TOPIC:‌"Don't Let Satan Sift You"

                 by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap

 

TEXT:‌Luke 22:31-34

 

‌‌"And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat" (Luke 22:31)

 

‌The Word of God sets forth the truth that the devil is not an imaginary being, a make-believe character, nor a mythological folk tale, but a real individual who is behind all the evil found in the world today. He is the master destroyer of the souls of men. Jesus spoke freely and often about him. The name Satan means "accuser" or "destroyer." He is known as the accuser and adversary of the people of God. He tempts, he lies, he deceives, he murders, he sins, and he is the author of every wicked act that has ever been committed.

 

‌Now as we come to this aspect of Peter's life we find that even though he is a disciple of Jesus Christ, Satan still is trying to get him in his sieve. He is still endeavoring to bring him down to defeat. He never gives up in this endeavor. But like most of us, Peter had little awareness of it. Perhaps he wrongfully thought that being a follower of Jesus Christ put him beyond the reach of Satan. But Jesus didn't agree with Peter's view of the situation, and He immediately put him on guard with these words: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat." Peter's lack of watchfulness and awareness over Satan's desire to destroy him, is also the same danger that faces each one of us.

 

‌When it comes to this matter of Satan's temptations we come to the unexplained. Why God has permitted mankind, and especially, His children to be tempted by Satan is a mystery that will not be totally understood until we get to Heaven. But the fact remains that since all of us are tempted to do wrong, then it behooves us to examine closely these words of Jesus to Simon Peter about Satan's desire to defeat and destroy him.

 

I.

 

‌To begin with, think of the SIFTING POWER of SATAN. Recall again the words of Jesus to Peter: "Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat." Though our Lord has Peter chiefly in mind here, He is actually speaking to all of His disciples at this point. When He uses the words, "Satan hath desired to have you," the pronoun "you" is plural. Hence Weymouth renders the words to read: "all of you." Satan is out to defeat all of us through his tempting activities. Let me suggest three areas of life in which Satan tried to get Peter and he will try to get you in his destructive sieve.

 

‌For one thing, Satan tried to get Peter through the PRIDE in which he BOASTED. His boastful self-confidence is seen in Mark's account of this conversation . . .