What about fasting in Christianity? Fasting and prayer belongs in the lives of Christians. However, there are not many Christians, who fast regularly. This is mainly due to wrong doctrines about fasting. Because of false doctrines, many Christians have a wrong perception of what fasting is. What does the Bible say about fasting in the New Covenant and the significance and purpose of fasting in the lives of Christians?
What did Jesus say about fasting?
Then came to Him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. No man puts a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved (Matthew 9:16-17)
The disciples of John asked Jesus, the Son of God, why they and the Pharisees had to fast but the disciples of Jesus didn’t have to fast. Jesus answered the disciples of John, that as long as He (the Bridegroom) would be with them, His disciples wouldn’t have to fast. But when Jesus would depart from them, then His disciples would also have to fast.
Jesus said, that no man put a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up takes from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
Jesus also said that men don’t put new wine into old bottles. Because else the bottles break and the wine runs out and the bottles perish. But they put new wine into new bottles and both are preserved.
Only when a person repents and dies to the flesh and becomes born again in the spirit in Christ and becomes a new creation, the Holy Spirit can come, dwell, and work in a person.
The Holy Spirit can’t come into the life of the old man (the unregenerate man, who belongs to the generation of the old creation).
Therefore a person must become born again in Christ, so that the person becomes a new creation in Him, who is born of water and Spirit. After a person becomes born again fasting and prayer play an important role in the life of a born-again Christian.
Don’t you need to fast because the Holy Spirit lives inside of you?
Many times people, including preachers, say, that you don’t need to fast anymore. Because the Holy Spirit lives inside of you. Therefore Jesus (the Bridegroom) is in you. They say, that the disciples only needed to fast during the time that Jesus ascended to Heaven and the Holy Spirit descended. But is that true?
When Jesus was baptized with the Holy Spirit, Jesus was led by the Spirit to the wilderness, where Jesus fasted for 40 days. If it would be true that the new creation (the new man) doesn’t need to fast, why did Jesus fast?
Why did Jesus’ disciples fast after they were baptized with the Holy Spirit? (Acts 14:23)
In 1 Corinthians 7:5, Paul wrote about fasting to the new creations; the saints in Jesus Christ. If fasting wasn’t part of the Christian life, why did Paul write about fasting? Why did the disciples fast?
What are the wrong reasons to fast?
What are the wrong reasons to fast? Well, you don’t need to fast to be blessed and get things from God or get things done by God. You don’t need to fast for power, healing, breakthroughs in certain situations, a partner, money, material things, destroying strongholds, etc. Because that means that you starve yourself and force God to get your way and get something from God or to get things done.
But that is not what fasting is meant for. Fasting is not meant to get (material) things or to get something from God. Remember, you are seated in Christ. God has already blessed you with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly Places. And you certainly don’t have to fast for money or material things.
Many Christians fast for material things and many times they receive the material things they fast for. But they forget that the devil can also do wonders. (Read also: ‘I will give you the riches of the world‘).
If you fast for material things and bless your flesh to fulfill the lusts and desires of your flesh, then your flesh has not died in Christ and you don’t know the Kingdom of God. You focus on the carnal things of this world instead of the spiritual things of the Kingdom of God and manifesting the Kingdom of God on earth.
Do you have to fast to cast out demons?
Do you have to fast to cast out demons? No, fasting is not meant to cast out demons or heal the sick. You cast out demons and heal the sick by faith in the Name of Jesus Christ (in His authority). There are many people, who refer to Matthew 17:21. In Matthew 17:21 the disciples were not able to cast out a demon and deliver the child. But if we look at the previous Bible verse Matthew 17:20 we read the real reason, why Jesus’ disciples were not able to cast out this demon. It was due to their unbelief. Because of their unbelief, the disciples couldn’t cast the demon out, and not because they didn’t pray and/or fast enough.
If Jesus really referred with ‘this kind’ to the demon, then Jesus would contradict His own words in Matthew 9:15. In Matthew 9:15, Jesus said to the disciples of John that His disciples didn’t need to fast because the Bridegroom was with them.
And then there is another thing, namely that demons are one kind; fallen angels. One demon can be more stubborn than the other demon and they can have different appearances and manifestations. But demons are fallen angels. They are of the same kind.
