THE SIFTING OF THE SAINTS

 

DEDICATION

God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit

  

 

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

 I want to thank God for my father in the Lord (Rev.David Esosa Ize-Iyamu) whom God has blessed with the undiluted word of God.

My mummies; mummy Felicia and Rosemary for their contributions.

Bro Rowland Johnson who has been my group leader and pastor, for his supervision and guidance throughout the period of this work.

CHAPTER ONE

What is sifting?

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: Luke 22:31 (KJV).

Then the Lord said Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to have you apostles for himself. He wants to separate you from me as a farmer separates wheat from husks. Luke 22:31(GWT)

When you sift, you separate out one thing from another.

To ‘‘sift you as wheat’’ is a metaphor for a trial of faith.

Jesus always used examples from real life that his listeners could relate to. Because of this, the people of his days who were open to spiritual truth were in a much better position to relate to, understand and apply his teaching.

From the above passage, Jesus singled out peter, warning him that a time of great testing would come upon him when he went to the cross.

But, while the warning had direct and immediate implications for peter, it was also meant for all the other disciples. That is so evident from the trials and persecutions they all later went through   the same truth holds for all of us who follow Jesus; Satan will never cease to ‘‘sift us as wheat’’.

Process of sifting

 Sifting wheat is a two-step process: the first is manual threshing and the second is winnowing.

Threshing: The first step in the process of sifting wheat is to loosen the chaff from the edible grain which is called threshing. The old fashioned way to do this is to spread the wheat on to the floor made from stone, concrete, or stamped earth and to beat it with a flail.

Winnowing: The next step is called winnowing, where the loosened

 Chaff is removed from the grain. The old fashioned way of doing this was to throw the grain in the air, the lighter chaff would be blown off by even a decent breeze, and the heavier grains would fall back to the ground below where they were thrown from. This is how to separate wheat from husks.

 When the Lord tells his disciple that Satan desires to sift them as wheat, they have already been identified as ‘‘wheat’ ’They are not the chaff that has been blown away in the whirlwind, a term used by the Lord to describe the condition of those who are disobedient and do not hearken to the voice of God. You must understand that Satan seeks to sift only those who threaten his work. He goes after the tree with the most potential to bear fruit.

Sifting like wheat today is not a good illustration.

When God was talking about sifting he was referring to a very violent action used to separate the grain from the stalk and the chaff. This means literally tearing the wheat apart.

Vigorous shaking is required to separate wheat kernels from debris.

And the Lord said Simon, Simon­­­­ – the two-fold utterance of the name, is significant of the emphasis of sadness.

Moment of sifting:

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us a mirth, saying, sing us one of the songs of Zion.

How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land? (Psalm 137:1-4)

This Psalm was written in the time when the Israelites where being exiled from their land and taken into Babylon.

Our tormentors and captors could be our ugly situations and incidents.

These soldiers were attempting to strip God’s people of their land, familiar life, and familiar praise. In fact, these soldiers taunted the Israelites, saying ‘‘sing us one of the songs of Zion’’ as they marched in incredible numbers out of their land. Feeling completely stripped of their lives, joy, health, wealth and every good thing of life, they replied, ‘How shall we sing the Lord Song in this strange   land? They were concentrating on their surroundings, problems, childlessness and loss of their love ones. And while they unwillingly lost control of their land, they surrendered their praise.

Event in our lives may be like the Babylonians gathering the Israelite out of their own land (comfort zone).

At times in our lives, we have event or situations that would attempt to take our land (comfort) by removing us from our surroundings or stripping us of our lifestyle.

The death of a spouse or child, a recent divorce, broken relationships, loss of Job, or a progressive disability are all events that alter lifestyles. We too, may say as the Israelites, ``How can I sing in this strange land? ’Everything around me seems to have been taken from me. The only thing that is unable to be taken, I feel, that I am able to hold onto: my praise, my devotion, my faith.

Undoubtedly, there will be uncontrollable circumstances in life’s journey. These life interruptions are demanding and required our attention.

