“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”
And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.” Luke 22:31-38
At the time of our text, Jesus had just called out a betrayer in their midst. And here Jesus points out that none of us are safe. Just because Satan overcomes one of us doesn’t mean he’s going to stop. We should always be focused on defending against the attacks of the enemy. Our enemy does not rest, so neither should we.
Our enemy loves the destruction of our faith. He often prefers the torture of your soul over simply the torture of your body. Satan can even hide your blessings. He is watching out for us to drop our guard.
We take courage and remember that God is sovereign. Satan has to ask God for permission for everything he does. God, in his sovereignty, allows Satan to test us. But take heart - if you are God’s, you cannot be Satan’s. You may stumble and may falter, but Satan cannot have your faith or your soul. Deep down among Peter’s denials is a scared man that loves his Lord. Jesus prayed for Peter, but Jesus also is praying for you. We hear throughout the Bible that Jesus is making intercession for us. You can be certain of your faith, because you have the God of the universe praying for you! There is always a pathway back to God because of the cross.
Note that God keeps us so that we may keep one another. God tells Peter “when you return, strengthen your brothers.” In this way, God demonstrates His sovereignty throughout the household of faith. Peter’s failure and his restoration is not just for his benefit. He is to strengthen the other brothers and be an example for those who are weak or faltering. Also, note that while Peter may be called out for his denial, ALL the disciples scatter! Peter is called out because he is the de facto leader of the group. So his restoration is impactful to others! In the same way, God does not keep you for yourself. God restores and keeps and sustains you, so you might be a sustainer for those around you! Who has God placed around you, so you might keep them moving forward and focused on God? As you run the race to your finish line, who has the lord put in your path that you may support them as they run?
Despite our delusions, we cannot live out this faith on our own. Peter tells Jesus, “I’m ready to die for you!” And Jesus corrects Him. In Peter’s bravado, Jesus exposes Peter’s own weaknesses. We need all the help we can get! Our pride and the illusion of our inner strength are prime targets for Satan. And in our American context, we are raised to believe we can handle things on our own. But we are not as strong as we believe we are. So we should pray like we are capable of falling. We should live like we are always capable of falling. And if we live like we are capable of falling, we will always remember our dependence on God. We cannot do this alone. Do not resist the opportunity to lean on God, and live faithfully among the community of believers.
And remember, the world will become more adversarial to Jesus and Jesus’ followers. But when we go and we encounter difficulty, we go with the prayers of our Lord. The disciples think they are going to fight a physical battle - looking for swords. But Jesus is speaking metaphorically, as we see in a few verses when Jesus chastises Peter for attacking a man with a sword. The sword is not what keeps us. God does! We will be kept because God is in control. We will be kept because Jesus is praying for us, in heaven, making intercession. And when we fall, He has paid the price on the cross.