Therefore with ‘this kind’, Jesus didn’t refer to the demon, who held the child in bondage. I will tell you in a minute, what Jesus really was referring to with ‘this kind’. But first, let’s have a look at what the word fasting means.
What does fasting mean?
Fasting means not eating. Sometimes people fast by skipping one meal, or snacks, or people fast by not watching television or putting away their mobile phone or tablet for a few hours. But that’s not what fasting is about.
Skipping a meal, or a snack, or not watching television, or putting away your mobile phone or table for a few hours is not fasting. People can invent all kinds of fasting, but the truth is that fasting means not eating.
What is fasting according to the Bible?
“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6)
God spoke these words to His people, who were still the old creation and bound by their flesh.
In the Old Testament, we read many times about people, who fasted, because of their evil deeds; their sins, and iniquities.
They repented of their actions and humbled their soul for the Lord through fasting.
Through means of fasting they ‘punished’ their flesh, for what they and/or their ancestors, had done. They repented and asked, and sought forgiveness of the Lord.
By fasting, they mourned, humbled themselves, and repented, and turned back to God.
By fasting, they loosed the bands of wickedness, in which they were taken captive, and undone the burdens. They were freed, because they broke every yoke that was upon them, because of their sin and iniquity.
Why did David fast?
David fasted after he committed adultery with Bathsheba and killed her husband Uriah. When Bathsheba was expecting his child, Nathan went to David and told Him that because of what he had done, the Lord would take his son.
When David heard the words of Nathan, David humbled his soul with fasting for the Lord. David hoped that through fasting, he had ‘punished’ his flesh (chastened his soul) sufficiently and that the Lord would spare his son and live. But the Lord punished David for his adultery and murder. David’s adultery and murder cost him his son (2 Samuel 12:1-23).
I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayers returned into mine own bosom (Psalm 35:13)
When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach (Psalm 69:10)
My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness (Psalm 109:24)
In the Book of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 9:1) and Esther (Esther 4:3), we also read about fasting.
Should born-again Christians fast?
When you become born again in Christ (born of water and Spirit) you have become a new creation. The old you have passed away, the old you don’t exist anymore. A new life after the Spirit has come
In the spiritual realm, you have become a new creation in Christ with the Holy Spirit in His fullness living inside of you. However, in the natural realm, many times, the flesh still reigns as king in your life.
Therefore it’s time for the process of sanctification, which is the transformation in the flesh to become like Jesus and walk after the Spirit. The transformation means that your spirit takes over and reigns in your life. It means that you lay down the works of the flesh and put off the old man and put on the new man. So that, you will continuously be led by the Spirit and walk holy and righteous before the Lord.
It is, therefore, time to fast. Fasting means ‘killing’ your flesh. When you fast, you make your flesh subject to the spirit. Your spirit shall become strong and shall reign over your flesh.
Why did Jesus fast for 40 days?
Jesus is our example. Jesus is the Firstborn of the new creation (the new man). Therefore let’s look at Jesus and how Jesus made His flesh completely submissive to the Spirit.
When Jesus was baptized in water and received the Holy Spirit from the Father, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to make His flesh submissive to the Spirit. So that, during Jesus’ ministry, the flesh wouldn’t play any role anymore but would be submissive to the Spirit.
During those 40 days, Jesus was being prepared for the task that God had given Jesus to accomplish on earth. Through fasting and prayer, Jesus killed His flesh and His Spirit became strong and reigned over His flesh. Now Jesus could walk fully after the Spirit.
During those 40 days, the devil tempted Jesus constantly. But Jesus didn’t give in to the temptations of the devil.
When the 40 days came to an end, Jesus was almost ready to go and preach and bring the Kingdom of God to the people of Israel. The only thing Jesus had to do, was to pass the final test.
God didn’t prevent this test from happening. God could have, but God allowed the devil to test Jesus
Jesus was tested by the devil
After 40 days, Jesus’ flesh became hungry (just like any other human being). At this moment of weakness, Jesus’ adversary; the devil came and tried to tempt Jesus to sin. How did the devil tempt Jesus? By using the words of God and His position to still His carnal hunger.
The devil tried to tempt Jesus by twisting the Word of God. So that Jesus would give in to the craving of His flesh and obey His flesh. If Jesus had done what the devil suggested, then Jesus would have given in to the flesh. The flesh, which is the territory, where the devil works, would have gotten the victory and would reign as king in His life and the Spirit would be subjected to the flesh and the devil.
