Dr Tom Hover
November 16, 2025
Matthew 17:14–21
FAITH TO DEAL WITH A DEMON
FAITH TO DEAL WITH A DEMON
Matthew 17:14–21
Dealing with The Demons! After the mountain-top experience, Christ came down to meet a serious demon problem. Many spiritual mountain-top experiences are quickly followed by Satanic problems. But mountain-top experiences are to prepare us for problems in the valley. When God Blesses Us, The Devil Will Blast Us!
I. DEALING WITH A DEMON: THE AFFLICTION Matthew 17:15
A. The Designation of The Affliction. “He is lunatic” Matthew 17:15
B. The Discomfort in The Affliction. “Sore vexed; for oftentimes he falleth into the fire, and oft times into the water” Matthew 17:15
First, The Defining of The Discomfort. “Sore vexed.”
Second, The Detailing of The Discomfort.
II DEALING WITH A DEMON: THE APPEAL Matthew 17:14-16
A. The Appeal Came with Courtesy
“A certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying” Matthew 17:14
B. The Appeal Came with Compassion
“Lord, have mercy on my son” Matthew 17:15
C. The Appeal Came with A Complaint
“I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him” Matthew 17:16
First, The Deficiency of The Disciples. “They could not.”
Second, The Dishonor from The Disciples. “Thy disciples.”
III. DEALING WITH A DEMON: THE ADMONITION
Matthew 17:17
A. Jesus’ Admonition Is to A Certain People
“O faithless and perverse generation” (Matthew 17:17)
B. Jesus’ Admonition Is to Certain Problem
“Faithless and perverse generation” (Matthew 17:17)
First, Unbelief. “Faithless” means they did not believe in Christ and the Word.
Second, Unholiness. “Perverse” speaks of corruption. (Psalm 14:1)
C. Jesus’ Admonition Comes with A Certain Patience “How long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you?” (Matthew 17:17). This is not a longing to leave the earth but a complaining of the slowness of the people to learn and believe. It is similar to what Christ said to Philip, “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?” (John 14:9).
D. Jesus Admonition Comes with A Certain Precept
“Bring him hither to me” Matthew 17:17, Acts 4:12
IV. DEALING WITH A DEMON: THE ACCOMPLISHMENT Matthew 17:18
A. Notice the Rebuke in This Accomplishment
“Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him” Matthew 17:18
B. Notice the Rapidity in This Accomplishment
“And the child was cured from that very hour” (Matthew 17:18)
V. DEALING WITH A DEMON: THE ASKING AFTER THE FACT Matthew 17:19-21
A. The Question Came to The Savior
“Then came the disciples to Jesus” (Matthew 17:19)
B. The Question Came in Secrecy
“Came the disciples to Jesus apart” Matthew 17:19
C. The Question Came with Substance
“Why could not we cast him out?” Matthew 17:19, Mark 6:13
D. The Question Came Resulted in Schooling
First, The Poverty of Their Faith. “Why could not we cast him out? “Because of your unbelief” (Matthew 17:19, 20)
a. You Cannot Please God Without Faith Hebrews 11:6 b. You Cannot Not Have Faith Without the Word of God. Romans 10:17
Second, The Power of Faith. The Power of even the smallest Faith!
“Matthew 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Third, The Practice of Faith. “This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21)
Conclusion: Remember this: Whatever you do, whether it is a small gift, a widow’s mite, a cup of water, if you do it in the name of Jesus, no gift is small if it is given in obedience and love. And, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, plant that faith. And I am telling you that in God’s will, in that mustard seed are thousands—yea, millions—of mustard seeds. And again, the least amount of faith is greater than the greatest amount of difficulty.
