I want to be up front right from the start…I don’t have what I’m about to share all figured out. But I do want to share what’s going on in my heart pertaining to it. My selfish prayer is that this becomes more heart revelation than head knowledge for, not only myself, but for you also. If we can allow God to shed light on this, I think it could bring some freedom. Which, ultimately, is what He died for us to have. So please, just bear with me on this as I process through writing. And please feel free to comment any thoughts or insight.
If you have been a Christian for any amount of time at all, you’ve heard stories about Peter; the man who couldn’t keep his mouth from getting him into trouble while at the same time doing some pretty amazing things before and after Christ’s death and resurrection. The one story that has always given Peter a bad rap is his denial of Christ. Not only was this his biggest “failure”, it was also what lead to his redemption and powerful position among the early church. But today I read a short blog of an old lesson taught by my favorite man of God, David Wilkerson, that I had never seen before. This whole denial scene was an intentional set up that ultimately lead to Peter’s repentance and reinstatement. Let me show you what I mean.
We all know the story and have heard it preached many times in many different ways…
Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even die with you.” But Jesus said, “Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” (Luke 22:33-34 NLT)
But do you know what I have NEVER heard included in any sermon or teaching? Verses 31 & 32. Here’s how they read…
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32 NLT)
Again, I don’t have this all figured out, so stick with me.
Can you see the set up? I never had before, either. But these two verses imply that Satan had been before God demanding to allow him to take the disciples out, or to at least come against them in some way that would destroy their faith rendering them ineffective. Remember Job? God allowed Satan to come against him in every way possible to try his faithfulness to God confident he would turn against Him.
But what makes this interesting is the fact that Jesus seems to give Peter a heads up and leaks the secret intel about the coming assault. Not only that, Jesus Himself fired the first shot in this battle by “pleading in prayer” for him. Why didn’t He simply pray for the Father to not allow it in the first place? Because He wanted to test Peter’s faith. And in order to have his faith tested, he needed to come against some really strong opposition. What better way to do that than to have his faith in the very One he says he would die for tested to the max. Sometimes we really need to count the cost before we shoot off at the mouth.
But Jesus, knowing the end from the beginning, was ready for this. And He knew Peter was ready regardless of whether or not he picked up on what Jesus was telling him. He knew the battle was coming against all of his disciples, not just Peter. But He singled Peter out when He said, “I have pleaded for YOU, Simon, that YOUR faith would not fail” (emphasis added).
Simon Peter was the one whom the church would be built upon. His name was changed to Peter, which means “rock”. But in order to become the rock, your ability to handle to onslaught of the enemy, along with your alliance to Jesus, needs to be tested. So Satan began his attack with Judas by causing his love of money to weaken him to the point of betraying Jesus. The others ran when He was arrested. And, to my knowledge, John was the only one with Him at the Cross. But Peter denied Him. Peter flat out said he didn’t know Jesus. It doesn’t matter why he did this, whether it was fear or whatever. What matters is the fact that there was plain foreknowledge of it and a plan before the beginning of time to redeem it and Peter himself.
When Jesus was resurrected and the women went to care for His body in the tomb, angels appeared to them and made this statement, “Now go and tell His disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you into Galilee.” (Mark 16:7a emphasis added). Jesus made sure Peter was included. Then He asks Peter three times if he loved Him. I believe He did this simply to cover the three times he denied Him. Peter had been redeemed and ultimately became a powerful leader beginning on the day of Pentecost when he lead 3,000 people into salvation. He became the rock Jesus had created him to be.
This should bring us comfort and hope. It is very rare that we ever get a heads up about an attack from the enemy and how we’re probably gonna screw it up. They just happen and, all be it unintentionally, we miss it sometimes. But what is encouraging is the fact that we can rest assured that before Satan can come against us, he has to get God’s permission. Then we need to realize that the first shots fired in the battle have already taken place by Jesus Himself because He now sits beside His Father interceding for us in prayer (see John 17). We can also believe that we will come out of it much stronger than before. Much like Job & Peter, their lives and impact after the attack were much more effective for the Kingdom then before. We just need to hold strong to the faith we have knowing it’s only going to get stronger because of the test.
Yea, I know…easier said than done. But if each moment of our lives have already been predetermined, we HAVE to believe that Jesus sees something in us that we don’t typically see in ourselves. And that would be the simple, yet difficult fact that He has already equipped us with everything we need within Himself (ironically, see 2 Peter 1:3a).
So that’s what I have on this topic for now. Please comment or share any insight you may have. I have no doubt there is much more to learn here.
Steven Andrew, Jr 
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