However, what we can control, our praise, let us not give up. Let us ask ourselves, when I feel stripped of all other things, what happens to my devotion to God? Do I surrender my praise? We are forever presented with opportunities to lose focus of what is priority in our lives.

We must note that the moment of sifting is a moment where God seems so far away, a moment where God seems not to exist, a moment of pain, a moment of great sorrow ,a moment where we even feel like renouncing Christ but we must learn how to hold on to what is important.

Paul said in Romans 8:35- who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Verse 38: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come.39: Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We must be determined never to give up come what may.

How do I sing the Lord’s song in this terrible condition of mine? We sing the Lord’s song by reflecting on the nature of God. While circumstances may consistently change around us, God, creator of heaven and earth, consistently remains the same. And if He was worthy of praise before, He is still in the midst of our present discomfort regardless of what is going on in our lives. God still deserves our devotion.

We don’t sing because our quality of life is good for He has not promised all a great life for He says, in this world you will have tribulations….

We sing because He is God. We sing because no other so faithful, loving and true. We sing because He is the only true, stable thing in our lives. 

When all else seems to be stripped away, aim to hold to the dearest part of our lives; our relationship with our God.

Be not weary in well doing, for in due season, we will reap if we faint not. It is from our continual relationship with our father that we gain insight into these difficult situations, we gain peace in the time of chaos, we receive comfort from our father. Regardless of what is going on in our lives, our faith in God and devotion cushion the bumps in the road.

Naomi is another example of those that experienced a very severe sifting moment. Naomi means ‘Pleasant,’ but when she returned from her family’s disastrous sojourn in the land of Moab, Naomi renounced her name and chose a new name; `Mara’ which means ‘‘Bitter’’.

Naomi and her husband and two sons had to leave Bethlehem, their home, because of severe famine. They settled in the land of Moab on the far side of the Dead Sea where things went wrong from bad to worse for them. Naomi’s husband died as did each of her sons. So painful has Naomi’s recent past been that when she returns home after more than ten years of exile, accompanied only by Ruth, she can’t stand to be reminded of her former happiness by hearing the sound of her name on the lips of her old friends.

So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem.

When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, `can this be Naomi?’’ Don’t call me Naomi, she told them ``call me Mara’ ’because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.

So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabites, her daughter in –law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning Ruth 1:19-22

The woman who left Bethlehem as Naomi has now retuned empty, accompanied only by the foreign daughter in-law who has chosen to cast her lot with Naomi.  You wonder how anyone who is bereaved or suffering from some heaviness of heart can stand it. ``How can we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land’ ’lamented the Jewish exiles in Babylon. The answer for those like Naomi who have experienced great loss, is that you sing in a minor key. You confess your pain to God along with your faith.

Naomi knew, devastated as she was, that she couldn’t just put on a happy face and stop in for a cup of tea and a long chat with her old neighbours and friend. She had to testify to the reality of the tragedy her life had become. So she freely gives tongue to her bitterness of spirit. The moment of sifting is a moment of vigorous shaking, great temptation, a time of pain, bitterness, a time of great agony, and a time of great affliction.

But listen God can’t forget you, He never sleeps nor slumbers, He knows everything you are going through, He allows all that because of the trust He has in you like in the case of Job; He knows you can never disappoint Him.

Don’t be tempted to renounce the name the Lord himself has given you, names like: Blessed, Favour, Abundance, Fruitful, Happy, joy etc.

When the Children of Israel were faced with the wall of Jericho the Lord ordered them to engaged in vigorous shout and praise and that was what gave them victory, their story was not like those in Psalm 137 that were not sure to sing the Lord’s song again and asking each other whether to sing the Lord’s song in their discomfort.

A man could lose so many thing during the time of sifting – the enemy does all these to cause separation but you know what don’t give up.

CHAPTER TWO

The Purpose of Sifting

To Destroy Our Faith

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: Luke 22:31 (KJV). The "you" is still plural. Jesus is telling Simon what Satan intends to do to all the disciples. What does Satan aim to do? What does "sifting like wheat" refer to in real life? The best clue comes in the next sentence where Jesus says, "But I prayed for you that your faith fail not." Satan aims to sift Simon and the others like wheat. Jesus aims to keep Simon's faith from failing. So probably "sifting like wheat" means doing something to make the disciples' faith fail.

