Faith to Fight the Most-Focused, Fiercest, Foulest, Foes!

I came across a few interesting quotes from Trench while preparing for an evening talk on the exorcism of the epileptic son at the foot of Transfiguration Mount - I trust you will find them to be of some encouragement and help in your Christian discipleship.

Trench depicts the scene, with beams of light still streaming from the face of Christ, who had been transfigured on the Mount - his followers below had badly failed and were now being ridiculed by the Scribes, who took the opportunity to deny the undeniable Messianic credentials of Jesus.

These disciples had been "shorn of their strength" in the absence of their Lord - it was almost a re-run of the way Israel engaged in idolatry under the supervision of Aaron, while Moses had ascended Mount Sinai to speak with God where he received the Ten Commands.

With the unbelief of the scribes, crowds, disciples and father, all rebuked by Jesus, our Lord the proceeds to explain to them how "this kind" can only come out with prayer and fasting. Trench explains...

The phrase "this kind" marks that there are orders of evil spirits, that as there is a hierarchy of heaven, so there is an inverted hierarchy of hell (citing Matthew 12:45 & Ephesians 6:12).

He then adds...

The faith which shall be effectual against this must be a faith exercised in prayer, that has not relaxed itself by a habitual compliance with the demands of the lower nature, but often girt itself up to an austerer rule, to rigour and self-denial... the least spiritual power shall be potent for the overthrow of the mightiest powers which are merely of this world.