And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
On that last evening with His disciples Jesus warned Peter that Satan had asked to seize him and his fellow disciples to shake their faith severely, as wheat is sifted to separate the grain. He spoke with full knowledge of Peter's heart, foreknowing his weakness and that he would deny Him three times that very night. He met Satan's desire by praying that Peter's faith would not utterly fail, and He still stands as Advocate between Satan and every tempted soul to strengthen and intercede. In self-confidence Peter denied his Lord, yet Christ's look of sorrowful love melted his heart, he wept in bitter repentance and was converted to strengthen his brethren. The same warning is spoken to believers now, for every true child of God will be sifted as wheat, and safety lies only in distrusting self, watching unto prayer, and clinging humbly to Christ.
Setting and Wording
Jesus spoke these words to Peter in the upper chamber on the last evening spent with His disciples after the last Passover supper, while Satan was working directly through Judas to betray Him. They came after He had sorrowfully warned that all the disciples would be offended because of Him that night, and Peter had ardently affirmed that even if all others were offended he would never be offended.
The doubled name Simon, Simon was a personal, compassionate address to Peter, yet the desired testing embraced both Peter and the other disciples. They were about to face His agony, betrayal, condemnation and death, left alone to face a cold and cruel world of bitter hate, unbelief and persecution as the time drew near for Him to die. His forward, impulsive nature gave an opening, and he claimed greater constancy than the others with readiness to follow even to prison and death.
Hath desired to have you means Satan asked to seize and have Peter for testing, to put him through severe trial. He could sift only with God's permission and could go no farther than God permitted, watched over by Christ. Without that restraint he would have brought faith to complete ruin and Peter would have been lost and never recovered. Sift you as wheat means a severe shaking and trial of faith, like wheat sifted to separate it, in which chaff is blown away and impurities are purged. It was a testing like wheat sifted from its husk, exploiting a forward, impulsive nature to overthrow and shake apart.
In giving the warning Christ showed He knew Peter fully and read his heart accurately, including falseness and weakness Peter did not know in himself. He foreknew the denial that same night and faithfully foretold the coming failure. He did not abandon Peter to despair but joined the foretold sin with prayer and hope, without which darkness would have been dense and reckless despair would have driven him to the path trodden by Judas.
Satan's Sifting Work
Satan's aim in sifting is to test severely, to overwhelm, to shake apart, to distress, to destroy the soul, to bring faith to complete ruin, to lead to dishonor of the Redeemer's cause, and to draw into apostasy as he himself became apostate. Without restraint he could have brought Peter's faith to complete ruin, and had he been allowed to carry out his purpose fully Peter would have been lost and never recovered. The sifting must not and cannot succeed, for Jesus loves and pities the tempted, sees the hardness of the battle against mastering tendencies, and lives and pleads on his behalf. The warning applies to a coming sifting among those who claim to belong to God, in which some who received great light but did not live by it will be found among the unjust.
He seeks wheat not chaff, for he gains nothing by sifting chaff. He does not try and tempt and persecute those he is already sure of who live in known transgression of God's law, but his arrows fly thick and fast directly at those who leave his service to follow Christ in humble obedience, lifting the cross and bearing it after the Master. Those enlisted under the blood-stained banner of Prince Immanuel he seeks to harass and destroy, bringing them into the most difficult places and then exulting in their distress, meeting them in many severe conflicts with the merciless foe.
He exploits a forward, impulsive nature, testing like wheat sifted from its husk, and he plans to take advantage of cultivated and hereditary traits of character and to blind eyes to personal necessities and defects. This danger works especially through the temptation to strive for supremacy and indulge self-seeking, and those who become careless and reckless and fail to keep themselves in the love of God under every circumstance give the wily foe place to take possession of them. Even those who suppose their feet stand secure and say they know in whom they believe and will never yield the truth are in danger when careless.
He works by intruding between a person and God, seeking to make people speak his suggestions instead of God's words, and by drawing into doubt and unbelief to shake faith and turn from Christ. So Peter resisted the foretold suffering under Satan's suggestion that the Son of God could not die, not recognizing his own weakness or danger and believing his spirit was right, when unless changed he could not endure Jesus' rejection, humiliation, condemnation, and death. Christ saw that Peter needed a change of spirit to withstand the trial.
He sifts through discouragement and misleading impressions, through a strife of tongues with many things said against believers, weaving a net for their feet in a present trial he is loathe to let go of. He seeks to control the mind and lead it in the wrong channel, breaking united standing in God's work, and he blinds to spiritual things so that brethren are misjudged, as with Henry and Lindsay who still have opportunity to be softened by grace and sanctified by the Spirit. The call is to cling to Jesus and have spiritual discernment to recognize deceptive suggestions and resist temptation.
Peter gave Satan advantage when at Jesus' trial he hid his true character as a follower and assumed an air of indifference, placing himself on the enemy's ground and making himself an easy subject to temptation. While appearing disinterested his heart was wrung with sorrow at the cruel taunts and mockery and abuse Christ suffered, and he was surprised and angry that Jesus humiliated himself and his followers by submitting passively. Under those conflicting emotions it was difficult to keep up the false indifference, his appearance became unnatural, and he tried to join with the persecutors in their jests to cover his true feelings.
Satan watches for a person to be off guard and stirred to act impetuously, seeking an advantage and an opening to sift as wheat, even through trials and small irritations and provocations. He is planning to sift every soul as wheat is sifted, seeking to move those who suppose they will never be moved, to change faith, to alter affections toward God and toward brethren, to make separation between soul and God, and to take possession of all who become careless and reckless about keeping in God's love. The danger calls for watchfulness, integrity, steadfast faith, self-control, and Christlike self-control with reliance on Christ.