We can imagine a picture like this: Satan has a big sieve with jagged-edged wires forming a mesh with holes. What he aims to do is throw people into this sieve and shake them around over these jagged edges until they are so torn and weak and desperate that they let go of their faith and fall through the sieve as faithless people, right into Satan's company. And so as long as the disciples hold to their faith, trusting the power and goodness of God for their hope, then they will not fall through the mesh into Satan's hands.

Therefore the sifting of Simon Peter and the others is Satan's effort to destroy their faith. And this remains Satan's main goal today. It is relatively unimportant to Satan whether we are healthy or sick, rich or poor; what he wants is to sift out our faith. If he can do it by suffering, he will try that; if he can do it by wealth, he will try that. Peter learned a good lesson that night. Some 30 years later he wrote in 1 Peter 5:8, 9: "Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Resist him firm in your faith." Jesus pictured Satan as a farmer shaking Christians in his sieve, trying to tear them apart from their faith. Peter pictures Satan as a lion who can devour anything but faith. The only person that can fit through Satan's sieve is an unbeliever. The only thing that will fit down the lion's throat is an unbeliever. This is the victory that overcomes Satan's sieve and Satan's throat, our faith (1 John 5:4). If we hold it fast to the end, Satan cannot destroy us. That's why John writes to the church of Smyrna in Revelation 2:10:

Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life.

To separate us from God

Another purpose of the enemy’s sifting is to separate. In Jesus’ time, wheat was sifted in order to remove the chaff. The sieve would be grasped in both hands and by shaking it forcefully from side to side, the lighter chaff would come to the surface and would then be blown away with the mouth. It was a vigorous process.

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you…”

Jesus spoke these sobering words to Peter before going to his death.

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.” (Luke 22:31-34)

Yes, this exchange would’ve been sobering for Peter but how should it impact us? Equally sobering is Satan’s active work to make this a reality for as many people as he can and especially for Christians. If you’re a believer, what the enemy wants is to fail your faith. He wants to have you: eternally defeated, estranged (separate) from God, condemned for eternity but Jesus promises he won’t let you go.

Three Ways Satan Attempts to Separate Us from God

God’s Word says he’s the deceiver, tempter, and thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. He will leverage anything and everything to cause us to fear, doubt, and in the most extreme cases to walk away from Christ.

We should be watchful and wise, then, to discern some common ways Satan attempts to “sift us like wheat,” to separate us, so we can be on guard:

1. Sin

You may have heard it said that sin separates individuals from God, and this is indeed a biblical truth. Isaiah 59:2 says,

But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear

SIN. It’s a small word with enormous implications. Sin separates us from God. The first man, Adam, was given the choice to love and obey God. For a while, Adam did just that, but eventually he chose to disobey God, and when he did, he began the sad plight of selfishness and rebellion against God that’s prevalent in our world today. The Bible teaches us that God is absolutely pure and holy and that He cannot tolerate sin.

The result of this separation from God is death because without a relationship with God one cannot enter into his promise of eternal life. This is why unless we recognize that sin separates us from God, we cannot fully grasp the power of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. According to Romans 6:23, for the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

But why does sin separate us from God?

To understand this, we must understand the nature of God.

The Bible tells us that God is love (John 1:4:8); it also tells us that God is holy (1 Peter 1:16) and that he is just (2 Thess. 1:6, Psalm 7:11, Psalm 25:8-14). All of these characteristics of God depend on one another, for in order for a truly holy God to be loving he must also be just. Because sinners are not holy, all-loving and just, like God, they cannot be in fellowship with him.

Sin is Satan’s deadliest weapon. Temptation slyly lures sinners into Satan’s trap of false promises (“This will make you happy”) and finally into sin, which leads to spiritual death (James 1:15). Sin weakens our communion with God, the only One who can truly satisfy us and give us eternal life. Satan loves to see believers entrapped, distanced from God and to his greatest delight, estranged from him forever, so we must be on guard against sin through confession, prayer, and connection to the church body.

