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Satan To Sift Peter - Luke 22:31
Satan To Sift Peter - Luke 22:31
"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:31-32
Satan is REAL. He is NOT a mythological creation of men, but a creature of God. Jesus did NOT just ‘accommodate’ the superstitions of his age, but KNEW who and what Satan was (and is). He also, in this case, knew what Satan was up to!
Satan has great power of temptation and deception! Jesus used the expression ‘sift as wheat’ to describe what Satan would do! We might paraphrase to ‘turn him everywhere but loose’. Knowing the book of Job, such sifting would be absolutely frightening! What would Peter have to go through?
Satan is LIMITED. This is shown in the fact that Satan had ‘demanded permission’ (NASB), [note definition below]. As we saw in the book of Job, Satan is ALLOWED to test and tempt, but GOD sets the limits! Thus we can be assured that we will not be tempted above what we can endure: “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13). Thus, we are to resist the devil (1Pet. 5:9).
Peter’s faith COULD FAIL. Such would NOT have meant that he ‘never believed’ (a common dodge used to explain away examples of apostasy), but that he HAD faith but it FAILED. Peter both believed and confessed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God (Matt. 16:16). Peter also DENIED the Lord three times!
In the face of such temptation and possible failure, Jesus PRAYED for him. Yet, Peter was going to have to through this trial. It is interesting that Jesus PRAYED.. to whom? About what? WHY not just intercede and STOP Satan from doing this at all? The TRIALS of our faith is what strengthens our faith and produce hope in us.
The LORD allows those who stumble to RETURN (turn again). When Peter heard the rooster crow, he went out and wept bitterly, knowing what he had just done! He then returned to the Lord and served as an apostle. Yet, later, he would give in to the false teachers and stand condemned (cp. Gal. 2:11) and yet AGAIN would return to the Lord and serve Him.
We thus learn that being faithful unto death involves some ups and downs in our life of faith. Some days we do well, other days, not so well. Yet, we continue our walk with the Lord, trusting that thru Him we find forgiveness and acceptance with God. How is your day going?
Hugh DeLong
1809 ἐξαιτέω [exaiteomai /ex·ahee·teh·om·ahee/] v. Middle voice from 1537 and 154; TDNT 1:194; GK 1977; AV translates as “desire” once. 1 to ask from, demand of. 1A to ask or beg for one’s self, to ask that one be given up to one from the power of another. 1B in a good sense,. 1B1 to beg one from another. 1B2 ask for the pardon. 1B3 the safety of some one. 1C in a bad sense. 1C1 for torture. 1C2 for punishment.
