Could a kind of demon require someone casting it out to be strong?

Indications in the Bible can be found to infer that it would be possible for at least a different KIND of demon to exist.

For further information, click on the following article:

Do different kinds of demons exist?

Could a kind of demon require someone casting it out to be strong? 

The disciples of Jesus failed to cast out one kind of demon because they were said to not be strong enough

In one account, it is written that a man said to Jesus: "I-brought my son having (a) mute spirit to You" (Mark 9:17), "And I-spoke (to) Your disciples in-order-that they-might-cast it out, and they-were not strong-(enough)”." (Mark 9:18). The disciples later asked Jesus: "“(Why is it) that we were not able to-cast it out?” And He-said (to) them, “This kind can come-out by nothing except by prayer" (Mark 9:28-29). There was a "kind" (Mark 9:29) of demon that would not come out when the disciples tried to cast it out, and the man commented about the disciples that "they-were not strong-(enough)”." (Mark 9:18) to cast it out. 

Jesus was able to cast out the demon that the disciples could not

Jesus was able to cast out the demon that the disciples were not able to cast out, as it is written in Mark 9: "Jesus, having-seen that (a) crowd is-running-together-upon (them), rebuked the unclean spirit, saying (to) it “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you — come out-of him and enter into him no-longer”. And having-cried-out, and having-convulsed (him) greatly, it-came-out" (Mark 9:25-26).

If Jesus was able to cast out the demon that the disciples could not, could it mean that Jesus was "strong-(enough)" (Mark 9:18) to cast it out compared to the disciples? Could it be then that Jesus would have been stronger than the disciples? 

Earlier, after casting out a demon, Jesus indicated how one could be described as "stronger"

Several chapters earlier in Mark 3, Jesus cast out a demon from someone, and then said "no-one, having-entered into the house (of) the strong (man), can plunder his things unless he first binds the strong (man). And then he-will-plunder his house" (Mark 3:27). The parallel account in Luke reads: "Whenever the strong (man) having-fully-armed (himself) is-guarding his (own) courtyard, his possessions are in peace. But when (one) stronger (than) he, having-come-against (him), overcomes him — he-takes-away his full-armor upon which he-trusted, and distributes his spoils" (Luke 11:21-22). 

Jesus said that when one is "stronger" (Luke 11:22) than "the strong (man)" (Luke 11:21), that one is able to then come against that strong man and "overcomes him" (Luke 11:22). This was also spoken after successfully casting out a demon. 

The Greek word for "strong-(enough)" (ischuó 2480 in Greek, verb) in Mark 9:18 that a man used to describe the disciples, and the Greek word for "stronger" (ischüroteros 2478 in Greek, adjective) in Luke 11:22 that Jesus used after successfully casting out a demon both come from the same Greek word for "strength" (ischus 2479 in Greek, noun). 

The disciples were "not strong-(enough)" (Mark 9:18) to cast out a demon, and Jesus taught earlier about being one who "binds the strong (man). And then he-will-plunder his house" (Mark 3:27) who is "stronger" (Luke 11:22) and who "overcomes" (Luke 11:22) the strong man. To what could have Jesus been referring to? Could Jesus have referred to His victory in the wilderness against Satan two chapters earlier in Mark? 

Two chapters earlier in Mark 1, Jesus "was in the wilderness forty days being-tempted by Satan" (Mark 1:13). The account in Matthew 4 and Luke 4 both record how Jesus endured every temptation from Satan. Could this be when Jesus bound "the strong (man)" (Mark 3:27) Satan, and proved to have been "stronger (than) he" (Luke 11:22) by coming to him in the wilderness and overcoming every temptation? Could a previous lack of endurance to temptation been what lacked in the disciples of Jesus in Mark 9 leading to their failure to cast out the kind of demon that they faced? 

↺ Click here to return to the Table of Contents.