Self-confidence that supposes the feet stand secure and will never be moved, asking what could change faith or lessen love to God and brethren, invites temptation and exposes the danger. When fear and caution were gone and self came in with the spirit of "What do I care? Let others be afraid, not I," Peter separated from God and Jesus left him to Satan's sifting to feel his own weakness. Whatever a person once was and whatever was once done successfully for Christ gives no protection once connection with Christ is broken; then he works in self-thinking, in self-planning, for self, with Christ eclipsed by thoughts centering on self. As with Moses, taken into close relation to God to see and feel His glory yet sinning when he took glory to himself, the greater the privileges given the more aggravating and offensive the sin is to God.
Christ's Warning and Prayer
Just before his fall, Christ gave Peter a true, compassionate and loving warning that Satan wanted to seize him for severe sifting, working to prepare him for the fearful test that was coming as the time drew near for Jesus to die and leave the disciples alone in a cold and cruel world of bitter hate, unbelief and persecution. Even in view of His own approaching agony He reached forward with tender love to shield His companions from danger, going away by Himself to pray and intercede with the Father that their faith would prove steadfast and that His sufferings and death would not overwhelm them with despair, wishing to encourage and strengthen them for their trials. While Peter was denying Him in the judgment hall Christ still loved His suffering, erring disciple, and turning to look at him conveyed love, compassion, mercy, kindness, long-suffering, gentleness and patience.
He warned the disciples to guard themselves and not yield to temptation, to watch and pray so they would not enter into temptation, for they trusted themselves and fell asleep in Gethsemane instead of seeking God in prayer. He feared they would not endure the test of His betrayal and death, especially during the humiliation and suffering that would cause them to question why He allowed Himself to be arrested and to forsake Him.
He met Satan's desire by praying that faith fail not, interceding that faith would prove steadfast, for without restraint Satan could have brought Peter's faith to complete ruin and that prayer was Peter's only hope. The word spoken to Peter is spoken to believers now, and they are not left helpless because the Lord covers them and intercedes so their faith will not fail. Peter did not clearly perceive his danger, but Christ knew it and interceded for him, and even in severe trial Christ intercedes for His disciples.
He continues as Advocate who understands each soul's burdens and dangers and gives fitting help against Satan's temptations, seeing future lives, burdens and sorrows. When Satan seeks a person's soul to sift it like wheat and destroy it, Christ stands between Satan and the person, draws near, pities those under severe temptation, and prays that faith will not fail. He intercedes for His followers in heaven, has not abandoned the one under attack but comes near with grace, light and love while the Spirit continues to strive, and in greatest need He sees the need for help and comes to strengthen.
His love in giving His only Son guarantees He will not desert or abandon those for whom He died in the battle with the adversary, but gives power over all the power of the enemy so nothing harms them. They face real spiritual conflict, but Christ does not abandon those for whom He gave His life, does not leave the tempted and erring alone in anguish, and His love does not fail or forsake them. He feels tender sympathy and sends angels to protect those Satan seeks to tempt, distress and overwhelm like wheat sifted, especially the young, and those who fear God receive the help of strong angels while Jesus, who died to make a way of escape and now intercedes, enables them to conquer the powers of darkness.
He joined the warning about sin with hope and future work, that when converted Peter should strengthen his fellow disciples and believers, showing care for human souls for whom He gave His life, since obedience prepares them for immortality and a soul lost through sin is the world's most valuable loss. He foreknew the coming denial yet did not abandon Peter to despair or leave him alone in anguish, and valued him and prayed that his faith would not fail so that denial did not make his case hopeless but he could be restored and forgiven. After the denial Christ's look of pity, love and sorrow awakened Peter's love and loyalty and sent him to repentance with tears of remorse, and the remembered prayer and promise stayed his soul in anguish and self-abhorrence, for without condemnation joined to foretold sin and without spoken hope the darkness would have been dense and reckless despair would have driven him to the path trodden by Judas.
Peter's Fall and Recovery
Peter was full of assurance and self-confidence that his course was right, did not recognize his own weakness, believed his spirit was right and needed no warning, and resented the caution given him just before his fall. In that self-sufficiency he confidently declared he would never do what he was warned against, claimed greater constancy than the others, and affirmed readiness to follow even to prison and death and to die for his Lord. His self-trust and boasting brought him nearer to failure and proved his ruin, for self-confidence cannot keep a person faithful under trial, and safety lies in distrusting self and trusting God.
The sifting came when, after the betrayal, he followed and, fearing for his life, denied three times that he knew Jesus, the third time with cursing and swearing to prove he was not a disciple, showing his natural character and lack of self-knowledge. He was not yet converted despite ardent zeal, and even his raising the sword in Gethsemane and cutting off the high priest's servant's ear was not conversion. While he was denying Him in the judgment hall Christ still loved His suffering erring disciple, and turning to look at him from a distance with sorrow, love, pardon, pity and reproof melted his heart at once and saved him.
In that look he remembered the warning and Christ's prayer and mercy, kindness, long-suffering, gentleness and patience, realized he was doing the very thing he had declared he would never do, and was overwhelmed with his terrible fall, ingratitude, falsehood and perjury. He bitterly wept, repented of his great sin with heart-broken grief and horror over base ingratitude, was converted, and strength came where he had been weak, the remembered prayer and promise staying his soul in anguish and self-abhorrence. Without condemnation joined to foretold sin and without spoken hope, the darkness would have been dense and reckless despair would have driven him to the path trodden by Judas; unlike Judas who was false-hearted, Peter's faults were impetuous haste and self-confidence, and his life became one of service and sacrifice.
