Marcos 9

17 In answer a man in the crowd said: "Teacher, I brought you my son, who has a mute spirit.*Here was a desperate father who considered that his problem was more important than a theological discussion. So he interrupts (although the discussion may have been about the demon and their failure). 18 And wherever it seizes him it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth and gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. Indeed, I spoke to your disciples, that they might cast it out, but they could not." 19 But He answered him by saying: "O unbelieving generation,*I suspect that He was looking at the nine, not the crowd. how long shall I be with you, how long shall I put up with you? Bring him to me!" 20 So they brought him to Him. Upon seeing Him the spirit convulsed him, and falling to the ground he started wallowing, foaming at the mouth. 21 Then He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said: "From childhood. 22 Really, it has often thrown him both into fire and into water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." 23 Jesus said to him, "It’s ‘if you can believe’;*Perhaps 3% of the Greek manuscripts, of objectively inferior quality, omit ‘believe’, which alters the meaning (to be followed by NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.). all things are possible to the one who believes." 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, with tears, "Lord,*Around 1% of the Greek manuscripts, of objectively inferior quality, omit ‘with tears’ and ‘Lord’, to be followed by NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc. I believe; help my unbelief!"*I can sympathize with this father. When I consider all the things that the Lord Jesus said could be done with faith, and that I have yet to do, I too must say, "Help my unbelief!"

25 When Jesus saw that the crowd was running up, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You mute and deaf spirit,*The father had said it was a mute spirit; Jesus adds that it is also deaf—the two often go together. I am commanding you, get out of him and never enter him again!"*Note that Jesus forbad any return. Demons will do anything to deceive, confuse or demoralize us. If you resist a spirit, he leaves, but another may immediately take the place of the first and produce the same effect, making you think that nothing happened, so that you feel demoralized. If you resist but do not forbid a return, he leaves but may come back, in an hour, a day or a week. If I have to rebuke the enemy I now rebuke not only the spirit actually at work but any and all others that might wish to attack the person in the same way. I used to forbid any repetition of the attack, but now I send them to the Abyss. I believe Luke 8:31 give us basis for consigning demons to the Abyss, thereby reducing the number of the enemy’s forces (against us). There we read that the demons begged Jesus "not to order them to go into the Abyss" ("the Abyss" is the same phrase that the AV renders as "the bottomless pit" in Revelation 20:1). That means that He could have—I conclude that He refrained from doing so because He had not yet won the victory, at that time. But now it is different. In John 14:12 the Lord Jesus said to His disciples: "Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes into me, the works that I do he will do also; even greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father." What does "because I go to my Father" imply? I conclude that it must be His victory—could He have returned if He had failed, if He had not succeeded in destroying the devil (Hebrews 2:14)? That is why we are supposed to be doing "greater" works—like ordering demons into the Abyss, for instance. C. Fred Dickason, who has personally ministered to over 400 demonized believers, says that his experience indicates that once a demon is ordered into the Abyss it does not come back (Demon Possession & the Christian, Moody Press, 1987). Paul E. Billheimer says much the same in Destined to Overcome (Bethany House Publishers, 1982, p. 46). Can you imagine if God’s people really got a hold on this? We could continuously reduce the number of demons opposing us! Hallelujah! So then, why not order all recalcitrant demons into the Abyss? In fact, why not do the same for any and all that intrude upon our notice? 26 Then it yelled, convulsed him violently, and came out. Well he looked to be dead; so much so that many said, "He’s dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he stayed on his feet.