Just when it all seems so hopeless, God intervenes. He has made a way for sin to no longer be a barrier. God has a solution.

God loves us. However, our sin separates us from God. The Apostle Paul explained the consequences and the solution,

“For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23, NLT).

“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

In spite of our sinfulness, our loving and merciful God found a way for us to have a personal relationship with Him! 

In the Old Testament, people “paid” for their sin through the sacrifice of an animal. When Jesus came, He provided the ultimate sacrifice for our sin: a one-time last sacrifice that paid for all sin for all time.

2. Suffering

When Satan demanded to sift Job like wheat, the results were the deaths of all his children, the burning of his property, and the murdering of his livestock by raiders (Job 1:13-22). Finally, Satan struck Job with loathsome sores from head to toe (2:7). His wife’s response to their suffering? “Curse God and die” (2:9). Job’s response? “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” (2:10).

Suffering is unavoidable in this life and will cause us to move in one of two directions: toward God in dependence, or away from him in anger, bitterness, and rejection. Job grasped that God’s hand was in control of the worst of circumstances and trusted him, even though he wasn’t aware of the spiritual battle being waged.

Job’s suffering wasn’t without purpose, and neither is ours. We know this by gazing at the cross, where God sacrificed his Son so we might live forever all because he loved us. And in Jesus’ resurrection, we see how God transforms death into life, the guarantee he will be with us in our darkest hours and into eternity. Yes, our enemy may demand to sift us through suffering, Joblessness, delay in marriage, delay in having children intending it to harden our hearts, embitter our spirits, and deceive us into believing God simply isn’t good but God would use affliction to draw us closer to himself.

In Luke 22:31-33, Jesus essentially tells Peter and the other disciples that they are on Satan’s hit list.  He explains to them that Satan desires to sift them as wheat. In other words, he desires to put them through the test of temptation and trial. However, Jesus isn't concerned about the tests of temptations; He is most concerned about their faith.

Jesus let the disciples know in advanced that the sifting was going to happen. He prepared them by giving Peter specific directions in that once he is converted (changed in heart, dedication, and commitment), to strengthen his brothers who were weaker.  Jesus spoke from a place of full assurance that Peter would come out with his faith in tact, and so would the other disciples, as he was obedient to strengthen them in preparation of the transition of Christ.

The season of the sifting is the time and place where temptations and trial are most persistent. The season of sifting will test the thoughts, motives, and intentions of the heart.  It is the place where you can no longer hide from yourself.

The season of sifting tempts you to deny the will of the Father in acceptance of your own. It lures you to do things your way instead of God's way.  It influences you to justify your actions that are contrary to God.  In essence, the sifting process provokes you to rebel against the voice and teaching of God.  The very core of your being and ideals are challenged in the sifting as you must decide to stay in what you feel you cannot trust because it's not what you understand or what you are familiar with. It will provoke you to try to understand with your own mind and with your own reasoning.  So, initially, Peter resolved that if Jesus was going to die, he would too by fighting, because he did not understand at the time, and he decided that he would not run scared.  Courage to Peter meant to fight physically and to die fighting, but he missed the heart of Christ.  The heart of Christ is submission to His will and love to his Heavenly Father.

Christ, Himself, demonstrated this submission by going to the cross. It was the love He had for his Heavenly Father and His will that caused Him to submit to the process of the cross.  Jesus gave up his will to do God's will.

So, I say to you today: You may be going through a season of sifting where your very faith and core beliefs are being challenged. Don't get discouraged or dismayed, stand your ground.  Jesus has prayed for you that your faith will not fail. He has empowered you that when you overcome this sifting, you will be settled further in the will of God, so like the instructions given to Peter, you will strengthen others.