Christ permitted the temptation and failure to teach lessons learned only through failure and to purify as fire purifies gold, and Peter became a better, humbler, less self-confident man after his fall, his ardor tempered yet his zeal, boldness and energy retained. After conversion he was prepared to strengthen his brethren, shepherd Christ's flock, care for sheep and lambs, pity the tempted, sympathize with the weak and erring, warn the presumptuous, and remain faithful through later imprisonment and prospect of death. His hasty, quick temper that brings trouble and destroys peace and injures the cause had to be overcome until the sanctifying influence of truth made him patient and held his mouth closed when hot passion rises, by prayer and earnest, zealous, united effort not discouraged if victory does not come at once, by lifelong, persevering, untiring striving.
He needed to learn to distrust himself and watch himself with jealous care, to recognize his weakness and ask Christ to save him from himself, seeking the Father's help to stay watchful and loyal under trial. He did not learn that lesson until he was overcome by the devil's temptations and denied his Lord.
Sifting of Believers Today
The word spoken to Peter is spoken to believers now, for Satan seeks to test, unsettle, shake and overcome many souls as wheat is sifted, especially amid deception, trial, persecution and danger, and in moving from one line of work to another, and young people facing temptation are in danger of being harassed and spiritually destroyed. Severe discouragements and trials can threaten a family's faith in the truth, yet those assailed are not left helpless or alone, for the Lord covers them and intercedes and prays that their faith fail not. The love shown in giving the only Son guarantees He will not desert believers in battle with the adversary, but gives power over all the enemy's power so that nothing harms them. Satan also seeks to sift and trouble those who long for rest of soul, and Jesus stands as their Advocate pleading for them, inviting them to come to Him, continuing to love them and offering freedom from Satan's tyranny.[n124 — wait need label? Actually further point label? The further point has no label? It says cited... Let's call? No label given. Might be missing label. Use no label? Must use only labels given. So omit? Could ignore as no label. Better omit to follow rule.]
Every true child of God will be sifted as wheat, and in that sifting every cherished pleasure, habit and possession that draws the mind and affections from God must be sacrificed. God uses this sifting to purge the church and make it clean and holy, revealing true character and loyalties, for the sifting as of grain separates what is false from what is pure until impurities of sin are purged. The selfish and covetous separate like Judas, giving up good principles and generosity for earthly gain, while honest ones who have been misled receive light, and those who reject correction and cling to self separate from the trusting people. Speaking and spreading unbelief draws others into darkness and serves Satan's purposes, yet the sifting purifies God's people and prepares them for translation, so it is not to be resisted, since God reigns and will bring His people through it, and trials and afflictions are not evidence of His displeasure.
A coming testing time and great sifting time near at hand will reveal the genuine Christian, testing whether each is so firmly established upon God's word as not to yield to the evidence of the senses but to cling to the Bible and the Bible only. Satan will if possible prevent preparation to stand in that day by hedging up the way, entangling with earthly treasures, causing a heavy wearisome burden to be carried, and overcharging hearts with the cares of life so the day of trial comes as a thief. Some who have received great light but have not lived by it will be found among the unjust, and the jealous and fault-finding who oppose correction will be shaken out, while every person will have opportunity to show where they stand. Those sifted until free from error and fanaticism can enter the kingdom, but while still caught in error they are not fit to guide others, lest they mix error with truth and harm the flock.
In severe sifting not a grain will fall to the ground, for though in the furnace and severely tempted the sifted will never fail nor be consumed but will be refined as gold seven times purified. Jesus meets the sifting by praying that faith fail not, loving and pitying the tempted, seeing and knowing how hard the battle is against tendencies striving for mastery, living and pleading in his behalf, holding his hand, keeping the tried in the way of the Lord, knowing and accepting the contrite heart, and alone bringing them forth from trial as gold purified from all dross, with lasting lessons to be learned. This keeping is certain because Christ lives and therefore His people shall live also, and Christ abiding in the soul will not allow it to be overcome as He watches His precious gold, so the sifting must not and cannot succeed when there is harmony with God's Spirit through being subdued, humbled, sanctified, dying to self, distrusting self and depending alone on grace even in sight of the city and the crown.
The same danger that faced Peter applies to people under severe temptation, including Carrie, showing Christ intercedes for those Satan tries to test and overwhelm. The verse is applied to Philip as warning about the spiritual danger he faced and as assurance that Christ understood his weakness and invited him to return to God. Christ offers the same sustaining care to a tempted person newly come to faith, to look to Jesus, trust His intercession, and not let dark influence control the mind or bury hope in grief. The believer's struggle does not mean faith is shipwrecked, for Christ's love and intercession give hope and urge coming to Him as personal Saviour.
Tempted ministers struggling to do duty under discouragement and difficult trials should be met with gentleness, comfort and help rather than condemnation, for Jesus sees and pities those who struggle against temptation. Jesus pities people under severe temptation, draws near to them and stands against Satan on their behalf, which applies to tempted ministers struggling to do duty. Dr. Russell's doubts and unbelief give Satan an opening to tempt and unsettle faith, to be resisted by closing the mind to unbelief, fighting the fight of faith, and relying fully on God for spiritual strength. Satan wants hold of men entertaining speculative scientific theories about God to shake them apart, and those trifling with God by mixing truth and error and good and evil know less and less of their Creator and depart farther from Him. The call is to sound conversion and repentance as the only way to salvation, with assurance it is not too late for wrongs to be righted, and Christ will receive humble contrite hearts and help purify souls from sophistry, since sin is against the Lord God of heaven who has led His people step by step and given great truths to proclaim in earth's closing days.
The sifting takes place in a trial involving the exercise of dominating power, and the sifted person must not continue holding a dominating position but must turn and use powers to save souls, striving to meet the Lord's requirements with the help, interest and prayers of others and God's abundant blessing. Satan is seeking to sift Henry and Lindsay as wheat, blinding them to spiritual things and leading them to misjudge brethren, yet they still have opportunity to be softened by grace and sanctified by the Spirit. Satan used the addressee's false ideas of sanctification and corrupt associations to deceive and entangle her soul in testing and shaking. Satan sought to sift Fannie Bolton as wheat, desiring her soul and trying to destroy her through temptation and deception, from which she could be delivered by heeding counsel.
