OUTLINE:
Demons Exist
For some reason, we forget about their presence in this world. They possess and influence people. The Bible is chock full of accounts with demons and yet nobody seems to even acknowledge their presence anymore!
Mt 10:1
And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.
Jn 6:40
For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
Ro 10:17
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Stress-Relief from Faith
To understand Eph 2:8-9 and therefore Mk 9’s account of the demon-possessed boy, you MUST understand that faith is a grace gift. Man is incapable of producing it on his own. God provides us with faith that saves/delivers. When we are under stress, it is faith that delivers us.
Ro 12:3
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
Stress Implies Cause and Effect
There are two fundamental ways of dealing with stress:
– Remove the cause
– Remove yourself from the cause1Jn 4:4
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Pray for Relief from Stress
Mk 9:24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
Lk 17:5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
When experiencing stress, pray to God for faith to deliver you.
1Pe 5:8-9
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
1Co 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.