spiritual battle, Peter Tempted to Deny Jesus (gospels)

Just as a quick reminder: it was right after Peter was told this...

(Matthew 16:17-19)  And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

Pride came right before the fall, and Jesus then had to say this to Peter...

(Matthew 16:23)  But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

Let's now jump ahead to the Last Supper.  Jesus had just told the disciples that one of them was going to betray Him.  After Judas left the group, the group began to wonder which one of them it would be.  This led into an argument about which one of them was greater.

Again for Peter, pride came before the fall...

(Luke 22:24-34)  And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. 25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ 26 But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. 27 For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

28 “You are those who have stood by Me in My trials; 29 and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; 32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” 34 And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”

Remember that Jesus had told the disciples to pray so they would not fall into temptation.  But they were sleepy, and so, I'm assuming they never did pray...

(Matthew 26:40-41)  And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41 Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

After Jesus had been arrested, I suppose Peter still felt like he could save Jesus somehow (even without praying).  But what actually happened was exactly what Jesus said would happen...

(Luke 22:54-62)  Having arrested Him, they led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest; but Peter was following at a distance. 55 After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter was sitting among them. 56 And a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, “This man was with Him too.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” 58 A little later, another saw him and said, “You are one of them too!” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” 59 After about an hour had passed, another man began to insist, saying, “Certainly this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean too.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.

From this we see:

- Satan will never destroy God's Church (Matthew 16:18)

- Jesus called Peter "Satan" because Peter was going against God's will (Matthew 16:23)

- Satan demanded that God give him permission to destroy Peter (Luke 22:31)
- Satan has to ask God for permission before he can do anything (Luke 22:31) 

- Jesus had prayed for Peter, that after his sin, he would repent and still be used of God (Luke 22:32)

- Jesus knew that Peter was going to deny knowing Him three times, in reaction to Satan's temptations (Luke 22:34) 

- Peter was told to pray that he would not fall into temptation, but Peter did not pray (Matthew 26:40-41)  

- and Peter fell into temptation (Luke 22:61)

Personal experience:  good intentions are never enough.  And pride does go before the fall.  

Wow!  I have so many personal examples of this.  Which one to pick???

So, in our neighborhood growing up, one could definitely see how there was always a "pecking order".  There is always going to be that one kid (that one person) who is "in charge".  And for the longest time, it was my best friend, but oh how she could be so bratty and so very bossy.  And I would often think, "If I was the leader, I would never be bossy..."  

Well, what do you know?  My best friend moved across town, and suddenly I was the one in charge.  Guess who was bossy, then???  Yeah.  Easier said than done!!!

Today's takeaway:  after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to Peter and a few others.  This was to give Peter the opportunity to reconcile with Jesus after he had denied Him three times.  And just as Jesus had prayed, Peter turned back to Jesus, and was able to move on and help build God's Church (John 21).

None of us are perfect.  All of us need saving.  And all of us need continuous help and guidance.  The sooner we can figure that out, the sooner it benefits us...

(Matthew 20:25-28)  ...Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

(Matthew 7:1-5)  “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye."

(Galatians 3:26-28)  For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

(2 Corinthians 5:16-21)  Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.