Sister Wessels' children are targets of Satan seeking to test and shake faith like wheat through a sieve, but Jesus has prayed for them, has died for them, and they belong to Him. Satan personally wants hold of a believer to shake apart and bring downfall, watching anxiously to triumph, which applies to one not standing in God's light and favor but mixed with the world, with love for brethren growing cold, separated in feeling, going backward, with darkness and clouds gathering. The opening comes through a strong independent unyielding will, unwillingness to be led and instructed, justifying one's own course against counsel, and letting unbelievers' opinions unduly influence the mind, which the enemy uses to separate from God's people and union with His Spirit and work toward ensnaring, unless there is deep humility and war against self. He desires the souls of both the criticized and the critic, so bitterness and complaint are to be resisted and help and strengthening given to one another instead.
Though Satan desires to sift by trying to control the mind and lead it in the wrong channel and break united standing in God's work, the Lord keeps His eye over the tempted for good, calls husband and wife to press together and unite effort with the church earnestly striving for victory and liberty of God's children, hears prayer offered in grief and anxiety, and will reveal Himself. The warning applies to one whose unjust conduct and proud will place the soul in danger, for he cannot follow his own way and be accepted by the Lord. The sifting is applied to Edson's repeated business schemes, where he counts hoped-for profits but ignores liabilities, becomes entangled in debt, and follows other voices instead of the Lord's counsel, through enticing prospects and apparent gain drawing away from God. The same danger of testing and shaking faith as wheat is sifted applies to Edson, whose mind is vulnerable to being turned from right and truth.
Satan sought Dr. Burke through temptations drawing him toward human praise and confidence in unbelievers, but Jesus pleaded for him before the Father, took his sin, offered Christ's righteousness, and would help him see wrong and win him back so Satan would not triumph. McCullagh is described as a human being subject to temptation in Satan's sifting as wheat, yet his attack does not erase lasting fruit of God's work. Peter's fall did not have to be final, for he recovered, pointing to the need for a Saviour who rescues sinners from Satan's slavery. Believers are warned not to let Satan succeed through temptation, and choosing Christ and Christian companionship helps resist that danger. Against Satan's desire to test severely, take hold, and keep in cruel bondage even after truth is seen and believed through lingering dark influence of past spiritualism and theosophy, Christ stands as living Saviour and Advocate in heaven's courts able to deliver, and looking to the uplifted Saviour brings healing and deliverance from Satan's binding power.
Standing Firm in Trial
The sifting can be resisted by humbly seeking divine help and walking prayerfully with the Lord, for Satan cannot overcome Christ's humble learner whom the Spirit protects. Clinging to the cross and trusting Him leaves Satan no hold, while Christ looks on the tempted with pity and tenderness and is able to save those who come to Him. Clinging to Jesus with spiritual discernment makes it possible to recognize deceptive suggestions and resist temptations aimed at the spiritual life. Without restraint Satan could have brought Peter's faith to complete ruin, but Christ's prayer that faith would not fail was Peter's only hope.
Humble dependence on God, attention to Christ's instruction, and prayerful watchfulness would have guarded Peter, yet self-confidence and failure to seek divine help left him vulnerable, though Satan could go no farther than permitted. Those who know the truth must not keep their eyes on what they attempt to do nor depend on what poor finite beings suppose they are able to do. Strength is found instead in strong persevering faith and entire trust in Christ as Leader, in what Christ will do for them, for in self-confidence Peter was presumptuous and fell.
Security in walking comes only through humble faith, cherishing a constant sense of personal weakness, making earnest prayer to God, and watching unto prayer. Those who become careless and reckless and fail to keep themselves in the love of God under every circumstance give place for the foe to take possession of them and to exploit cultivated and hereditary traits of character while blinding eyes to personal necessities and defects. Even those who suppose their feet stand secure and will never be moved are in danger of having faith changed, affections toward God and brethren altered, and the soul separated from God. Though Christ prays to keep His disciples, each must act his part in faith and cooperate with God, holding firm confidence in whom he has believed through humility of mind and much prayer.
Victory over the carnal heart has been gained before and many more victories may be gained in the name of Jesus the mighty Conqueror, so the sifting must not and cannot succeed. That victory comes by coming into harmony with the Spirit of God, being subdued, humbled and sanctified by grace, dying to self, being distrustful of self, and depending alone upon grace even when just in sight of the city of God and within reach of the crown. A person brought low by trial and repentance, remembering Jesus' agony in Gethsemane and failure to stay awake and pray, is brought to deep sorrow and humility and thereby fitted to pity the tempted, sympathize with the weak and erring, warn the presumptuous, and strengthen brethren. His deep love and help are hope in temptation and despair, for Jesus loves and pities the tempted, sees the hardness of the battle against tendencies striving for mastery, and lives and pleads in his behalf.
Looking to the uplifted Saviour brings healing and deliverance from Satan's binding power, for Christ is a living Saviour and Advocate who acts on the person's behalf. Those severely tested like wheat sifted amid deception, trial, persecution and danger are not left helpless, because the Lord covers them and intercedes so their faith will not fail. Even when Satan weaves a net for the feet and brings a present trial with a strife of tongues and many things said against them, Jesus meets it by praying that faith fail not. God knows and accepts the contrite heart, keeps the tried in the way of the Lord, and alone can bring them forth from trial as gold purified from all dross, with lasting lessons to be learned.
Further points
Satan directs his sifting work against those who long for rest of soul, seeking to trouble and shake them as wheat. Against that assault Jesus stands as their Advocate, pleading for them and inviting them to come to Him. His love for them continues unchanged, and in Him is offered deliverance from Satan's tyranny into freedom.
