to shine through us with the power of the compassionate Christ to overcome our weaknesses and to overcome the work of the devil. We have here—

I. Satanic Influence.

The Lord Jesus Christ believed in personal wicked spirits. We think lightly of them, but He had to face them and overcome. This evil influence had—

1. AN EARLY BEGINNING. “Of a child” (v. 21). Being born in sin, the natural soil of the heart is at once favourable to the seeds of evil. The Psalmist says, “We go astray as soon as we be born” (Psa. 58:3), and we keep going astray like lost sheep until we are born again.

2. AN OVERPOWERING MASTERY. “He teareth him, and oft-times casteth him into the fire, and into the waters” (vv. 18, 22). He was simply led captive by this devil, having no power at all to resist him. His purpose was to kill and to destroy. Such is the power of sin. Has sin dominion (mastery) over you? Are you dominated by principles you know to be contrary to your conscience and your God? Are you under law or grace? (Rom. 6:14).

3. A FEARFUL EFFECT. Mark’s pen is graphic here. What a terrible catalogue of evils, “Teareth, foameth, gnasheth, pineth, wallowing, foaming, cast him into the fire, into the water, and rent him sore” (v. 20). Just one thing awanting, the awful “for ever,” to make his hell complete. Those under the power of the devil, if they escape the tearing, the gnashing, the wallowing, and fire in this life, will not escape in the next (Matt. 13:40–42; Rev. 20:15).

II. Disciples’ Failure.

“I spake to Thy disciples that they should cast him out, but they could not” (v. 18). Great things are expected from those who belong to Christ, and justly so (Phil. 4:13). Peter and John said to the lame man, “Look on us” (Acts 3:4).

They knew what possibilities were within their reach through faith in the risen Saviour.

They could not because of—

1. FAILURE IN FAITH. The Lord rebuked them with, “O faithless generation, all things are possible to him that believeth” (v. 23). Their lack of faith brought dishonour upon the Name of their Master. “Abraham was strong in faith, giving God the glory” (Rom. 4:20).

Yes, strong faith glorifies God. Our unbelief is a stumbling-block in the way of others. “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22).

2. FAILURE IN PRAYER. “This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting” (v. 29). Prayer means communion with God; communion means power for service.

Those who have only fixed times for prayer may be often caught napping in weakness and inability.

The spirit of prayer is better than seasons of prayer.

3. FAILURE IN FASTING (v. 29). Prayer and fasting forms the two-edged sword that gets the victory.

It is questionable if we really pray as we ought, unless we esteem it better than our daily food.

If preaching and feasting would cast out devils, then there would be a general exodus.

This overcoming power does not belong to us merely as disciples. There are many powerless disciples.

This Christ-honouring authority can only abide with those who abide in fellowship with Him by continual prayer and hearty self-denial for His sake. This is one of the things that are hidden from the worldly-wise, but revealed to the humble, trustful babes.

III. Christ’s Victory.

The disciples having failed him, the young man’s father carried his request to Jesus Himself, saying, “If thou canst do anything, have compassion and help us.” If the followers of Christ have disappointed you, try the Lord Himself. Don’t be discouraged by the powerlessness of His professing people. He who wept over Jerusalem will have compassion for your case Notice the order of deliverance—

1. THE INVITATION. “Bring him unto Me.” “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). Let there be an entire yielding up of ourselves in all our helplessness and misery into His hands. As a physician He had never failed. Is there anything tearing your heart and causing your life to pine away? Bring it to Him. Any wayward son possessed with a deaf and dumb spirit toward God and the things of eternity? “Bring him to Me,” says the Redeemer of men.

2. THE WORD OF POWER. Jesus said, “Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him” (v. 25). He speaks and it is done. He sent His Word and healed them. The deliverance was complete, the evil spirit must enter no more into him. In obeying His invitation we shall find His Word to be with power. He can separate between you and your sins. He can give us the victory over all our enemies.

3. THE UPLIFTING HAND. “Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up” (v. 27). When the veil is cast out we are lifted up into newness of life. Made a new creation by Christ Jesus. The Word and the hand of Christ work together for the salvation of those who flee to Him for refuge. The Word of grace, the hand of power, both moved by a heart of love.