BEWARE

The disciple Peter shows us that there are openings where the enemy is seeking to devour. It teaches us that Satan desires to destroy those connected to Jesus. The devil is after the unguarded.  Jesus is after making us into something else, but the enemy is after the old order of thinking, the old impetuous nature, the old self-glorifying person who thinks of themselves, leans on their own understanding, who depends upon their own strength.  The enemy is after that person, and he wants to sift you.

This is not just a ‘Peter’ issue. You would be careless to think that Satan does not have the same desire for anyone connected to Jesus.  The sifting has the strong idea of destroying, destroying those connected to Jesus. You can have a casual mentality about it, but there is a ferocity that demon powers have towards believers.  There is a hatred of the deepest, spiritual proportions and anything goes.  While you are conducting yourself in gentlemen’s warfare, they are using every resource available to them to destroy you. Their desire is that you will not be useful.

In the case of Peter, Jesus had committed some things to Peter that were of eternal proportions. There was a church to be birthed, there was a sermon to be preached on the day of Pentecost, there were 3000 souls waiting to be saved who would respond to that message. There was the household of Cornelius waiting for Peter. There was ministry that Jesus had committed to Peter and Satan’s desire was to render him and those disciples useless.  

What things has Jesus committed to you for His body of Christ, for His kingdom, for His glory, for His people?

Prayer: Oh heavenly Father, we want to be vigilant, watchful, mindful, sober, aware of our walk and fellowship with You. Yet there are moments of unguarded thoughts, words, and actions that make us susceptible to demonic infiltration and attack even though You have already given us the power to reign in every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Help us to regulate the ‘Peter’ in us. Help us to see beyond the here and now and to look to the work that is to come. Help us to see any trial that we face as an opportunity to be sifted. As You have prayed for Peter, we know that You will pray for us because You have committed some things for us to do and we want to be found faithful! It is in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
By Pastor Wayne Cockrell
Taken from “Failed, But Jesus is Not Finished”