Tuesday, March 19, 2013
John 18:10-11 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"
FIGHT THE PROPER ENEMY
When Jesus was arrested, Peter was quick to put up a fight. He was ready to go after those who had come out to take hold of his Master by force. It is nice that Peter was willing to stand up for Jesus (later he wasn't so willing), unfortunately he was fighting the wrong enemy.
The words of the Apostle Paul help us to understand who the real enemy was in Gethsemane (Ephesians 6:11): "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Peter had failed to realize that the enemy he really needed to watch out for was the devil. Jesus had even warned His friend earlier that Satan wanted to sift him as wheat (Luke 22:31), but the enemies Peter saw were the soldiers with their lanterns, clubs, and torches (John 18:3).
Sometimes we fail to see where the real battle lines have been drawn too and we begin to fight the wrong enemy. We go to battle against poverty, hunger, or any number of other "causes" that interest us and get so tied up in them that we lose sight of the fact that the real fight is for our souls. Satan wants to sift us as wheat too. He wants to destroy our simple trust in Jesus Christ. It is against him that we must be on our guard. Our real fight is against the spiritual forces of evil, of temptation, of things that can lead us away from Jesus.
Thankfully for Peter and for us, the Savior knew who the real enemy was that night. He had Satan in His sights all the way-- and He took the battle to Him like nobody else could. On the cross our Lord became a curse for all of us, suffering for our sins and thereby destroying the devil's ability to accuse us before God. Satan's plan to drag us to into hell came all unraveled when Jesus said, "It is finished." Forgiven of our guilt and wearing the robe of Christ's own righteousness, our old evil foe has been conquered.