On that last evening with His disciples Jesus warned Peter that Satan had asked to seize him and his fellow disciples to shake their faith severely, as wheat is sifted to separate the grain. He spoke with full knowledge of Peter's heart, foreknowing his weakness and that he would deny Him three times that very night. He met Satan's desire by praying that Peter's faith would not utterly fail, and He still stands as Advocate between Satan and every tempted soul to strengthen and intercede. In self-confidence Peter denied his Lord, yet Christ's look of sorrowful love melted his heart, he wept in bitter repentance and was converted to strengthen his brethren. The same warning is spoken to believers now, for every true child of God will be sifted as wheat, and safety lies only in distrusting self, watching unto prayer, and clinging humbly to Christ.
Setting and Wording
Jesus spoke these words to Peter in the upper chamber on the last evening spent with His disciples after the last Passover supper, while Satan was working directly through Judas to betray Him. They came after He had sorrowfully warned that all the disciples would be offended because of Him that night, and Peter had ardently affirmed that even if all others were offended he would never be offended.
The doubled name Simon, Simon was a personal, compassionate address to Peter, yet the desired testing embraced both Peter and the other disciples. They were about to face His agony, betrayal, condemnation and death, left alone to face a cold and cruel world of bitter hate, unbelief and persecution as the time drew near for Him to die. His forward, impulsive nature gave an opening, and he claimed greater constancy than the others with readiness to follow even to prison and death.
Hath desired to have you means Satan asked to seize and have Peter for testing, to put him through severe trial. He could sift only with God's permission and could go no farther than God permitted, watched over by Christ. Without that restraint he would have brought faith to complete ruin and Peter would have been lost and never recovered. Sift you as wheat means a severe shaking and trial of faith, like wheat sifted to separate it, in which chaff is blown away and impurities are purged. It was a testing like wheat sifted from its husk, exploiting a forward, impulsive nature to overthrow and shake apart.
In giving the warning Christ showed He knew Peter fully and read his heart accurately, including falseness and weakness Peter did not know in himself. He foreknew the denial that same night and faithfully foretold the coming failure. He did not abandon Peter to despair but joined the foretold sin with prayer and hope, without which darkness would have been dense and reckless despair would have driven him to the path trodden by Judas.
Satan's Sifting Work
Satan's aim in sifting is to test severely, to overwhelm, to shake apart, to distress, to destroy the soul, to bring faith to complete ruin, to lead to dishonor of the Redeemer's cause, and to draw into apostasy as he himself became apostate. Without restraint he could have brought Peter's faith to complete ruin, and had he been allowed to carry out his purpose fully Peter would have been lost and never recovered. The sifting must not and cannot succeed, for Jesus loves and pities the tempted, sees the hardness of the battle against mastering tendencies, and lives and pleads on his behalf. The warning applies to a coming sifting among those who claim to belong to God, in which some who received great light but did not live by it will be found among the unjust.
He seeks wheat not chaff, for he gains nothing by sifting chaff. He does not try and tempt and persecute those he is already sure of who live in known transgression of God's law, but his arrows fly thick and fast directly at those who leave his service to follow Christ in humble obedience, lifting the cross and bearing it after the Master. Those enlisted under the blood-stained banner of Prince Immanuel he seeks to harass and destroy, bringing them into the most difficult places and then exulting in their distress, meeting them in many severe conflicts with the merciless foe.
He exploits a forward, impulsive nature, testing like wheat sifted from its husk, and he plans to take advantage of cultivated and hereditary traits of character and to blind eyes to personal necessities and defects. This danger works especially through the temptation to strive for supremacy and indulge self-seeking, and those who become careless and reckless and fail to keep themselves in the love of God under every circumstance give the wily foe place to take possession of them. Even those who suppose their feet stand secure and say they know in whom they believe and will never yield the truth are in danger when careless.
He works by intruding between a person and God, seeking to make people speak his suggestions instead of God's words, and by drawing into doubt and unbelief to shake faith and turn from Christ. So Peter resisted the foretold suffering under Satan's suggestion that the Son of God could not die, not recognizing his own weakness or danger and believing his spirit was right, when unless changed he could not endure Jesus' rejection, humiliation, condemnation, and death. Christ saw that Peter needed a change of spirit to withstand the trial.
He sifts through discouragement and misleading impressions, through a strife of tongues with many things said against believers, weaving a net for their feet in a present trial he is loathe to let go of. He seeks to control the mind and lead it in the wrong channel, breaking united standing in God's work, and he blinds to spiritual things so that brethren are misjudged, as with Henry and Lindsay who still have opportunity to be softened by grace and sanctified by the Spirit. The call is to cling to Jesus and have spiritual discernment to recognize deceptive suggestions and resist temptation.
Peter gave Satan advantage when at Jesus' trial he hid his true character as a follower and assumed an air of indifference, placing himself on the enemy's ground and making himself an easy subject to temptation. While appearing disinterested his heart was wrung with sorrow at the cruel taunts and mockery and abuse Christ suffered, and he was surprised and angry that Jesus humiliated himself and his followers by submitting passively. Under those conflicting emotions it was difficult to keep up the false indifference, his appearance became unnatural, and he tried to join with the persecutors in their jests to cover his true feelings.
Satan watches for a person to be off guard and stirred to act impetuously, seeking an advantage and an opening to sift as wheat, even through trials and small irritations and provocations. He is planning to sift every soul as wheat is sifted, seeking to move those who suppose they will never be moved, to change faith, to alter affections toward God and toward brethren, to make separation between soul and God, and to take possession of all who become careless and reckless about keeping in God's love. The danger calls for watchfulness, integrity, steadfast faith, self-control, and Christlike self-control with reliance on Christ.