Every day, make the choice to stand on your most holy of faith knowing in whom you have believed.  Speak the truth to yourself knowing the entrance of God's Word gives light. Lastly, understand that the sifting isn't as much about you as it is to ensure that the plans and purposes of God are executed in the earth.  Again, don't allow the season of sift to shake you, but allow it to shake what is shakeable so that God can use what is left for His glory! I decree that your faith shall not fail, but remain strong in the power of your God.  Put the enemy on the run with your praise and right living, Stand your ground! God is not through with you, he's only just begun, God bless.

 3. Success

Gideon thought himself a normal man, but was called a “mighty man of valour” by God (Judges 6:12), sent by him to save Israel from the hand of Midianites (6:14). The Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon for this good work (6:34), giving Midian into Israel’s hand by an army of only 300 men (7:7). In their success, God wanted them to know that he, and he alone, had saved them, so they wouldn’t boast in their numbers or strength, but in his promise and provision.

Yet Gideon’s story is one of success subtly turned sour. It teaches us to be on guard against Satan’s schemes during seasons of prosperity and comfort. After all his God given success, we read that “Gideon made an ephod of [gold] and all Israel whored after it...and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family” (8:27). This is all that’s said about Gideon’s idolatry; the slide into it seemed subtle. But we should take note because the special temptations within success are subtle, and Satan loves to use such fruitful seasons to deceive God’s people and lead them into sin.

  

 

  

CHAPTER THREE

When Sifted

Sifting is hand-to-hand combat with Satan himself, a battle that few people ever experienced. Satan is ready to use any means to separate us from God.

In our previous chapter we learnt that the enemy has three major ways to get believers separated from God; it could be through sin, suffering and even our own   success.

Note, when we are sifted (brought down, defeated) and never bothered to wake up and return to the master, we tend to lose everything.

The Bible says ‘However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behaviour and start doing sinful things and act like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins. (Ezek. 18:24).

Have you made any mistake? Please don’t stay there fight to get back on your feet in order not your labour for all these years to be in vain?

And Jesus said: “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.  Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.  But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!  When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father (John 15:1-8).

Jesus warns that anyone who allows himself to be separated and never fight to return can never bear fruit (living the life of struggles), will wither and shall surely die.

Satan has brought down multitudes of believers who never allowed themselves to be delivered from a besetting sin. I've seen numbers of Godly ministers fall left and right, men once mightily used of God. Over the years, those preachers became entangled in a lust they were never willing to let go of. And they fell hard, losing everything.

Several years ago, a well-known evangelist was exposed for sexual sin, shocking the world. Multitudes of Christians wondered, "How could such a godly man fall into this kind of sin?" Before this minister was exposed, He confessed he'd been involved in pornography since he was a child.  "And I've carried this burden throughout my ministry." In other words, even when he was preaching powerfully, he slipped back into his habit. Obviously, this man's bondage didn't happen overnight. He'd been marked by the devil early on, and he never enjoyed a time of total victory.

I believe multitudes of Christians today are like this man. They're used of God, they worship fervently, and they serve the Lord sincerely. But they've allowed a sin in their life, and over time it has grown deeply entrenched. Now they've become an easy mark for Satan. And the devil has invaded their area of weakness and overtaken them.

Most times the sifting of the enemy comes through our area of weakness.

On the night before his death, Jesus sat down with his disciples to share the Passover supper. The group had an intimate time of communion together. Then, as the meal ended, Christ said solemnly, "The hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table" (Luke 22:21). What a horrible truth to be seen at such an intimate moment. Satan had audaciously entered one of Jesus' own disciples, Judas.

Another incredible moment had already taken place at that table. Jesus had taken a piece of bread, representing his broken body, dipped it into wine and extended it to Judas. The scheming disciple then stretched out a demon-possessed hand to receive it. It was as if Satan himself were taking Jesus' body into his hands to crush it.

You may wonder as I have: how was the devil able to possess Judas? No person could fall so far overnight. No one could suddenly be so overtaken by a sin that he would intentionally betray the Son of God, knowing it would lead to his death. Sadly, the truth was that Judas was an easy conquest for Satan. The gospels reveal that Judas had a history of covetousness. He secretly dipped into the group's treasury for himself. And because he harboured this spirit of covetousness, Satan was able to deceive him over time.