But Jesus resisted the devil with the Word of God, by using the words of God in the right context.
Then the devil tempted Jesus again, by proving who Jesus was. But Jesus resisted the devil again with the Word.
Finally, the devil tried to tempt Jesus, by showing Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and offering the kingdoms to Him. The only thing Jesus had to do, was to bow down and worship the devil. But Jesus didn’t give into the lusts and desires of the flesh and resisted the devil with the Word. Jesus commanded the devil to go, and the devil left Jesus alone, for a while
Jesus had passed the test. The Spirit had full reign in Jesus’ life. Then the angels came and ministered to Jesus.
Although Jesus was (and is) the Son of God, Jesus fasted regularly. Prayer and fasting were part of Jesus’ life.
What is the purpose of fasting in the New Testament?
When you become born again, the flesh can still play a major role in your life. In the beginning, you can still be carnally oriented and led and ruled by your senses, emotions, feelings, thoughts, will, lust, desires, etc. instead of being spiritually oriented and led by the Word and the Spirit. Instead of seeking those things, which are above, you seek those things which are on the earth.
But if you want to grow up into the image of Jesus Christ and walk as a new creation after the Spirit, then you have to change your life.
If you don’t change your life, then you will always stay a baby. Babies can’t walk and talk, but they only cry and scream if they need something, don’t get attention, something bothers them, or if they don’t get their way. Babies only want to eat, drink, sleep, and be pampered.
When you have received the Holy Spirit, through the baptism with the Holy Spirit, then you have received everything you need to walk as a son of God. The only thing that stands in your way is your flesh, your carnal mind, and your unbelief (that is present in the flesh).
Jesus fasted before He began His ministry and walked after the Spirit. If you want to walk after the Spirit and do what Jesus did, then you also have to live like Jesus lived and do, what Jesus did.
Fasting means killing your flesh; the carnal man
When you fast, you make your flesh submissive and you ‘kill’ your flesh, by not eating. Fasting means ‘killing’ your flesh so that your flesh (body and soul) becomes submissive to the Spirit.
When you fast, you don’t feed your flesh anymore. Because of that, you silence your flesh. When you feed your spirit, with the Word of God, prayer, and speaking in tongues, your spirit will become strong.
Therefore fasting definitely belongs in the lives of born-again Christians.
If born-again Christians never fast and live like the world, but prophecy and perform signs and wonders, you should seriously ask yourself, if they do these works from the Spirit or the flesh.
Fortune-tellers also prophecy over people’s lives and the future. And a lot of those prophecies come to pass. And what about illusionists, magicians, medicine men, etc. They also do signs, miracles, wonders, and healings. But they do these signs and wonders out of the flesh and the spirits of darkness empower them.
Jesus said, that in the last days, many false prophets and false Christs shall come, who will perform great, signs and wonders, and deceive many. They’ll do such great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they would deceive the very elect (Matthew 24, Mark 13).
Therefore it’s important not to focus on signs and wonders, they’re just side issues. You must focus on Jesus Christ; the Word of God and keep His commandments and walk after the Spirit. (Read also: ‘Following Jesus for the signs and wonders‘)
Only through the Word, you will be able to discern the truth from the lie and what is real (what is from God), and what is fake (what is from the devil), and stay faithful to God. (Read also: ‘A counterfeit Jesus produces counterfeit christians‘).
What is the power of fasting and prayer in the lives of Christians?
The adversary works through the flesh, that is his territory. Therefore it is important to silence and ‘kill’ the flesh. The only way to do that is through fasting and prayer.
Jesus told His disciples “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21, Mark 9:29)
When Jesus said, ‘this kind’, Jesus wasn’t referring to the demon. But Jesus was referring to the generation of the old creation. Jesus referred to the old man, who is carnal and trapped in his sinful nature and his unbelief. The old man walks after the flesh and led his senses. The only way to kill this old carnal man is through prayer and fasting.
When you also renew your mind with the Word of God and become a doer of the Word, you shall put on the new man. You shall grow up into a mature son of God. And you shall walk after the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Spirit.
You will represent, preach, and bring the Kingdom of God to this earth; to the people, without the flesh interfering. You will walk after the Spirit and fulfill the plan that God has for your life, so that He will be exalted.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