Self-confidence that supposes the feet stand secure and will never be moved, asking what could change faith or lessen love to God and brethren, invites temptation and exposes the danger. When fear and caution were gone and self came in with the spirit of "What do I care? Let others be afraid, not I," Peter separated from God and Jesus left him to Satan's sifting to feel his own weakness. Whatever a person once was and whatever was once done successfully for Christ gives no protection once connection with Christ is broken; then he works in self-thinking, in self-planning, for self, with Christ eclipsed by thoughts centering on self. As with Moses, taken into close relation to God to see and feel His glory yet sinning when he took glory to himself, the greater the privileges given the more aggravating and offensive the sin is to God.
Christ's Warning and Prayer
Just before his fall, Christ gave Peter a true, compassionate and loving warning that Satan wanted to seize him for severe sifting, working to prepare him for the fearful test that was coming as the time drew near for Jesus to die and leave the disciples alone in a cold and cruel world of bitter hate, unbelief and persecution. Even in view of His own approaching agony He reached forward with tender love to shield His companions from danger, going away by Himself to pray and intercede with the Father that their faith would prove steadfast and that His sufferings and death would not overwhelm them with despair, wishing to encourage and strengthen them for their trials. While Peter was denying Him in the judgment hall Christ still loved His suffering, erring disciple, and turning to look at him conveyed love, compassion, mercy, kindness, long-suffering, gentleness and patience.
He warned the disciples to guard themselves and not yield to temptation, to watch and pray so they would not enter into temptation, for they trusted themselves and fell asleep in Gethsemane instead of seeking God in prayer. He feared they would not endure the test of His betrayal and death, especially during the humiliation and suffering that would cause them to question why He allowed Himself to be arrested and to forsake Him.
He met Satan's desire by praying that faith fail not, interceding that faith would prove steadfast, for without restraint Satan could have brought Peter's faith to complete ruin and that prayer was Peter's only hope. The word spoken to Peter is spoken to believers now, and they are not left helpless because the Lord covers them and intercedes so their faith will not fail. Peter did not clearly perceive his danger, but Christ knew it and interceded for him, and even in severe trial Christ intercedes for His disciples.
He continues as Advocate who understands each soul's burdens and dangers and gives fitting help against Satan's temptations, seeing future lives, burdens and sorrows. When Satan seeks a person's soul to sift it like wheat and destroy it, Christ stands between Satan and the person, draws near, pities those under severe temptation, and prays that faith will not fail. He intercedes for His followers in heaven, has not abandoned the one under attack but comes near with grace, light and love while the Spirit continues to strive, and in greatest need He sees the need for help and comes to strengthen.
His love in giving His only Son guarantees He will not desert or abandon those for whom He died in the battle with the adversary, but gives power over all the power of the enemy so nothing harms them. They face real spiritual conflict, but Christ does not abandon those for whom He gave His life, does not leave the tempted and erring alone in anguish, and His love does not fail or forsake them. He feels tender sympathy and sends angels to protect those Satan seeks to tempt, distress and overwhelm like wheat sifted, especially the young, and those who fear God receive the help of strong angels while Jesus, who died to make a way of escape and now intercedes, enables them to conquer the powers of darkness.
He joined the warning about sin with hope and future work, that when converted Peter should strengthen his fellow disciples and believers, showing care for human souls for whom He gave His life, since obedience prepares them for immortality and a soul lost through sin is the world's most valuable loss. He foreknew the coming denial yet did not abandon Peter to despair or leave him alone in anguish, and valued him and prayed that his faith would not fail so that denial did not make his case hopeless but he could be restored and forgiven. After the denial Christ's look of pity, love and sorrow awakened Peter's love and loyalty and sent him to repentance with tears of remorse, and the remembered prayer and promise stayed his soul in anguish and self-abhorrence, for without condemnation joined to foretold sin and without spoken hope the darkness would have been dense and reckless despair would have driven him to the path trodden by Judas.
Peter's Fall and Recovery
Peter was full of assurance and self-confidence that his course was right, did not recognize his own weakness, believed his spirit was right and needed no warning, and resented the caution given him just before his fall. In that self-sufficiency he confidently declared he would never do what he was warned against, claimed greater constancy than the others, and affirmed readiness to follow even to prison and death and to die for his Lord. His self-trust and boasting brought him nearer to failure and proved his ruin, for self-confidence cannot keep a person faithful under trial, and safety lies in distrusting self and trusting God.
The sifting came when, after the betrayal, he followed and, fearing for his life, denied three times that he knew Jesus, the third time with cursing and swearing to prove he was not a disciple, showing his natural character and lack of self-knowledge. He was not yet converted despite ardent zeal, and even his raising the sword in Gethsemane and cutting off the high priest's servant's ear was not conversion. While he was denying Him in the judgment hall Christ still loved His suffering erring disciple, and turning to look at him from a distance with sorrow, love, pardon, pity and reproof melted his heart at once and saved him.
In that look he remembered the warning and Christ's prayer and mercy, kindness, long-suffering, gentleness and patience, realized he was doing the very thing he had declared he would never do, and was overwhelmed with his terrible fall, ingratitude, falsehood and perjury. He bitterly wept, repented of his great sin with heart-broken grief and horror over base ingratitude, was converted, and strength came where he had been weak, the remembered prayer and promise staying his soul in anguish and self-abhorrence. Without condemnation joined to foretold sin and without spoken hope, the darkness would have been dense and reckless despair would have driven him to the path trodden by Judas; unlike Judas who was false-hearted, Peter's faults were impetuous haste and self-confidence, and his life became one of service and sacrifice.
