Just after the Passover meal Jesus had with His disciples before His crucifixion, came the warning and the promise.
Luke 22:31-34 “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. And he said unto Him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison and to death. And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.”
What happens when you sift wheat? You literally tear it apart, exposing the tender grain to consume it. That was the Devil's goal with all of the disciples, but having been referred to by Jesus as the leader in Mathew 16, he would begin with Peter. By tearing Peter to pieces, he wanted to expose his yet immature pride and faithfulness, destroying him forever and leaving tight knit group of disciples in shreds. Satan apparently thought this would potentially thwart the spreading of the Gospel and God's Plan for salvation of mankind. But Satan could not succeed! Jesus, the son of God had already prayed for Peter, knowing the danger of the temptation to come, that his faith would not fail. Jesus did not stop there. He goes on to tell Peter by the phrase “...and when thou art converted...” that in his human weakness he would be derailed by Satan but only temporarily. Jesus goes on to encourage Peter to then strengthen his brethren, as only one who has been sifted can.
If you are a true Christian, you know the process Peter went through – or soon will. Paul tells us that all of us, even himself, struggle against evil forces in Ephesians 6:12-13: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Followers of Jesus must never be so naive as to assume that Satan pays attention mostly to his own followers. Just the opposite is true: it is to those who follow Christ and are striving to live a godly life according to the instructions and examples God gives us in His Word. We must, in every sense, humbly acknowledge our own responsibility to fight the good fight and rely on God; never arrogantly on our own strength. When we allow our pride to influence us, we throw open the door and make the devil's work so much easier.
Just as Jesus interceded for Peter, He is doing the same for each of us who live according to His purpose. Sifting is not a pleasant process, but brings growth in faithfulness.
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