And he [Jesus] did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. — MATTHEW 13:58

At a meeting in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, years ago, a man stood in the healing line. I asked him, “What did you come for?”

He said, “I have TB of the spine. My spine is as stiff as a poker; I don’t have any movement.”

This man couldn’t move his back. He could move his neck just a little bit. I laid one hand on his chest and one hand on his back. I felt that fire jump from hand to hand, so I knew his body was oppressed by a demon.

I said, “I command you, foul spirit, that oppresses this body to come out of him [I meant out of his body.].” The man had been saved, filled with the Holy Ghost, and was a member of a Full Gospel church. The demon was not in his spirit. It was in his body. His back was as stiff as a board.

After I said, “Come out of him in the Name of Jesus,” I missed it. Remember, Peter missed it after he stepped out of the boat onto the water, and unbelief robbed him of God’s best; he started sinking in the water. The nine disciples missed it, and unbelief robbed them of God’s best; they couldn’t cast the devil out of the boy.

I missed it when I said to the man, “See if you can stoop over and touch your toes.” Well, he couldn’t. I mean, he could barely move his head.

I put my hands on his chest again, felt that fire jump from hand to hand, and said, “Come out of him, you foul spirit, that oppresses this man’s body. I command you to come out of him in the Name of Jesus.”

Then I missed it again. I said, “See if you can stoop over and touch your toes.” He couldn’t move. His back was as stiff as a poker. I did the whole thing again for the third time, and he still couldn’t touch his toes.

Well, I thought that three times should be enough to minister to a person. I had given him more attention than anyone else. He walked back to his seat without having been helped. I didn’t realize that I’d allowed unbelief to creep in.

Confession: I’m not going to let doubt or unbelief defeat me. Doubt and unbelief are of the devil. Faith and love are of God. I walk in love. And I walk by faith.