40 And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.
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According to Matthew's account of this same incident (Matthew 17:14-21), it seems to have been (according to Jesus) a combination of the apostles' unbelief; and the strength of the particular spirit itself, which required preparatory prayer and fasting on the part of humans who sought to drive it out.
Luke 9:41 says that that was a faithless and perverse generation they lived in. Matt. 17:21 says: Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by fasting and prayer. The disciples were not doing this. Therefore, the demons were not leaving because they knew their weakness, or should I say authority the disciples didn't have quite yet. The demons knew what they could get away with when it came to the disciples until they were given the authority Jesus gave to them. They only spent 3 1/2 years with Jesus being trained to take on such a task, and then when they were filled with the Holy Spirit, the demons didn't have a chance. I thank God for patience with me, He is giving us a lifetime to learn what we need to be taught to do. Be blessed.
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