Christ permitted the temptation and failure to teach lessons learned only through failure and to purify as fire purifies gold, and Peter became a better, humbler, less self-confident man after his fall, his ardor tempered yet his zeal, boldness and energy retained. After conversion he was prepared to strengthen his brethren, shepherd Christ's flock, care for sheep and lambs, pity the tempted, sympathize with the weak and erring, warn the presumptuous, and remain faithful through later imprisonment and prospect of death. His hasty, quick temper that brings trouble and destroys peace and injures the cause had to be overcome until the sanctifying influence of truth made him patient and held his mouth closed when hot passion rises, by prayer and earnest, zealous, united effort not discouraged if victory does not come at once, by lifelong, persevering, untiring striving.
He needed to learn to distrust himself and watch himself with jealous care, to recognize his weakness and ask Christ to save him from himself, seeking the Father's help to stay watchful and loyal under trial. He did not learn that lesson until he was overcome by the devil's temptations and denied his Lord.
Sifting of Believers Today
The word spoken to Peter is spoken to believers now, for Satan seeks to test, unsettle, shake and overcome many souls as wheat is sifted, especially amid deception, trial, persecution and danger, and in moving from one line of work to another, and young people facing temptation are in danger of being harassed and spiritually destroyed. Severe discouragements and trials can threaten a family's faith in the truth, yet those assailed are not left helpless or alone, for the Lord covers them and intercedes and prays that their faith fail not. The love shown in giving the only Son guarantees He will not desert believers in battle with the adversary, but gives power over all the enemy's power so that nothing harms them. Satan also seeks to sift and trouble those who long for rest of soul, and Jesus stands as their Advocate pleading for them, inviting them to come to Him, continuing to love them and offering freedom from Satan's tyranny.[n124 — wait need label? Actually further point label? The further point has no label? It says cited... Let's call? No label given. Might be missing label. Use no label? Must use only labels given. So omit? Could ignore as no label. Better omit to follow rule.]
Every true child of God will be sifted as wheat, and in that sifting every cherished pleasure, habit and possession that draws the mind and affections from God must be sacrificed. God uses this sifting to purge the church and make it clean and holy, revealing true character and loyalties, for the sifting as of grain separates what is false from what is pure until impurities of sin are purged. The selfish and covetous separate like Judas, giving up good principles and generosity for earthly gain, while honest ones who have been misled receive light, and those who reject correction and cling to self separate from the trusting people. Speaking and spreading unbelief draws others into darkness and serves Satan's purposes, yet the sifting purifies God's people and prepares them for translation, so it is not to be resisted, since God reigns and will bring His people through it, and trials and afflictions are not evidence of His displeasure.
A coming testing time and great sifting time near at hand will reveal the genuine Christian, testing whether each is so firmly established upon God's word as not to yield to the evidence of the senses but to cling to the Bible and the Bible only. Satan will if possible prevent preparation to stand in that day by hedging up the way, entangling with earthly treasures, causing a heavy wearisome burden to be carried, and overcharging hearts with the cares of life so the day of trial comes as a thief. Some who have received great light but have not lived by it will be found among the unjust, and the jealous and fault-finding who oppose correction will be shaken out, while every person will have opportunity to show where they stand. Those sifted until free from error and fanaticism can enter the kingdom, but while still caught in error they are not fit to guide others, lest they mix error with truth and harm the flock.
In severe sifting not a grain will fall to the ground, for though in the furnace and severely tempted the sifted will never fail nor be consumed but will be refined as gold seven times purified. Jesus meets the sifting by praying that faith fail not, loving and pitying the tempted, seeing and knowing how hard the battle is against tendencies striving for mastery, living and pleading in his behalf, holding his hand, keeping the tried in the way of the Lord, knowing and accepting the contrite heart, and alone bringing them forth from trial as gold purified from all dross, with lasting lessons to be learned. This keeping is certain because Christ lives and therefore His people shall live also, and Christ abiding in the soul will not allow it to be overcome as He watches His precious gold, so the sifting must not and cannot succeed when there is harmony with God's Spirit through being subdued, humbled, sanctified, dying to self, distrusting self and depending alone on grace even in sight of the city and the crown.
The same danger that faced Peter applies to people under severe temptation, including Carrie, showing Christ intercedes for those Satan tries to test and overwhelm. The verse is applied to Philip as warning about the spiritual danger he faced and as assurance that Christ understood his weakness and invited him to return to God. Christ offers the same sustaining care to a tempted person newly come to faith, to look to Jesus, trust His intercession, and not let dark influence control the mind or bury hope in grief. The believer's struggle does not mean faith is shipwrecked, for Christ's love and intercession give hope and urge coming to Him as personal Saviour.
Tempted ministers struggling to do duty under discouragement and difficult trials should be met with gentleness, comfort and help rather than condemnation, for Jesus sees and pities those who struggle against temptation. Jesus pities people under severe temptation, draws near to them and stands against Satan on their behalf, which applies to tempted ministers struggling to do duty. Dr. Russell's doubts and unbelief give Satan an opening to tempt and unsettle faith, to be resisted by closing the mind to unbelief, fighting the fight of faith, and relying fully on God for spiritual strength. Satan wants hold of men entertaining speculative scientific theories about God to shake them apart, and those trifling with God by mixing truth and error and good and evil know less and less of their Creator and depart farther from Him. The call is to sound conversion and repentance as the only way to salvation, with assurance it is not too late for wrongs to be righted, and Christ will receive humble contrite hearts and help purify souls from sophistry, since sin is against the Lord God of heaven who has led His people step by step and given great truths to proclaim in earth's closing days.
The sifting takes place in a trial involving the exercise of dominating power, and the sifted person must not continue holding a dominating position but must turn and use powers to save souls, striving to meet the Lord's requirements with the help, interest and prayers of others and God's abundant blessing. Satan is seeking to sift Henry and Lindsay as wheat, blinding them to spiritual things and leading them to misjudge brethren, yet they still have opportunity to be softened by grace and sanctified by the Spirit. Satan used the addressee's false ideas of sanctification and corrupt associations to deceive and entangle her soul in testing and shaking. Satan sought to sift Fannie Bolton as wheat, desiring her soul and trying to destroy her through temptation and deception, from which she could be delivered by heeding counsel.
