“But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:32, NIV)
Today, when we’re on the brink of accomplishing world-changing kingdom work, Satan comes with attacks meant to derail what God wants to do in us and through us. This shouldn’t be surprising for followers of Jesus. Jesus was getting ready to carry out the greatest work of God that ever had been and ever would be accomplished in human history—the redemption of humanity, the breaking of sin, and the defeat of death—and we see the final week of Jesus’ life including denial and betrayal.
In this article, we’re going to pause and look at the denial and betrayal and what they teach us. Specifically, from Peter’s denial of Jesus and Judas’s betrayal of Jesus, we learn the critical difference between failing and falling away.
Peter’s Failure
Jesus entrusted his kingdom to the apostles who were to spread his gospel throughout the world in obedience to his Great Commission. This dissemination of the gospel message was an affront to Satan’s power, and so he wanted to stop this from happening. He intended to halt the message by afflicting the messengers.
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31–32, NIV)
The “you” that Satan asked to sift is plural, indicating that Satan wanted all of them. He wanted to take apart the work that Jesus was sending them to do. Jesus here addressed Peter as a representative of all the disciples. But notice he didn’t call him by his new name that meant “rock.” Jesus called him Simon, perhaps pointing toward his humanity and fallibility.
But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” (Luke 22:33–34, NIV)
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
Jesus knew what would happen. Peter felt so committed and so strong. How easily we can be deterred from our passionate commitment to Jesus in times of trouble! We shouldn’t ever overestimate our strength, but instead pray. Pray for ourselves; pray for others. Failing doesn’t mean that we don’t love Jesus or that we aren’t sincerely committed to him. But Satan, the enemy of our souls, though subject to Christ the King, is powerful and hates kingdom work. The imagery of Satan in Revelation as a dragon gives us a dramatic picture of his position against us:
“Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.” (Revelation 12:17, NIV)
Knowing that such opposition to the work of God exists in spiritual realms, we must not be fooled into thinking we’re stronger than we are. Pray, pray, pray.
Though Peter denied Jesus, just as Jesus said he would, Peter did not lose his faith. Later, in John 21, we see a beautiful picture of Peter’s restoration with the resurrected Jesus. Read this slowly and let it sink in: Failing does not have to equal falling away from faith.
“Failing does not have to equal falling away from faith.”
Judas’s Falling Away
Just as Jesus predicted Peter’s denial, he also predicted Judas’ betrayal.
After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me….As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” (John 13:21, 27, NIV)
Judas accepted thirty pieces of silver to sell out the Son of God to those who would kill him. He committed one of the most heinous acts in Scripture, and Jesus knew he would do it. Yet he still loved Judas and washed his feet before revealing what Judas would do.
“It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” (John 13:1, NIV)
Yet Judas, when prompted by Satan, did not pray, but complied. Judas didn’t resist Satan—as Christ’s followers are to do so that he will flee (James 4:7). So Satan took control of him to attack the Lord.
Still, Judas expressed sorrow and repentance for his actions.
When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” (Matthew 27:3-4)
“Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”
Let this be another lesson to us in times of temptation. The world will use you for what they can get but will not care about you after the fact. Though Judas was deeply sorry for what he did, he didn’t give himself the opportunity to experience a restoration like Peter.
“So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.” (Matthew 27:5, NIV)
Hope was just three days away in the resurrection, yet, tragically, Judas did more than just fail. Judas fell away. Before Jesus could offer restoration, Judas committed to condemnation. It doesn’t have to be this way.
What About You?
Know these things, friend:
- Satan wants you. He wants to take apart your love for Christ and your work for Christ.
- Don’t think you’ve got this. Pray to God, knowing how much you need him.
- When you fail, repent and return. Do not fall away.
Jesus has accomplished and is accomplishing our restoration as we continually turn back to him.
Years later, in Peter’s letter to fellow Christians, he offered this encouragement and admonition:
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8, NIV)
Check out Tina Wilson’s 365-day chronological Bible study Step into Scripture: A Daily Journey to Understanding Your Bible
