Bad demon!

Well, it is above my pay grade but maybe it is part of the fall as here is what Matthew Henry said--that Jesus restores the child perfectly:

VIII. The cure of the child, and the conquest of this raging devil in the child. Christ saw the people come running together, expecting to see the issue of this trial of skill, and therefore kept them in suspense no longer, but rebuked the foul spirit; the unclean spirit, so it should be rendered, as in other places. Observe, 1. What the charge was which Christ gave to this unclean spirit; "Thou dumb and deaf spirit, that makest the poor child dumb and deaf, but shalt thyself be made to hear thy doom, and not be able to say any thing against it, come out of him immediately, and enter no more into him. Let him not only be brought out of this fit, but let his fits never return.’’

Note, Whom Christ cures, he cures effectually. Satan may go out himself, and yet recover possession; but if Christ cast him out, he will keep him out. 2. How the unclean spirit took it; he grew yet more outrageous, he cried, and rent him sore, gave him such a twitch at parting, that he was as one dead; so loth was he to quit his hold, so exasperated at the superior power of Christ, so malicious to the child, and so desirous was he to kill him. Many said, He is dead. Thus the toss that a soul is in at the breaking of Satan’s power in it may perhaps be frightful for the present, but opens the door to lasting comfort. 3. How the child was perfectly restored (v. 27); Jesus took him by the hand, kratesas —took fast hold of him, and strongly bore him up, and he arose and recovered, and all was well.IX.

The reason he gave to the disciples why they could not cast out this devil. They enquired of him privately why they could not, that wherein they were defective might be made up another time, and they might not again be thus publicly shamed; and he told them (v. 29), This kind can come forth by nothing but prayer and fasting. Whatever other difference there really might be, none appears between this and other kinds, but that the unclean spirit had had possession of this poor patient from a child, and that strengthened his interest, and confirmed his hold. When vicious habits are rooted by long usage, and begin to plead prescription, like chronical diseases that are hardly cured. Can the Aethiopian change his skin? The disciples must not think to do their work always with a like ease; some services call them to take more than ordinary pains; but Christ can do that with a word’s speaking, which they must prevail for the doing of by prayer and fasting.

 

I read an interesting thing concerning this, is many times before a great deliverance things will have an appearance of getting worse. When God led Moses to do what he did before Pharaoh, the Pharaoh commanded the Hebrews slaves make bricks with no straw provided. It was a command to dishearten Moses to get him into fear.

Before Jesus faced the devil in Matt 4 he was with John the Baptist and had the powerful experience and encouraging revelation that, "This is my beloved Son!" and the power of God coming down on Jesus like a dove. The Bible says immediately after that he was driven out into the wilderness to temptation and what was the temptations all about? To make him doubt he was the Son of God. It wasn't that God wanted Jesus to doubt that but apparently the devil (and I say this in a certain way) apparently the devil has a right to test people.

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God..." Matt 4:1-6

You'll also see right before this very extreme case of demon possession Jesus had a powerful experience right in the verses prior. The transfiguration. One might find that happens a lot. God will manifest himself to one in powerful way but sometimes it means they're heading for a great test or trial soon after.

This case you're speaking of could have been the devil tempting Jesus to have fear to take him off his belief that his words would be obeyed. Just as in Matt 4:1-6 The devil tore the boy and he appeared like he was dead. We notice Jesus didn't say, "Oh no! What have I done!" And he didn't ask, "Hey are you alright?" That would have been doubt. He had by his authority commanded the spirit to leave and Jesus acted accordingly....Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up. Jesus yielded to no fear and stayed in confidence in regard to his authority to command.

 

I think we are taught in Scripture that when we pray, things often get worse rather than better before our prayer is answered. Jairus' daughter is a case in point (Mark 5:21-43), as is Lazarus (John 11).

 

Because of the fall, demons have some power apparently. Since expelling the demon leaves to restoration, man can also expel demons, no?

 

I agree with you.

 

It may have been for a lasting reminder for that person of how bad it is for demons to indwell him. It appears that Satan and his minions manifest themselves in various degrees depending on the cultural acceptance or norm of the supernatural. In many third world countries he manifest himself in ways that would make american's hair curl whereas that is within the acceptable norm of the supernatural in other countries. In America, he manifests his possession in more sophisticated ways (angel of light) with special abilities (rock stars, movie star power) and special offices (congressman, senators, statesmen, etc.). However, at the center of all demon possession is an anti-christ spirit that manifests itself in anti-christ speech and policies whether that person resides in hollywood, the music stage or elected offices. Jesus may have allowed him to be torn as a reminder that eventually demonism, despite all other worldly benefits and priviledges that may accompany it, the end will always be brutal for all those who remain possessed.

 

Well, it was worse for the Lord Jesus after he prayed to have the cup pass from Him, before it then got much better!