“So Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.’” – Matthew 17:20–21 (NKJV)

The Day the Disciples Failed the Test

“To be forewarned is to be forearmed,” they say, but sometimes life doesn’t serve up notice. There are times when we are suddenly confronted with unexpected situations that we may not have an answer for. Some disciples of Jesus learned this lesson the hard way in the seventeenth chapter of the Book of Matthew. What started like a normal day at the office for them quickly took a turn and became a day they would never forget: a man brought his son, who was demon-possessed, to them, and they could not heal him.

The world expects every disciple to be like their Master, and so does Jesus.

Peter, James, and John had accompanied Jesus to a high mountain where Jesus was transfigured, leaving the other disciples behind. Meanwhile, these other disciples were well known by the people to be part of Jesus’ circle, and as such, the people had expectations of them, just like people have expectations of everyone who identifies as a disciple of Jesus Christ today. The world expects every disciple to be like their Master, and so does Jesus. In John 14:12, Jesus said, “I tell the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.”

Jesus’ Two-Part Answer to Failure

But the disciples failed the test. The father expected them to heal his son, Jesus expected them to heal the boy, and even the disciples expected that they would heal the boy and were surprised that they could not. Hence, they asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out the demon?” to which Jesus gave a two-pronged answer. The first part pointed to a lack of faith or unbelief as the reason why they could not heal the demon-possessed boy, but the second part pointed to the unique nature of the problem that confronted them. Jesus said, “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Discerning “This Kind”

“This kind.” Jesus knew that they were dealing with a different kind, but the disciples may have underestimated the situation that confronted them. Not having an idea of what you are dealing with at any given time could lead to frustration and even defeat. It’s good to be sensitive enough to discern when the enemy you are dealing with is of a different kind. Unfortunately, you may not know in advance what day a different kind of situation will confront you; hence, it’s better to live ready because you may neither have advance notice nor sufficient time to get ready.

Unfortunately, you may not know in advance what day a different kind of situation will confront you; hence, it’s better to live ready because you may neither have advance notice nor sufficient time to get ready.

The Prescription: Faith, Prayer, and Fasting

From Jesus’ response to the question asked by His disciples about why they could not cast out the demon, and from several other passages of Scripture, including Galatians 3:11, Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, and Hebrews 10:38, which repeatedly state that “the just shall live by faith,” we see faith as a primary weapon for every believer. In fact, Ephesians 6:16 says, “above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one,” so faith is a powerful weapon. However, in this particular situation, Jesus added prayer and fasting to the prescription.

Jesus Modeled the Ready Life

Jesus Christ Himself, while on earth, modeled a life of faith for us in undeniable ways. He cursed a fig tree, and it dried up (Mark 11:4, 20); He spoke to the wind and the waves, and they obeyed Him (Luke 8:25); He commanded a man named Lazarus, who had been dead and buried for four days, to come forth, and he came out of his tomb (John 11:43–44). Yet Jesus also lived a life of prayer and fasting. He fasted for forty days and forty nights (Matthew 4:1–2) and was recorded in the Bible to have prayed on several occasions, including praying all night (Luke 6:12). Jesus indeed modeled the ready life.

Jesus indeed modeled the ready life.

Standing Firm in God’s Armor

Finally, it’s worthy of note that ‘this kind’ is not limited to the passage of Scripture we are considering or Bible times alone. This kind can be found anywhere and could confront you at any time. No matter what kind the enemy brings your way, the same prescription Jesus gave to His disciples is still effective today.

The devil has no answer to faith that is backed up by prayer and fasting from a believer who has put on every piece of God’s armor as outlined in Ephesians 6:13–17, which says,

No matter what kind the enemy brings your way, the same prescription Jesus gave to His disciples is still effective today: prayer and fasting

“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then, after the battle, you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

May the Lord grant you victory over “this kind” in Jesus’ name.

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