Spiritual Warfare: Not Having Enough Power

SPIRITUAL WARFARE: NOT HAVING ENOUGH POWER

Mark 9:14-29

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. A man bought a new Tesla Roadster. He had two sons. One of them asked him, “Dad, if you die, who will inherit your new Tesla?”

2. He pondered the question & said, “If I pass away on an even day, the son born on an even day gets it. If I pass away on an odd day, the one born on the odd day gets it.

3. A few weeks later, while river rafting with his sons, the man was tossed out of the boat. As he floated in the rapids, he heard one of his sons yelling, "It’s the wrong day!"

B. TEXT

14 When they came to the other [nine] disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 16 “What are you arguing with them about?” [Jesus] 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 his speech...18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground....I asked Your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” 19 “O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied...“Bring the boy to Me.” 20... “When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion.... 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 [Jesus] 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. 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 [and fasting].” Mark 9:14-29, NIV1984

C. THESIS

1. For those who don’t think this kind of satanic activity goes on today, there are numerous articles about its occurrence:

a. “Demonic Activity on the Rise” Nat. Catholic Reg.; 2017.

b. “Exorcism: Increasingly frequent.” Crux Mag. 10/31/20

c. Unfortunately there are no statistics of its frequency, because in the U.S. it’s not treated as a spiritual condition, but as a mental or physical abnormality. However, the same signs associated with possession can be easily seen in our society.

2. 7 CATEGORIES OF DEMONS in Scripture, their associated behaviors and the number of people involved:

Category of spirit. Text Expression # US INVOLVED*

EVIL, WICKED Mt. 12:45 VIOLENT 1.2 million

LYING, SEDUCING 1 Tm. 4:1 OC-CULT 24 million

SICKNESS, INFIRMITYLuke 8:2 SOMATIC 15 million

SPIRIT OF FEAR 2 Tm. 1:7 PHOBIAS 41 million

BONDAGE addictions Rm. 8:15 ALC/DRUG 45 million

DIVINATION Act 16:16 SPIRITISM .3 million

UNCLEAN Matt. 10:1 PORN/SEX. 40 million

Other stats associated with possession:

SUICIDE Mk. 9:22 SUICIDE 1.3 million

MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES................................5 million

PEOPLE IN MENTAL FACILITIES/YEAR...............2 million

IN PRISON FOR VIOLENT CRIMES.....................1.7 million

3. It is NOT ASSUMED that ALL of these are demon possessions, but that they are expressing behavior that MAY BE associated with possession.

4. [Examples: Crazy-violent people, a cultic spirit on them, experiencing illnesses when there is no physical basis for them, delusional with fear, controlled by addictions, yielding themselves to spirits, filled with destructive lust from pornography, trying to kill themselves, multiple personalities speaking to their minds, mentally insane without a physical basis, etc. Sadly there are MILLIONS of people like this, but the medical profession wouldn’t admit that any of them are “possessed.” We Bible believers think that’s what some are.]

5. Instead of spiritual assistance, these people are mostly drugged, put into mental institutions, or told their behavior is ‘okay’ because it’s associated with some syndrome. They're told, “Just learn to live with it.” I think Jesus would have a different answer for some of them. Prayer still changes things.

6. My point is, WE should be ready to do what Jesus would do if He were here; but DO WE HAVE ENOUGH POWER?

I. THE NINE DISCIPLE’S FAILURE

A. THESE DISCIPLES WEREN’T ROOKIES

1. Now these disciples had seen the demonic at least 8 times before this, and they had been successful at casting out spirits in less difficult cases.

a. They had seen Jesus cast out spirits in Galilee (Mt. 4:24), Capernaum (Mt. 8:16), the man of Gadara (Mt. 8:28), the mute man (Mt. 9:28), the blind & mute man (Mt. 12:22), and the Canaanite woman’s daughter (Mt. 15:22).

b. The disciples had been given authority by Jesus to heal and cast out spirits (Mt. 10:1,8) and had done it (Mk. 6:13). They had seen an uncommissioned disciple also casting out spirits in Jesus’ name (Lk. 9:49), showing us that we don’t have to be personally commissioned.