Judas himself was mightily used of God. He performed miracles alongside the other disciples, healing the sick and casting out devils. And, like them, he walked closely with Jesus, the living Word. The crowds recognized Judas as a devoted servant of God.

Yet the Bible makes it clear: from the very beginning, Judas was a worker of iniquity. His secret lust was always lurking just beneath the surface. And nothing this blessed man saw or heard in Jesus' life could touch the sin in his heart. Judas was given over to his lust completely. As a result, he was totally overcome by the devil.

Now, at the Passover, Satan knew Jesus' kingdom was about to come. So, once he'd possessed Judas, he determined to go after another disciple. I believe he made his presence felt at that table, as "there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest" (Luke 22:24). Can you imagine this discussion? The disciples just had an intimate time of communion with their Lord, who told them he was about to die. But apparently, they understood nothing of what Jesus said. Instead, they started arguing over who would be left in charge when he was gone.

This had to be a smorgasbord for Satan. He probably sized up the disciples, one by one, wondering, "Who should be next? Not Nathaniel. Jesus said he has no guile. What about John? No, he's too close to the master, always leaning on his bosom. Ah, there sits Peter. Jesus called him a rock. In fact, Christ said he would build his church on Peter's proclamation that he was the messiah. Yes, Peter's the one. If I can just get to him, I can weaken the foundation of the church to come."

Jesus suddenly addressed him with this strange warning: "Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat" (22:31).

Peter, you're going to be placed in the enemy's hands for a season. And a sword will do you no good. The devil is about to send an attack that's meant to destroy your faith. He wants to rob you of all the hope I've given you."

 Peter sifting came through self-reliant and over confident. Peter answered Jesus, "Lord, I'm ready for anything. I'm willing to follow you to prison, to be crucified with you, to die alongside you. You've already told me what's in store for me in eternity. What harm can a little sifting do to me?" (Luke 22:33). Overconfident Peter had no idea what he was about to face.

Note, Peter’s sifting came through his overconfidence.

Jesus warned that Peter would be tried so severely, "The cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me" (22:34). Yet Peter believed he was ready. A few hours later, when a multitude came to arrest Jesus, the disciple stood up to fight for his master. He boldly drew his sword and cut off a man's ear.

But Peter's sifting didn't actually start until later. It began while Jesus stood before his accusers in the judgment hall. Peter was outside, warming himself by a fire, when a young girl recognized him: "A certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him" (22:56). As the girl stared, Peter began trembling. He quickly answered, "Woman, I know him not" (22:57).

Now Satan had Peter in the sieve. And he began to winnow him fiercely. The Bible says, "After a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not" (22:58). By now Peter was shaken, not knowing where his words came from. Finally, an hour later, a third person recognized him and said, "Of a truth, this fellow also was with him and Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest" (22:59-60). At that point Peter began cursing.

Try to imagine the scene. Just hours before, this faithful disciple had been Jesus' boldest defender, wielding a sword against all odds. Yet now, Peter was completely broken down, denying he even knew Jesus. Satan must have gloated, thinking, "I've got Peter. He's finished, like Judas. Now, on to the next disciple."

At the very moment of Peter's third denial, Scripture says, "The cock crew. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter" (22:60-61). Imagine how Peter must have felt as his master gazed upon him. Yet, I can assure you, the look Jesus gave him wasn't one of accusation. Christ wasn't saying, "How could you do this to me, Peter? You've blasphemed me, denying me, even though these people know you're mine. How could you fall so low, after all I've done for you?"

On the contrary, Jesus had foretold these events for Peter's sake. And now he looked at him to reassure him, as if to say, "Hold steady, friend. I warned you Satan would sift you, remember? He wants to bring you down and destroy my church. But I'm reminding you now, Peter, you're going to be restored. You're important to me. So, don't run from me. This battle is going to end. And there's a great work still ahead for you."

The lesson you must learn from here is that our master Jesus has not condemned you despite the mistakes.

