The Desire of Satan
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
To get us up to speed on where we are in Scripture, Jesus and his chosen twelve were in the upper room for the Passover which Jesus has transformed into a memorial for his coming death and resurrection.
There is a betrayer among them which has caused the disciples to argue among themselves as to who is the greatest. Jesus taught them that greatness in the kingdom of God is not about having power but about serving. Leadership and authority and sitting on thrones is about serving, by doing the tasks that no one else wants to do.
Now Jesus gives His Disciples a warning - a very important warning that is very relevant to you and I today…
He says, “Simon, Simon, behold...” Anytime in Scripture when we find Jesus repeating a name twice, it’s done to get the attention of the person being addressed.
Jesus is saying, “Listen up! Pay attention!” - It’s an expression of love, but also of warning...
He warns them about what Satan desires...
I want to preach a little while today on the subject of “The Desire of Satan” - Satan has a desire for all of us…Let’s take a look at it this morning:
I-Satan’s Desire is Exposed
I-Satan’s Desire is Exposed
31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
The “you” in both places is plural. This indicates that Jesus addressed Peter who represents the twelve apostles. It means all of the apostles are under this threat.
Christ can look into every heart and read the thoughts and desires as they are formed. This includes the heart of that old serpent the Devil himself.
He saw Satan’s heart’s desire and exposed it for what it was. Its murderous intent was laid bare.
Now, the word “desired” is an interesting word. It is derived from a Greek word meaning “to beg for one’s self; to ask that one be given up to one from the power of another; to demand for the purpose of torture and punishment.”
What does he desire? To sift us as wheat…
This is an agricultural term that refers to the savage process of separating the husk of the wheat from the grain. The wheat was crushed under foot, then it was agitated, or thrown into the air. The chaff, or husk, was blown away by the wind and all that was left behind was the good grain.
Satan wanted to tear the heart of God by proving that there was no reality to the faith of the disciples. Satan believed that he could crush them, sift them and that nothing would be left but a lost heart.
This is what happened to Judas Iscariot...
Satan wants to expose our chaff, our faults, our sins, or our weaknesses, for the purpose of hurting our testimony for Christ.
Satan wants to separate us from that which is good. he wants us to discard that which is good in our lives. When a Christian has been sifted by Satan, he discards the Bible, he stops hanging around Christians, and he gets out of Church. He separates himself from that which is good.
Satan desires that we be up and down or unstable in our lives, just like the throwing up and falling of the wheat during the sifting process. He tries to get us distracted and from focusing our faith in the Lord by bringing temptations, trials, and turmoil into our lives.
But I want you to understand something very important, Jesus has exposed the desire of Satan, but the next phrase is one that has brought much comfort to my life, and that is where we find that...
II-Satan’s Desire is Opposed
II-Satan’s Desire is Opposed
Luke 22:32 (KJV 1900)
32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not:
Christ has opposed Satan’s desire!
Jesus warned Peter of satanic sifting, but offered encouraging words, “I have prayed for thee that your faith will not fail.”
Notice, He did not pray that Peter would not have to go through the trial but that Peter would be victorious in the trial. He did not pray for Peter’s finances or fame or job but for his faith.
Heaven is more interested in faith than most humans are.
He knew what was ahead for Peter and the other disciples.
During the next three days, all of the disciples would be tested to the very limits of their faith. Their Beloved would be arrested that very night and hauled here and there, being beaten and falsely condemned. He would be crucified and buried. And their whole world would fall apart. They would end up locking themselves in the Upper Room in fear for their own lives.
Let me tell you something this morning…The times of testing and failure will come in your life and mine, but in the midst of them, let us take courage in the fact that we have Someone pleading our case, taking our part, praying for us in Heaven,
25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
Satan may have his desire, and use his devices and his schemes to tempt us and try us, but he doesn’t have the last word!
In the midst of his scheming and planning, Jesus “butts” in to stand by our side until the trial has passed! Regardless of the task or trial...
Hebrews 13:5 (KJV 1900)
5 ...he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Oh, listen to me this morning, I know it’s not easy to be sifted, nobody wants to be sifted, but listen, were it not for the experience of being sifted, we could never appreciate the great mercy and grace of our Saviour’s intercession!
What sweet words these are: “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not”!
What does faith do when we are sifted?
How does faith react to the sifting? Faith clings the more firmly to Christ alone!
Faith hopes more completely in Christ alone, “Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
Faith loves Christ more perfectly as the only and all-sufficient Author and Finisher of our faith, as the only and all-sufficient Saviour of our souls, as our only and all-sufficient Refuge and Hiding Place.
These things are not hindered or hurt by the sifting, but shine forth more brightly. Peter, when he was sifted, did not cease to love and trust his Saviour, but loved him and trusted him more and with far greater humility than he had known or could have known before!
Jesus said to Peter, the Disciples, and to us...“But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not”!
III-Satan’s Desire is Deposed
III-Satan’s Desire is Deposed
Luke 22:32 (KJV 1900)
32 ...and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Satan’s desire was not only opposed and exposed but deposed.
It came to nothing! It did not succeed! It was stopped forcefully!
Satan’s desire was smashed by Christ’s prayer of power. Satan desired Peter to become another Judas, instead he became another John the Baptist, a man mighty in deed and truth—the great preacher of Pentecost.
The Lord tells Peter, “When you are converted, strengthen thy brethren.” Peter is going to do something which will require him to be converted.
What does this mean?
Well, the word “converted” is from a Greek word meaning “to return or turn back, to change direction or to recover.”
It does not refer to a person getting saved.
It is referring to someone who has been on a path of disobedience and has changed direction and started obeying again. Peter will eventually deny the Lord. Peter was going to fail. He was going to mess up big time, but the Lord offered words of encouragement, “When you turn back, when you recover, when you change direction … then strengthen your brethren.”
God has made provision for the cleansing and the restoration of those who fall into sin. Those provisions include Confession, Repentance and Forgiveness. When we come clean about our sins and turn from them, the Lord will forgive and restore the fallen one to a place of service and blessing...
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
When a person walks away from the things of the Lord and goes into sin and stays there, it means that one of two things is true.
1.) They were never really saved,
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
2.) They are in open rebellion and are subject to the wrath and chastisement o the Lord,
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
You see, genuine faith will falter, but it will never utterly fail!
Peter came back because he was saved. When he was sifted, it was proven that his profession was genuine. There was some chaff, but there was a grain of real faith too!
Conclusion
Conclusion
Peter was a far better man after his sifting than before, a better and more useful preacher. He strengthened his brethren and continues to do so to this day!
His boldness as a preacher inspired boldness in others. Peter’s utter devotion to Christ and his people, after his sifting, is held forth in the Book of God as an example for us to follow.
May God the Holy Spirit seal the Saviour’s word to your heart and mine by his grace.
“Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”