Once the disciples of Jesus failed to cast a demon out of a boy. I wonder what we would have concluded about it. Jesus told his disciples plainly that the reason for their failure to cast the demon out of the epileptic boy was their unbelief, due to their lack of prayer and fasting. (Matthew 17:20)
Today many Christians are offended at any teaching which implies that they may have unbelief. But Jesus was constantly rebuking his disciples for their unbelief, and "little faith".
If you can get free of unbelief, you will be of all Christians, most fruitful, and most pleasing to the Lord.
We ought to resist all simplistic claims that true believers do nothing but believe. The reality is, there are many who are trusting God in certain areas of their life for example, the forgiveness of sins, who still need deliverance from unbelief. Some Christians seem to refuse to believe the Word of God and act as if everything Jesus taught on certain subjects, such as prayer, faith, healing and deliverance was false.
There are many who genuinely have committed their life to Christ, and trust Him for eternal salvation, who are not believing some very important promises of Jesus Christ.
The spirit of unbelief binds the minds of Christians many times, to the point where they can neither see nor recognize what really should be staring them in the face. Declarations that Jesus Christ himself has given are treated with less credibility by many Christians than the assertions of politicians, ungodly journalists and other notorious liars! Such things ought not to be. Its evidence of a lack of the renewal of the mind.
If you doubt this, I will give you a few examples from the teachings of Jesus. He whose heart does not condemn himself, let him go free:
Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father". (John 14:12)
"These signs shall follow those who believe: in My name they shall drive out demons, they shall speak with new tongues."
Are these statement true or false? Consider this from Jesus:
"He who believes in Me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." (John 7:37).
"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you." (John 15:7)
Is it true that we can come to a place in our Christian life that everything we desire we can have? According to Jesus, it is, but we must first abide in Him. But how do we do that? "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I also have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in His love". (John 15:10)
"God is a rewarder of them that DILIGENTLY seek him." (Hebrews 11:6). Do you really believe that God will make it worth your while if you sacrificially give time to prayer and seeking the face of God? If you do believe it, you will do it, and you will enjoy God's favor. If you don't do it, you prove that there is still unbelief in your heart.
Many Christians believe some things with their minds only, but not with their hearts. This leads to an internal torment. We want to please the Lord and fully believe all the promises, but something in us resists faith. We find we "cannot" believe even though we want to. This can be due to a spirit of unbelief.
Praise God
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