After Jesus gazed at Peter, the disciple went out and wept bitterly. Imagine the lies Satan shouted at this broken man:

"So, you're Jesus' rock, eh? You're the one who was going to raise up a ruined church? Look at you, Peter. You're a weakling, a cry-baby, a blasphemer. You denied the very one who called you and loved you. If you think you're going to sit at Jesus' table in paradise, forget it. You've sinned against the light of the world. You're not worthy of his promises. You're evil, washed up. Your life is over."

When we're being sifted, Satan injects into our minds every evil thing in his demonic arsenal. And he makes us believe these awful thoughts originated in our own hearts, rather than in hell.

We must also learn from here that peter fought for his recovery, the bible says he wept (Prayed) bitterly even though the master already assured him he has prayed for him.

Contrary to what is been preached today that you don’t need to confess your sins that Jesus had already settled everything at Calvary.

Yes, the prize for our sins has been paid in full on the cross of Calvary with the blood of Jesus but the bible says ‘He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaken them shall have mercy. (Proverb 28:13)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

For Job it was through the fear of the unknown and Job said, ‘for the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came’ (Job 3:25&26).

It means that he had always had in remembrance the uncertainty and instability of earthly things, and yet he had been overtaken by a calamity that mocked his carefulness and exceeded his apprehensions.

Before this flood of misery was poured upon me, I was indeed under great and strong apprehensions, which I could not account for, of something or other that would happen to me; something extremely grievous and afflicting; something as bad, nay, worse than death itself. For I considered the variety of God’s providences, the changeableness of this vain world, the infirmities and contingencies to which human nature is liable in the present life, God’s justice, and the sinfulness of all mankind. And it is now evident that these fears of mine were not in vain, for they are justified by my present calamities.

In my prosperity I looked for a fall, as it now has come to pass.

Brethren, do not give place to the devi

CHAPTER FOUR

Divine Intervention

Believers, though Satan may demand to sift you, the Son of God has prayed for you! Yes, your enemy may prowl around like a lion seeking to devour your faith, but the Lion of Judah has conquered him. If sin leading to eternal death is Satan’s greatest weapon, then you who’ve been made eternally alive in Christ cannot be ultimately claimed or touched by him. Jesus will keep your faith.

Even today, Jesus has freed you from Satan’s power and loosened his grip on you; he’s given you his Holy Spirit who empowers you to identify and resist the enemy’s advances.

You are safe in Jesus, even when the enemy attempts to sift you through sin, suffering, and success. Your faith will not fail, not because you uphold it, but because Jesus has intervened.

Peter had a life-altering failure. Jesus warned that Satan had asked permission to "sift" the disciple like wheat (Luke 22:31)—vigorous shaking is required to separate wheat kernels from debris. The Enemy wanted to shake Peter's faith hard in hopes that he'd fall away from Jesus like chaff.

When Satan sifts believers, his goal is to damage our faith so much that we're useless to God. He wants us shelved far from the action of the Lord's kingdom. Therefore, he goes for our strengths the areas where we believe ourselves to be invincible, or at least very well protected. And when the Devil succeeds, we are disappointed and demoralized. But we don't have to stay that way.

If we are willing, God can use failure to do spiritual housecleaning. Peter laid down his pride and instead put on the Holy Spirit's courage. Thereafter, he risked humiliation, persecution, and death to proclaim the gospel. Failure was the catalyst that brought forth greater faith.

It is a great encouragement to know that God is always stronger than Satan, and that by faith in him we can avoid Satan's destruction and gain a crown of life. We need for our daily struggles some encouragement that in a time of suffering and weakness we will not abandon the faith and curse God. We need some reassurance that the ups and downs of our faith will not end someday in a permanent down and fail utterly. And Jesus gives us that encouragement and reassurance in verse 32.

Simon, Simon, behold Satan demanded to have you that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail, and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren.

The word of encouragement and consolation and hope that I want to offer you today from God's Word is that, if you love God and are called according to his purpose, if you are despairing of your own resources and looking to Christ for hope, then to you belongs a most wonderful promise: Jesus prays for you, and he will never let Satan destroy your faith and bring you to ruin.

