Jesus said, “Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32)
On the same night when Jesus was betrayed by Judas, He was also denied by Peter — not once, but three times. In today’s passage, we see a hugely important biblical truth that relates to our sanctification — that is, the lifelong process of being conformed to the likeness of Jesus. Read on and be encouraged today!
Satan, the adversary and accuser of all Christians, wanted to “sift Peter as wheat,” which means Satan wanted to violently shake Peter’s faith in Jesus and cause Peter to fail and to fall. Now, it’s vitally important for us to remember that Satan cannot steal our salvation; Jesus made it clear that nothing and no one can take us out of His hand (John 10:28). But Satan can stain our sanctification, with the goal of discouraging us from continuing in service to our Savior. Two of the greatest barriers to an effective Christian witness are self-doubt and self-condemnation, and Satan works relentlessly to attack our minds and create that sense of discouragement and despair within us.
In biblical times, wheat was sifted through a strainer or a sieve. When it was violently shaken over and over, the dirt and other impurities that clung to the grain would separate from the good, usable grain. In short, it was a process of removing the bad stuff while keeping the good stuff. Now, because God is in control of all things, including Satan, we can see how God intends to use Satan as a supernatural sifter in the process of making us more like Jesus.
Notice in today’s passage that Jesus had interceded for Peter in prayer. He did not promise to remove the trial Peter was about to undergo, but our Lord did promise to bring Peter through the trial, and said that Peter would emerge better and stronger on the other side.
This is the promise for all of us today. God uses Satan as a supernatural sifter to make us more like Jesus. Throughout the sifting process we undergo in the trials we face, God is refining our character and strengthening our faith, ultimately making us more and more like Jesus. And just as Jesus prayed for Peter, He is interceding for us (Romans 8:34). He lives to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:25).
Remember, Satan’s power to sift us is determined and limited by God. Satan can only do what God allows to be done, and all of it is used by God for our ultimate good and His glory. May that truth set us all free today.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 