Sifted Luke 22

“Sifted” “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat” (Luke 22:31). Peter was actually told in advance that a temptation was coming, that Jesus had prayed for him, that he would fail, yet also that he would repent, and what his assignment was when he did (22:32). Peter strongly argued that he would not fail, in fact, that he was prepared to even die for Jesus (22:33).

“Satan Has Demanded” This picture looks very much like the picture we have in the early chapters of the book of Job, where Satan comes before God and makes serious accusations against one of God’s faithful. As in the book of Job, he makes demands, issues untrue accusations, and throws around slander and wild speculations (Job 1:9-11; 2:4-5). Note that Satan believes in “absolutes” and “absolute truth”, yet it is merely the erroneous absolutes of his own invention. Jesus said that Satan does “not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar” (John 8:44).

Beware of “Demanding” The Israelites fell into the trap of “demanding” when they were wandering in the wilderness. Whenever they encountered a trial, they demanded instant relief. Are we resembling them in any way? We are only becoming like Satan when we fall into the trap of thinking that we have the right to “demand” that life meet all our expectations right now.

“To sift you like wheat” God permits trials and suffering because God wants to sift us, but what God is looking for in the end is “wheat”! God is always looking to bring about the best in us (Romans 5:3-5; James 1:2-4,12; 1 Peter 1:6-8). Again, in the book of Job, Satan had no interest in seeing Job refined, rather he wanted Job to be reduced to a fake and a liar – just like he is.

“I have prayed for you” What a contrast! On the one hand Satan is “demanding” to be allowed to throw Peter into the meat-grinder, and on the other hand, there is Jesus. Not demanding, not making any wild accusations, rather praying for Peter, praying that his faith would not fail in that circumstance. Why feel helpless? Tremendous resources are available in such times of testing. (1 Corinthians 10:13).

“When once you have turned again” This first infers that Peter’s faith would fail in this particular testing, but does this mean that the prayer that Jesus offered for Peter was powerless or that Satan’s demand had more influence? The obvious answer is no. In spite of Jesus’ prayer and encouragement, Peter’s faith would fail because Jesus’ prayer would not override Peter’s own freewill and preparation in this area. There was nothing lacking in Jesus’ prayer – the lack would instead be on Peter’s part.

“When once you have turned again” I find this very meaningful. Peter was not destined to fail – and even when he stumbled, he could still recover. It takes courage to resist temptation, yet what we often forget is that it takes just as much courage to correct yourself after you have failed – and even failed publicly as Peter did.

“Strengthen your brothers” Jesus definitely has a different perspective concerning those who fail. Instead of thinking that no one wants us around after we sin or that we have nothing to offer, we need to realize that we still have a very vital role to play in our families and congregations after such failures. Who better qualified to help people recover than those who have walked that path before?

“I am ready to go both to prison & to death!” Barclay observes: “It is a thing to remember that if a man says, ‘That is one thing I will never do’, that is the very thing against which he must most carefully guard. Again and again castles have been captured because the attackers took the route which seemed unattackable and unscalable, because, at that very spot, the defenders were off their guard. Satan is subtle. He can attack at the point at which a man is too sure of himself, for there the man is likeliest to be unprepared” (pp. 281-282).

“I am ready to go both to prison & to death!” In like manner, we may think that we are ready for all sorts of temptations or a certain kind of temptation, and not realize that temptation might actually show up in another form that we had never anticipated. Likewise, are we prepared to fight temptation completely on God’s terms, by His rules, rather by our own imagined defense? Someone has noted that survival in the wilderness is based on the same principle. Be prepared but be prepared to survive if you lose all the handy conveniences, like your neat little stove, lighter, snacks or bottled water. Be prepared to fight temptation with the bare necessities, trust in God, remembering what you have read in Scripture and be vigilant in prayer.

Conclusion Someone has noted that survival in the wilderness is based on the same principle. “Be prepared but be prepared to survive if you lose all the handy conveniences, like your neat little stove, lighter, snacks or bottled water.” Be prepared to fight temptation with the bare necessities, trust in God, remembering what you have read in Scripture and be vigilant in prayer. [1 Peter 5:7,8]