Matthew 16: Satan’s Influence

From that time, Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”

But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Matthew 16:21-23 (NKJV)

The Bible distance from Peter's rebuke to his Teacher’s (prior) commendation... is 3 short verses: the briefest moment!

First, Jesus calls him a rock of the church. Three beats later, Jesus calls him Satan, because Satan was speaking through Peter.

But without thinking of Satan at all,

  • What would we think of Peter’s objection?

  • Wasn’t it spoken from love and concern?

  • Wasn't Peter trying to protect Him?

After all, he didn't yet understand why his Leader's death was necessary. Wasn’t his Rabbi’s response too harsh?

No! Jesus defines perfect justice

Actors, models, and talent for Christ,
Consider 4 thought-provoking lessons:

  1. Even the holiest men in this world CAN, at times, be influenced by Satan. If the devil got into Peter's mind… when he was walking SO CLOSE to Jesus, he'll try to wedge himself in our minds, too. He’s searching for dark opportunities.*

  2. An “opening” for the devil arrived moments after Peter was commended. Possibly, Peter got full of himself. Because trying to correct his Teacher might reveal that Peter's pride had puffed up. ARROGANCE is Satan's invitation.

  3. If you’re thinking Satan got to Peter before he received the Holy Spirit (so this can't possibly happen to us), then remember his much later blunder, when Paul publicly rebuked the “church rock.” Peter was NOT “practicing” what Christ preached.*

  4. Don't spend much time thinking about Satan, but also, don’t underestimate him, trusting that pastors or famous preachers possess immunity to Satan’s sway. Instead, scrutinize church leaders closely through the clear lens of the Word of the Lord.**

Matthew 16: Satan’s Influence (Part 19)

* Galatians 2:11-21: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+2%3A11-21&version=NKJV

* Reference article: Peter's Capitulation and Paul's Correction (Galatians 2:11-21): https://bible.org/seriespage/6-peter-s-capitulation-and-paul-s-correction-galatians-211-21

** Other than the Lord Himself, my favorite author/scholar/expert on spiritual warfare is Derek Prince. I recommend any of his clear, insightful books. http://www.derekprince.org

NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God! We’re ALL called to be actors (action stars) for Jesus. We’re ALL called to models of Jesus, and we ALL have gifts, talents, and callings from God–  to multiply them in the world for His glory.

P.S. NO DEVOTION, PREACHER, or SERMON… can begin to replace personal time in the Bible. I wholeheartedly and clear-headedly recommend READING THE BIBLE DAILY.

WARNING: Don’t focus on favorite verses, because out of context, they’re often misinterpreted. I plead with you to READ AT LEAST 1 BIBLE CHAPTER DAILY. How long does it take? An average of 5 to 10 minutes!

Carey Arban