When hardships come our way, the things that we hope for seem out of reach and unattainable. We begin to justify our negative thoughts by our circumstances. But all is not lost! As we trustingly hand over our circumstances to Jesus, we will find our hope renewed. Just remember that Jesus, our Great High Priest, prays that our faith will not fail us. Jesus’ prayers are always answered!

Even today, Jesus’ protection over us isn’t necessarily about shielding us from Satan’s attacks (though he can and does do this), but from the spiritual effects of those attacks. His prayer isn’t for us to be free from trouble, but for us to stand firmly in faith when trouble and temptation come.

Dear saint, the sifting you're going through right now is all for your family, your friends, your co-workers, those around you who love Jesus. So, don't be afraid of your trial. Jesus knows the outcome. And he's telling you, as he told Peter, "Hold fast, friend. I'm praying for you. When all the dust clears, you're going to be restored. And I'm going to use you to rebuild my church. I have an eternal purpose behind your sifting. It's all for the weight of my glory."

Satan would like to have each of us, to sift us and find what he could use to tempt us away from God and His purposes.

When we feel we are being tossed in the sieve, let us remember, Christ is praying for us, and we will come out the better from it all.

All of us make tracks through the valley of failure. The question is, how are you going to respond? Plenty of people give up and exchange a vibrant kingdom-serving life for a defeated existence. But failure need not to be an end. It's a chance for a new beginning living in Christ's strength.

Poem by John E. Zollar

Are you passing a testing?

Is your pillow wet with tears?

Do you wonder what the reason?

Why it seems God never hears?

Why it is you have no answer

To your oft-repeated plea,

Why the heaven still is leaden

As you wait on bended knee?

Do you wonder as you suffer?

Whether God does understand,

And if so, why He ignores you,

Fails to hold you in His Hand?

Do black doubt creep in, assail you,

Fears without, and fears within,

Till your brave heart almost falters.

And gives way to deadly sin?

All God’s testings have a purpose-

Someday you will see the light.

All He asks is that you trust Him,

Walk by faith and not by sight.

Do not fear when doubts beset you,

Just remember –He is near;

He will never, never leave you,

He will always, always hear.

Faithful is He who has promised,

He will never let you fall,

Daily will the strength be given?

Strength for each and strength for all.

He will gladly share pain with you,

He will gladly give you peace.

Till your tired and weary body

Finds its blessed, glad release.

When the darkened veil is lifted,

Then, dear heart, you’ll understand

Why it is you had to suffer,

Why you could not feel His hand

Giving strength when it was needed,

Giving Power and peace within

Giving Joy through tears and trial,

Giving victory over sin.

So till then just keep on trusting,

Through the sunshine and rain,

Through the tears and through the heartaches,

Through the smiles and through the pain

Knowing that our Father watches,

Knowing daily strength He’ll give,

Victory for each passing hour,

This is life, so let us live!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Satan cannot stand your faith! That is why he is out to crush it.

Put your faith out and the devil has no choice but to flee.

Know that the devil is impotent as long as your faith is at work. That is why he makes your faith the major object of his attack.

This book will teach you on how to manage and overcome the sifting of the enemy.

If you love God and are called according to His purpose, if you are despairing of your own resources and looking to Christ for hope, then to you belong a most promise: Jesus prays for you and he will never let Satan destroy your faith and bring you to ruin.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ezekiel is a highly Passionate and lover of God who has committed himself to the service of God from childhood.

He started receiving the platform so early to preach God’s message in church and in Christian fellowships right from age fourteen.

Ezekiel has held several leadership positions in church and in Christian fellowships to mention but a few, he was a campus fellowship  president of Christian Fellowship International,(an arm of Church of God Mission Campus Outreach) Unimaid Chapter.

During his service year (NYSC), he also served as a zonal coordinator, coordinating Igboho zone of Nigeria Christian Corpers Fellowship, Oyo state Chapter.

Ezekiel studied mathematics from the University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.