Will Jesus call you Satan too?

Mat 16:23  But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. 

'Peter speaks because he cherishes the Lord, yet he is being manipulated by Satan.

Peter prays the Lord to be kind to Himself, not knowing this prayer is inspired by the enemy.

Satan can urge people to love the Lord or even teach people to pray.

He is not apprehensive if people pray or love the Lord; what strikes fear in him is that they might not love the Lord or pray to Him with their natural energy.

While soul life continues, his business prospers.

May God show us how dangerous this life is, because believers may too quickly conclude that they are spiritual merely because they love the Lord or admire heavenly things.

God’s purpose cannot be accomplished as long as Satan continues to find opportunity to work through that soul life which remains uncommitted to the death of the cross.

Self-pity, self-love, fear of suffering, withdrawal from the cross: these are some of the manifestations of soul life, for its prime motivation is self-preservation.

It is exceedingly reluctant to endure any loss.

This is precisely why the Lord summons us to deny self and take up our cross so as to crush our natural life.

Every cross which passes before us beckons us to forsake our selves.

We should not harbor any self-love but lay down our lives by the power of God.'  The Spiritual Man- Watchman Nee

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Savoring NOT the things that be of God.  One of Jesus' apostles was NOT savoring the things that be of God. What exactly was Peter savoring? He didn't want Jesus to follow God's will all the way to the cross.

Mat 16:21  From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 

Peter didn't want Jesus to 'suffer many things', Peter didn't want Jesus to 'be killed'.

These all seem like good things, don't they? Seriously. We don't want to suffer and we surely don't want those we love to suffer. We don't want to be killed, or our loved ones to be killed. These are logical, loving things to desire, right? Peter out of his love for Jesus didn't want Him to suffer and be killed- logical and loving. Jesus didn't see it that way though. Jesus comprehended fully the suffering and death coming His way, He wasn't pulling blinders over His eyes. He wanted His disciples to be prepared, to understand His prophetic words of the near future.  Instead of accepting what Jesus was telling them, Peter REBUKED the Lord!

Mat 16:22  Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

Peter REBUKED the LORD telling Him - FAR BE IT FROM THEE- THIS SHALL NOT BE.

Peter wanted to save the LORD from His future.

Jesus was TELLING them the TRUTH.

Jesus was TELLING them FACTS.

Jesus wasn't telling the things that MIGHT happen. Jesus wasn't throwing the ideas out there looking for solutions. Plainly He was making a revelation, a prophecy of His own future.  Why would Peter even think for a moment that He could in any way alter what Jesus was telling them? Simply because He hated the idea of Jesus suffering and dying, He made the very rash statement, He rebuked the Lord.

Just imagine Peter hearing Jesus' response to what He thought were words of undeniable love and concern.

Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

Peter was called SATAN!

Peter was told he was and OFFENCE to Jesus- the very One he believed he was showing adamant, unfailing, unwavering, undeniable love for.

Peter was told that he SAVOREST NOT the THINGS that BE OF GOD- but the things that be of MEN.

He was called SATAN not because he savored things of Satan, but things of MEN. Think about that for a moment, a long moment.

Peter did NOT truly desire in that moment for God's will to be done, but rather His own will. He believed- like we believe that, any sort of suffering is to be shunned. The suffering of loved ones, our own suffering, all of it is to be abhorred and to say otherwise makes us monsters in our own eyes.

How can we look upon the suffering of another and not despise it?  When we do despise it are we doing so through God's will or our own. Surely, God hates suffering, we know it will all end one day, that He wants it to end.  Yet until that day we are called to suffer the sacrifice of self and all involved in self.  We are to seek God's will and God's will only.  Peter was not seeking God's will, but His own. He couldn't stand the idea of an innocent suffering. He couldn't stand the thought of the Savior being killed.  He loved HIM and didn't want Him in any sort of pain, and He didn't want Him to die. HE DID NOT WANT THIS TO TAKE PLACE.  HE DID NOT WANT.  And because He did not want- Jesus called Him - Satan.

Truly we are to place ALL our desires, ALL our wants in God's will and NOT presume to know better than God knows.  We may see suffering and heartache beyond our imagining and still we will NOT know better than the will of God. And so many believe that a God who loves cannot allow suffering and heartache.  The same God who allowed His own innocent Son to suffer and die.  God with God agreeing to the suffering and death in order to assure the eventual end to all suffering.

More tomorrow on all of this, by the GRACE of our SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, now and forever!