Greetings dear ones,
Today, let us take a look at the authority we have in Christ and the place of prayer in growing our faith.
And when they came back to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them.
— Mark 9:14
Following the events on the Mount of Transfiguration and the conversation Jesus had with His disciples as they came down, they found some of the disciples arguing with the scribes and the crowd.
And immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed. And as they ran up, they were greeting Him.
— Mark 9:15
Mark gives us a hint that the argument had to do with Jesus, because when the crowd saw Him, they immediately ran to Him.
And He asked them, “What are you arguing with them?” And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute;
— Mark 9:16–17
Here we see the real issue. Among the crowd was a father whose son was possessed by a spirit that made him mute. The disciples had been unable to cast the demon out.
It is important to note that these same disciples had previously been sent out by Jesus and given authority to cast out demons. Yet in this case, even though they had been given authority, they could not exercise it.
and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.”
— Mark 9:18
This shows us something important: God can hand down authority to a person, and yet that person may fail to use it.
Earlier, we saw that Jesus had indeed given the disciples this authority:
And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
— Mark 6:7
A good example for us is salvation. In salvation, we are given authority over sin to triumph against its deceitfulness. Yet, even as believers, we often fall into sin.
For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
— Romans 6:14
Although salvation grants us authority over sin, many Christians still stumble into its traps.
So why were the disciples unable to exercise their authority here? Jesus gives the answer:
And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!”
— Mark 9:19
Jesus identifies the root issue: unbelief. They failed because their faith was misplaced. They trusted in their ability to cast out demons instead of relying on the authority given by the Lord.
This is the same challenge we face with sin. When we rely on willpower, religious practices, or personal experience instead of God’s power, we fail. True victory comes when our faith is rightly placed in Christ, the source of authority.
And they brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around, foaming at the mouth.
— Mark 9:20
The spirit reacted immediately to Jesus’ presence. In the same way, when we bring our sins, struggles, and challenges to Jesus, chains are broken, and His power is revealed.
And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!”
— Mark 9:21–22
The boy had suffered from childhood, and the father pleaded with Jesus. But his words—“if You can do anything”—betrayed doubt. Jesus corrected him:
And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.”
— Mark 9:23
The key to exercising authority is placing our faith and confidence fully in God—not just in His ability, but also in His will and wisdom. Trusting God means resting in His purposes, even when they differ from ours.
The father’s response is instructive:
Immediately the boy’s father cried out and was saying, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”
— Mark 9:24
This is a prayer every believer should echo. Often, our greatest need is not material blessings, but help with our unbelief.
Scripture reminds us that faith is a gift from God:
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
— Ephesians 2:8
For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,
— Philippians 1:29
When we fail, the problem is not that God’s authority is insufficient, but that our faith is weak. In such moments, we must ask the Lord to help our unbelief.
Jesus then demonstrates His authority:
Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again.”
— Mark 9:25
The spirit convulsed the boy violently, then left.
And after crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!” But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he stood up.
— Mark 9:26–27
This was the same authority already given to the disciples, yet they failed because they did not fully trust the Giver.
Later, in private, the disciples asked Jesus why they could not cast it out.
And when He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”
— Mark 9:28
Jesus gave them the key:
And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.”
— Mark 9:29
Prayer is the ordinary means of grace through which our faith grows. Prayer aligns our hearts with God’s will, deepens our relationship with Him, and strengthens our trust in His power.
Paul explains how prayer works in the life of a believer:
And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
— Romans 8:26–27
Through prayer, the Spirit intercedes for us and aligns us to God’s will. Along with God’s Word and fellowship with the saints, prayer equips us to grow spiritually and exercise the authority God has given us.
Let us therefore be diligent in understanding the authority we have in Christ, and let us continually pursue growth in faith through the Word, prayer, and fellowship.
Grace and peace.
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