Matthew 17:17-18 NKJV
Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.
Jesus was annoyed that His disciples did not cast out a devil that was tormenting a child. Could it have been that they were impressed by the manifestations of the spirit? Did it seem like this devil might have been too powerful? Inability to overcome a demon is not due to lack of power or authority, it comes from walking in the seen realm and allowing the enemy to impress us with his “power.” We have to make a conscious effort to stay in the realm of the unseen and see with our spiritual eyes that our God who lives in us is greater, and therefore we are more powerful than any demon we encounter. When the disciples later asked Jesus what their problem was, Jesus told them it was unbelief that cannot go away without prayer and fasting. When the works of darkness are overwhelming us, and we feel powerless to respond, we need to spend time in prayer. Some fasting may be required also to help us focus on the unseen. We can also feed our spirits more of the Word of God. We should never settle for being intimidated by the devil. Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)