The 2019 champions arrived in Pune for a bottom-of-the-table clash on Wednesday with a five-match losing streak behind them and the knowledge that another slip up would see them miss out on ODI cricket's next global event in 2025.
But despite wobbling once again with the bat - going from 1-133 to 6-192 - Stokes had the will and skill to carry his side to a 160-run victory.
He struck 108 from 84 balls, grafting hard to begin with then accelerating sharply, to lift England to an imposing 9-339.
That was always going to be too many for a Dutch side who lacked the firepower to match Stokes and they wilted for 179 all out.
With two points and a healthy boost to their net run-rate England climbed from 10th to seventh in one jump, overtaking their opponents, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Coming off the back of five demoralising defeats in a row, Stokes produced a show of skill and character that reinforced his status as his team's "spiritual leader" - a title first uttered by under-pressure head coach Matthew Mott during his spell on the injured list at the start of the tournament.
Chris Woakes provided good support as he made 51 in a seventh-wicket of stand of 129 with Stokes, while Dawid Malan (87) was on course for a ton of his own until a silly run out cost him.
The score was 1-133 when Joe Root attempted, for the second time, one of his trademark reverse scoops over the wicketkeeper. The first one had raced away for four, but this time he got his timing all wrong and was clean bowled through his own legs without even committing a full swing of the bat.
Root has struggled for runs for much of the last month, but falling to a Logan van Beek nutmeg was a new one on his bingo card.
Malan, who had driven expertly and swept two big sixes off Roelof van der Merwe, then fell on his sword in the very next over.
Setting off for a single despite tapping straight to cover, he was sent back by Stokes and caught an inch out of his ground by some smart work in the field.
The recalled Harry Brook (11) then pulled Bas de Leede tamely into the leg-side to fluff his opportunity back in the XI, while out-of-form skipper Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali followed for single figures.
Then Stokes took over. Aryan Dutt's last over went for 24, de Leede's final two shipped 34 and Paul van Meekeren delivered a steady stream of wides as the pressure told.
He reached his hundred with a reverse sweep and finally departed in the closing moments looking for one last blow, having hammered six fours and six sixes.
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