Sister Wessels' children are targets of Satan seeking to test and shake faith like wheat through a sieve, but Jesus has prayed for them, has died for them, and they belong to Him. Satan personally wants hold of a believer to shake apart and bring downfall, watching anxiously to triumph, which applies to one not standing in God's light and favor but mixed with the world, with love for brethren growing cold, separated in feeling, going backward, with darkness and clouds gathering. The opening comes through a strong independent unyielding will, unwillingness to be led and instructed, justifying one's own course against counsel, and letting unbelievers' opinions unduly influence the mind, which the enemy uses to separate from God's people and union with His Spirit and work toward ensnaring, unless there is deep humility and war against self. He desires the souls of both the criticized and the critic, so bitterness and complaint are to be resisted and help and strengthening given to one another instead.
Though Satan desires to sift by trying to control the mind and lead it in the wrong channel and break united standing in God's work, the Lord keeps His eye over the tempted for good, calls husband and wife to press together and unite effort with the church earnestly striving for victory and liberty of God's children, hears prayer offered in grief and anxiety, and will reveal Himself. The warning applies to one whose unjust conduct and proud will place the soul in danger, for he cannot follow his own way and be accepted by the Lord. The sifting is applied to Edson's repeated business schemes, where he counts hoped-for profits but ignores liabilities, becomes entangled in debt, and follows other voices instead of the Lord's counsel, through enticing prospects and apparent gain drawing away from God. The same danger of testing and shaking faith as wheat is sifted applies to Edson, whose mind is vulnerable to being turned from right and truth.
Satan sought Dr. Burke through temptations drawing him toward human praise and confidence in unbelievers, but Jesus pleaded for him before the Father, took his sin, offered Christ's righteousness, and would help him see wrong and win him back so Satan would not triumph. McCullagh is described as a human being subject to temptation in Satan's sifting as wheat, yet his attack does not erase lasting fruit of God's work. Peter's fall did not have to be final, for he recovered, pointing to the need for a Saviour who rescues sinners from Satan's slavery. Believers are warned not to let Satan succeed through temptation, and choosing Christ and Christian companionship helps resist that danger. Against Satan's desire to test severely, take hold, and keep in cruel bondage even after truth is seen and believed through lingering dark influence of past spiritualism and theosophy, Christ stands as living Saviour and Advocate in heaven's courts able to deliver, and looking to the uplifted Saviour brings healing and deliverance from Satan's binding power.
Standing Firm in Trial
The sifting can be resisted by humbly seeking divine help and walking prayerfully with the Lord, for Satan cannot overcome Christ's humble learner whom the Spirit protects. Clinging to the cross and trusting Him leaves Satan no hold, while Christ looks on the tempted with pity and tenderness and is able to save those who come to Him. Clinging to Jesus with spiritual discernment makes it possible to recognize deceptive suggestions and resist temptations aimed at the spiritual life. Without restraint Satan could have brought Peter's faith to complete ruin, but Christ's prayer that faith would not fail was Peter's only hope.
Humble dependence on God, attention to Christ's instruction, and prayerful watchfulness would have guarded Peter, yet self-confidence and failure to seek divine help left him vulnerable, though Satan could go no farther than permitted. Those who know the truth must not keep their eyes on what they attempt to do nor depend on what poor finite beings suppose they are able to do. Strength is found instead in strong persevering faith and entire trust in Christ as Leader, in what Christ will do for them, for in self-confidence Peter was presumptuous and fell.
Security in walking comes only through humble faith, cherishing a constant sense of personal weakness, making earnest prayer to God, and watching unto prayer. Those who become careless and reckless and fail to keep themselves in the love of God under every circumstance give place for the foe to take possession of them and to exploit cultivated and hereditary traits of character while blinding eyes to personal necessities and defects. Even those who suppose their feet stand secure and will never be moved are in danger of having faith changed, affections toward God and brethren altered, and the soul separated from God. Though Christ prays to keep His disciples, each must act his part in faith and cooperate with God, holding firm confidence in whom he has believed through humility of mind and much prayer.
Victory over the carnal heart has been gained before and many more victories may be gained in the name of Jesus the mighty Conqueror, so the sifting must not and cannot succeed. That victory comes by coming into harmony with the Spirit of God, being subdued, humbled and sanctified by grace, dying to self, being distrustful of self, and depending alone upon grace even when just in sight of the city of God and within reach of the crown. A person brought low by trial and repentance, remembering Jesus' agony in Gethsemane and failure to stay awake and pray, is brought to deep sorrow and humility and thereby fitted to pity the tempted, sympathize with the weak and erring, warn the presumptuous, and strengthen brethren. His deep love and help are hope in temptation and despair, for Jesus loves and pities the tempted, sees the hardness of the battle against tendencies striving for mastery, and lives and pleads in his behalf.
Looking to the uplifted Saviour brings healing and deliverance from Satan's binding power, for Christ is a living Saviour and Advocate who acts on the person's behalf. Those severely tested like wheat sifted amid deception, trial, persecution and danger are not left helpless, because the Lord covers them and intercedes so their faith will not fail. Even when Satan weaves a net for the feet and brings a present trial with a strife of tongues and many things said against them, Jesus meets it by praying that faith fail not. God knows and accepts the contrite heart, keeps the tried in the way of the Lord, and alone can bring them forth from trial as gold purified from all dross, with lasting lessons to be learned.
Further points
Satan directs his sifting work against those who long for rest of soul, seeking to trouble and shake them as wheat. Against that assault Jesus stands as their Advocate, pleading for them and inviting them to come to Him. His love for them continues unchanged, and in Him is offered deliverance from Satan's tyranny into freedom.