(Read Matthew 17:14-21 and Mark 9:14-29)
In the Lord’s answer to the inquiry of His disciples as to their failure to cast the demon out of an only son, we are brought face to face with existing causes for the weakness and failure amongst us today. The distraught father had come to the Lord Jesus with his disappointment, and Jesus intervened on his behalf to free the child. “Why could not we cast him out?” the disciples queried, to which the Lord Jesus produced three reasons as the cause.
The fact that they asked the reason is in itself a favorable sign on their part, as well as an encouraging example to us. Whenever there is soul-exercise as to loss of power with a turning to God to seek His face concerning it, the reason is certain to be pointed out, and the remedy readily given.
REASON ONE: LACK of FAITH
“And Jesus saith unto them, ‘Because of your unbelief’” (Matthew 17:19, 20).
When faith is lacking, communication with the God of power is broken, and hence there is no manifestation of the power of God. Faith is the connecting link between the soul and God. When this link is missing, we cannot expect God to display Himself because, in the first place, Lack of faith robs Him of His pleasure. In Hebrews 11:6 we read, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.” In the second place, Lack of faith fails to comprehend His presence. The same Scripture continues, “He that cometh to God must believe that HE IS.” And in the third place, Lack of faith sets aside the fact of His Goodness, as Hebrews 11:6 concludes, “He is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”
Certainly we can see that when this principle of faith which pleases and honors Him is lacking, we cannot expect Him to work in power amongst us. We ourselves would not encourage our children in an attitude contrary to our principles and thoughts; much less can we expect Him to encourage our continuance in lack of faith, which according to His divine standard is nothing less than sin. The Scripture plainly declares, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23).
The seriousness of such a deficiency in our lives is thus readily seen as an illustration from a page in Israel’s history confirms. A whole generation, except Joshua and Caleb, found out through bitter experience what God thinks of unbelief by His necessary government because of it. Of that generation we read in Hebrews 3:19, “They could not enter in because of unbelief.” A similar condition prevailed when the Lord was here on earth of which we read, “He did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58).
But from all this, do we not see the remedy? The Lord would ever encourage our faith even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Did He not promise, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain ‘Remove hence to yonder place;’ and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matt. 17:20)? Let not the visible ensnare our souls to the exclusion of faith. To be discouraged, to be discontented, to be dismayed is definite evidence of lack of faith in God to Whom mountains and gilants are nothing but stepping stones to victory. Let us confess our sin of unbelief and begin NOW to put simple confidences in Him Who liveth to lead us in triumph over every foe. “This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our FAITH” (1 John 5:4).
REASON TWO: LACK of PRAYER
“This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer…,” says Jesus in Mark 9:29, and from this we infer that the deficiency of prayer is another reason for the failure of power.
Prayer acknowledges one’s own weakness and lays hold upon God’s strength. It is the expression of absolute helplessness on the one hand, but the confession of God’s infinite ability on the other. Without prayer there is the ever-destroying spirit of self-confidence, with the corresponding lack of God-consciousness which dishonors Him. As “Power belongeth unto God” (Psalm 62:11), what dishonors Him must necessarily, in His holiness, short-circuit the manifestation of His power.
Our God delights to give in response to our requests. “Ask and it shall be given” is a divine wisdom. When His Word is kept, He ever honors the obedience with divine power.
In Israel’s day it was power that stopped the rain from falling for 3 and one-half years, and then it was power that again brought the desired relief. But what power? Nothing more nor less than the power of prayer. Elijah was just a man, however his prayer dried the heavens and parched the earth; and in turn, his prayer watered the ground with the needed blessing. God presses this illustration upon us to encourage us to likewise pray, promising that “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:17).
If the earnest prayer of a righteous man availeth much, surely we conclude that the lack of prayer availeth little. On the disciple’s part, their powerlessness is traced by the Lord to what, perhaps, no one else could see,—neglecting to get alone with God in the closet of prayer. How many ills amongst us can be traced right to this point! We may be well able to detect the symptoms of wrong, deplore the weakness and failure, and know what to do to bring God’s intervention, but alas, we don’t pray! Prayer requires time; it calls for patience; it means labor. But prayer is that which reaches the throne of God and unleashes His power. Brethren, Let us pray!
REASON THREE: LACK of FASTING
“This kind can come forth by nothing, but by … fasting,” the Lord continues in His answer to the disciples. In this we see a divine principle that underlines all service for Him.
If there is to be power for God, it must be the power of God, and not the energy of man that is in operation. Hence it is imperative that the flesh be kept in the place of death. The flesh, or that inherent nature, which cannot please God nor have any place before Him, can produce nothing for His glory. Though the flesh is condemned and set aside in the believer, yet it is still present (and will be until the day of redemption at the coming of Christ). It ever seeks to vaunt itself and clamor for a place. Even in the things of God, where it is most obnoxious, is this case. Unless it is continually judged and abstained from, it will act to our shame and to the Lord’s discredit. Now fasting is suggestive of this self-judgment and abstinence from selfish motives, aims, and acts which would keep the flesh in its proper place of nothingness. Walking in the Spirit will allow the divine nature to characterize us, and permit the power of God through His Holy Spirit to operate unhinderedly in effectual service for Him.
Fasting suggests the living of a life of self-denial. It may at times be a denial of food, especially during periods of deep exercise of soul, but far more does it imply the selflessness that should permeate and characterize every sphere of our life’s activity. How essential this is, if one is to be a faithful servant whose object is the will of his master, for we can readily see that a selfish person would never be a useful servant. His activities center around his own interests, and of such Paul writes in Philippians 2:20, “All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” But a person given to self-denial for Christ’s sake will be found “watching” and “occupying” until He comes. His time, his money, his comforts, — yea, all he has and is are regarded and held not for himself, but for Christ and for others.
Take the matter of time: Do I deny myself time that could be legitimately spent in so many selfish ways, by using it rather for the Lord and for others? Take the matter of money: Do I deny myself what I desire and could rightfully possess for the sake of furthering the Lord’s interest in a practical way? Take the matter of comfort: Do I cheerfully deny myself the personal comfort which may at times be demanded in order to serve the Lord and His own in whatever way He may direct? But enough to remind us of our bounden duty and inestimable privilege as disciples of Christ. “If any man will come after Me,” says Jesus, “Let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24). The path of discipleship is the path of self-denial; and only in the path of self-denial is there to be found power for the path. This the Saviour Himself, Whom we are called to follow, exemplifies.
In what particular feature of self-denial the disciples failed we are not told, but Jesus knew and laid it to their charge as another reason for their power failure. The Same One knows our particular lack. Are we willing to accept the challenge of having Him point it out to us? With the Psalmist, are we ready to pray, “Search ME, O God”?
Does the lack of power in ministry in our assemblies exercise us? Are we appalled by the prevalent weakness and the state of apathy on every hand? Are we discouraged by the dearth of praise in our gatherings for worship, along with a dozen or more symptoms of power failure? Surely the Lord’s diagnosis of the disciples’ failure should speak forcibly to each of us, for we are all a part of the ruin today. Let it bring us low in confession before Him, but at the same time let us remember that HIS POWER is the same, for He and His Word can never change.
Let us, by His grace, practically combine the three remedies of Faith, Prayer and Fasting, individually and collectively! Shall we not then soon experience more of God’s ways in power amongst us in worship and service? It cannot be otherwise, for He cannot deny Himself.
—D.T.J.