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Satan demands for us
He has access to GOD
He will make it personal
To unsettle us by trials
Jesus intercedes for us
Through our prayers
At his fathers side - closer access
So our faith doesn’t run out
We solidify each other
After we’ve restored
Satan demands for us
Jesus becomes very emotional, knowing it’s the night he will have to face the hands of cruel men. But his concern isn’t so much for himself at this point, rather for the state of his disciples when he is taken out. Matthew, Mark, and John all record his words to all of them saying “You will fall away” and “You can’t follow me now”. But Luke records Jesus’ words directly to Peter. He addresses him twice by his birth name, his pre-disciple name, “Simon, Simon”. Which is somewhat of a hint at what Jesus is about to reveal. But he is also saying his name twice, and as well as “Behold” because this is an emotional cry to get his utmost attention. He wants to alert every sense node of his being about an important topic. What topic is that Jesus? Satan!! What about him? He has demanded for all of your lives. Demand meaning to insist on something. To press for something.
He has access to GOD
The fact that satan has demanded infers that he has certain access to GOD. Remember satan is a spirit being. He is a fallen angel (Rev 12:9) and angels are spirit beings (Heb 1:14). Thus his operations are in the spirit realm. Just as we see in Job 1, where the sons of GOD, that being angels, presented themselves before GOD, and satan too had access. However, because he has been banned from heaven and is the prince of evil, he is called satan because he is the supreme adversary of God’s people.
Application: We must be fully aware that the spirit adversary of all of us as God’s people, has access to our God. He is no longer in heaven, but he is still in the spiritual unseen realm. Why is this important for us? Because Jesus emotional message to get Peter’s attention begins with “satan”. That means Jesus was fully aware of spiritual matters, and he wants Peter to be aware of the same. Likewise we need to consistently be aware. Why? Because at certain moments he presses GOD about us. He can be persistent and insistent as if he has a right to require something from GOD.
He will make it personal
Not only that, but with his demands he will make things personal. Jesus is speaking directly to Peter, not just to make him aware of satan’s existence and access, but because his demands of GOD concern him.
Application: At any moment, satan could be being insistent about one of us. What’s more alarming is that the word demand entails obtaining what you’re demanding successfully. Which means there are times where GOD gives satan permission. And he could be calling my name, your name, etc.
To unsettle us by trials
Brother Evans, what is satan’s purpose? Why does he press GOD over and over concerning us? Listen to Jesus, to sift you like wheat. What’s interesting is that the “you” in the text is plural, which means Jesus is speaking directly to Peter, but he wants Peter and the other 10 disciples to know that satan is demanding for all of them. Sifting is a process used to separate grain, and in order to do that one would use what’s called a sieve (similar to a strainer), and you pour the grain in the sieve and shake it real hard until all the grain falls through. Thus, satan wants to violently shake and rattle their lives until they all fall and are completely unstable.
Application: Listen, satan’s demands for us is to unsettle us by trials. He insists on causing trouble in your life. He insists on using these times to unsettle our minds. He wants us to stumble and fall. And when one trial doesn’t work, he goes to God to insist on something else. And this is not describing a continual trial, just a one time blow that will knock us down. He wants the family, deacons, preachers, spouses, hard workers, bold, joyful, loving, walking with Jesus, etc. The adversary is real and he makes it personal and he wants to unsettle our lives.
Jesus intercedes for us
But I thank almighty GOD that Jesus continues speaking to Peter! Saying But I!!! That meaning yes, be aware of satan, but take greater note of Jesus!!! What about Jesus? Jesus says although satan has demanded, he has interceded!! Jesus says he has prayed for Peter specifically to get in the way of satan’s demands. Thank you Jesus. He has intervened his demands by requesting something different.
At his fathers side - closer access
Application: Just as Jesus interceded for Peter by getting in the way of satan’s demands by prayer while he was on earth, we receive the same benefit and more because that’s Jesus’ function at God’s right hand side (Ro 8:34). Satan might demand for us, so he can shake us, cause us to stumble, and accuse and condemn us, but Jesus is right there to kill all that noise. And when we pray to GOD, through Jesus, by the Spirit of GOD, we are calling on Jesus
So our faith doesn’t run out
The purpose of Jesus prayer was not that Peter wouldn’t deal with the sifting, but that he would not completely lose his faithfulness and loyalty to Jesus.
Application: This too should be our prayer is that GOD protect our faith throughout the trials that we’re facing. Satan wants to accuse and condemn us because these trials have shook us some. We’re in a troubled environment and may slip here and there, but GOD please keep my faith intact. Because as long as I have faith the size of a mustard seed, although these times are a mountainous for many, that faith in GOD will move mountains of problems into mountains of praise to GOD for blessing us to endure.
We solidify each other
But here’s the intended result from Jesus interceding for Peter. Jesus has first mentioned what satan has done, then what Jesus himself has done, now he moves to what he expects Peter to do. But before Peter can do the primary action Jesus expects him to, he will first need to recover from satan’s blow and restore his full energy back to Jesus. See, Jesus has told Peter this specifically because he knew just how hard satan would shake him. Peter was the main one saying he would not leave Jesus side, even as a reply to these words from Jesus. But they all fled from Jesus at his arrest. But what shook Peter harder, is he was questioned 3 times about knowing Jesus, and all three times he denied him, then the rooster crowed reminding him of what Jesus had predicted. This broke Peter down to where he cried in shame, and for 3 nights he dealt with the guilt of that. But that’s why Jesus has told him about his intercession, so he wouldn’t become completely faithless from that. And knows that he will turn back to Jesus in full loyalty and energy.
Application: See some have let these times get us so down, to where we could be characterized by our old names. We may not be studying, as joyful, and may even feel out of touch with Jesus. The social unrest has upset us so much that we respond more like Simon than we do Peter. The racism and bigotry, the tragedies, all while being away from fellow saints might be rough. But Jesus assures you it’s all right. That’s why he intercedes so we don’t buy into satan’s lies. Can’t no amount of tribulation separate us from his love. All we gotta do is keep turning to him, every single morning, knowing that he welcomes us at all times in his mercy and grace!!
It is at that point, when we are revived, restored, and recovered, that’s when Jesus expects us to reach out and strengthen our brothers and sisters. That’s his command to Peter. Not that Peter is the head apostle, no, it’s because of how much he’s had to recover from satan’s blow. Likewise with us, some have had sorrow on top of sorrow, covid, job loss, loss of family, stress, racism, etc. That you’ve recovered, now you can help to make their faith stronger. How, when we know how far we’ve come to always be welcomed into the arms of Christ, even after satan has shaken us so violently by these times. Now it’s time to reach out and touch somebody.