31 "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
This verse wonderfully demonstrates the Sovereignty of God by clearly presenting forth His omnipotence and His omniscience. As believers we are kept by the power of God and the intercessory prayers of our Jesus. God has set boundaries on Satan concerning His children (Hallelujah!). This is not the first time in Scripture we see this. The Book of Job tells us:
6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." 8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." 9 "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. 10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face." 12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Job 1:6-12 (NIV)
In light of His achieving strength, in this same Book, we find the following wonderful discourse given by God regarding His power and abilities spoken to His servant Job (and His servant Beth as well!):
8 "Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, 10 when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, 11 when I said, 'This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt'? Job 38:8-11 (NIV)
35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, 'Here we are'? 36 Who endowed the heart with wisdom or gave understanding to the mind? Job 38:35-36 (NIV)
Who then is able to stand against me? 11 Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me. Job 41:10-11 (NIV)
Remember, too, the disciple’s words spoken of Jesus:
27 The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" Matt 8:27 (NIV)
In our verses for today, Satan, going for the “mouth” of the disciples, desires to sift Peter in hopes to prove him chaff.
“He has challenged you to prove you a group of hypocrites, and Peter especially, the most eager of you all.” Matthew Henry
“May the Lord make us watchful against our own spirit, and against the evil one, especially when he is transformed into an angel of light, that it may not be in his power to sift us so as to gain an advantage over us, by our listening to his inward suggestions, or yielding to his subtle temptations.” K. H. Von Bogatzky
Thankfully, Jesus is our faithful intercessor who sits at the right hand of God who “always lives to intercede” for us. The writer of Hebrews states:
24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Heb 7:24-25 (NIV)
Paul also tells us in Romans:
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)
As believers we are not left to our own resources in our sufferings but are helped by the precious Holy Spirit. Our state is one of weakness yet Christ is our strength and He will cause us to stand because He is faithful and able to cause us to stand – after the suffering, we are made to be “Son-shine”, brightly manifesting the very presence of Jesus to a hurting world. When the dross has been skimmed off after the heat, the bright gold shines forth. In turning back after the trial we are better equipped to encourage and “strengthen your brothers”.