Jesus The Christ

Honoring or dishonoring the anointing and the “Anointed One.”

Luke 4:16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."
20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." 22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?"
23 He said to them, "You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.'" 24 Then He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; 26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."
28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. 30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way. NKJV

The people that heard Jesus read the scripture concerning Himself as the Christ or The Anointed One, went from awe and amazement, to disbelief and denial, to rage and attempted murder all in a matter of a few minutes. When they heard his gracious words they were amazed and they bore witness with Him, but as soon as their natural reasoning kicked in they could only see Joseph’s son standing there. They allowed the flesh and blood of Jesus to over rule what they sensed in their hearts a few moments earlier.

One day Jesus asked His disciples, Matt 16:15 "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. NKJV

A revelation of the Christ will not come through looking at flesh and blood but by hearing the heart of the Father. Those who heard Jesus speaking in the temple that day were hearing from heaven, but as soon as their antennas were tuned back to earth they lost sight of the Christ. When Jesus saw their minds turning away in disbelief He said that a prophet is not honored or accepted in his own country. Wherever there is familiarity it is hard to see beyond the flesh and blood. One of the most amazing parts of the gospel accounts is how these people went from being in awe at His words, to attempted murder in a matter of a few moments. Israel had a history of rejecting the prophets of God and Jesus knew He would be treated the same way. Even though they were in awe at Him for a moment they followed in the footsteps of their forefathers.

There were many widows in the land of Israel during the time of Elijah when there was no rain for three and a half years, and great famine was in the land; but Elijah was sent to none of them. Instead he was sent to a widow in Zarephath. There were also many lepers in the land of Israel during the days of Elisha and none of them were cleansed except Naaman the Syrian. Jesus emphasized the affect of Israel’s lack of honor toward those anointed and sent by God. They had to go outside of Israel to find someone who would receive their ministry.

On another occasion recorded in Matthew 13, Jesus was unable to do mighty works in His own country because they were too familiar with Him and His family. Again they allowed the flesh and blood of Jesus to disqualify Him as the anointed one. Jesus comes to us today in the flesh and blood of those He has called and chosen to carry on His ministry. Let’s not do as they did and dishonor the anointing by not receiving the package it comes to us in.


The anointing can cause offence. Jesus said in Matthew 11:6
“And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." NKJV
John being in prison, sent a messenger to Jesus to ask if He was the “One” they had been waiting for or if they should continue looking for another. Jesus did not answer yes or no, but He pointed to the miraculous works of the anointing. He closes His statement with

“And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."

Many were offended at Him and His words. They could not get past His humanity to see God at work.

The anointing also destroys the yoke of bondage. Jesus came to set the captive free. Bondage comes in many forms; sin, sickness, disease and infirmities, and even religious bondages are broken by the anointing. Probably the greatest opposition Jesus encountered came from the religious people. They hated Him because He set people free from their control and released people from their power.

Is it possible we could be suffering some of the same affects in the church today as Israel did because of a lack of recognizing and honoring the anointing? Are we looking at the flesh and blood that Jesus the Christ chooses to show up in? Have we grown up and become familiar with a Jesus who did no miracles in our midst?

I remember back in the early 1950’s there were several well known evangelists with powerful healing ministries. At that time I had not yet given my life to Christ but I remember overhearing Christians explaining away the miraculous claims of healings reported in their meetings. One report of a person who was healed then later lost it, proved to them that the healing was never real to begin with. Though there has been much growth and maturity in the church since then, we still constantly hear reports about all the miracles that take place in Africa and other far away places, yet not in America? It could be compared to Jesus’ home town, where He was only able to heal a few sick folks because of the prevailing unbelief and lack of honor for the anointing.

Matt 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'" NKJV

Overcoming Addiction

An addiction is a compulsive, physical need for a habit forming substance. An addict is one who is given to, devoted to, or obsessed with something habitually.

Though we are all born sinners and unable to meet God’s standard of righteousness, we are not usually born addicted to something like drugs or alcohol. These addictions come as a result of our searching for something to fill the void that sin leaves in the human heart. Addictions come in all shapes, sizes and colors. We can be addicted to anything that we choose to give ourselves to, even to good, God given things like food, drink or our possessions. It is our desire for instant gratification that makes us vulnerable to addictive things.

Addiction is a form of idolatry. Anything that we allow to have power over us or to take the place of God in our lives is an idol. Worship is surrender, to give controlling power to God or to other gods. We may not realize it but, hidden behind physical idols or objects of worship, is a spiritual being of the enemy. Since the fall of Satan, his goal has been to cause those who were designed to worship God, to instead worship him. Satan knows the weakness of human flesh and uses addictive substances to gain power and control over us.

Though we are alive in this world, true abundant life is only found in God. Jesus said in John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. NKJV

Our enemy’s goal is to steal, kill and destroy what God has made and called good. Satan cunningly appeals to our emptiness with things that look good and promise to satisfy but are perverted and poisoned with sin and death. Our flesh is not eternal. It is made from the dust of the earth. Our flesh has nothing to lose by giving in to its own cravings because it is destined to return to the dust. Our spirit and soul are eternal and can not afford to allow our flesh to lead us into destruction.

If the good news of the gospel is that Jesus has destroyed the power of the enemy, why is it that our enemy still has such power over us? The answer lies in the death to our flesh. Jesus has provided a way for us to put off the old man of flesh and put on the new man which is fashioned after Christ. The problem is, it does not happen automatically: it is a lifelong walk. We must daily take up our cross and follow after Jesus to become His disciples. Our flesh man will not take this lying down, but will put on whatever disguise necessary to stay alive. From my own experience, the most common disguise is religion. He will try real hard to be good so as to not be put off or hung on the cross.

I am convinced that all sinners are addicts. Many addictions are easier to hide and are even accepted as a normal way of life. The solution to all addictions is the same: we must become like Christ. We must be partakers of the divine nature.

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. NKJV

Overcoming addiction is achieved in knowing Him and receiving the divine power of His nature. As a result, we will escape the corruption of this world that finds its way into our lives through our fleshly desires.

Though our own flesh can seem to be our worst enemy, our battle is spiritual. 2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,. NKJV

Addictions are strongholds in the fleshly mind that can only be pulled down by the power of God. There can be an instantaneous deliverance from the power of addictions, but if our thinking is not changed by the renewing of the mind, we will not overcome for the long haul. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Worship is surrender to the greater one. We become like the one we worship, either God or dumb idols of addiction.

Overcoming Performance

When I think of the word performance, my mind goes immediately to show business or some sort of stage production. It has the implication of acting out a role or script that was designed and written by someone other than the actor. It has to do with taking on a different identity or becoming someone else in order to fulfill the part in the script. It also implies that the actor is performing for the benefit or pleasure of others and not necessarily for himself.

Life, in general, can be like a big stage performance. We can get caught up in it and find our lives being directed by the latest trends and fashions. We want to be accepted and liked by others, so we allow the world to form and shape us into its mold. As Christians we are not to be conformed to the world, or to respond to its director, but we should be listening to the direction of the Holy Spirit.

It boils down to an identity issue. I think a lack of knowing who we are and what our purpose in life is lends to the ability of the world to direct the desires and passions of God’s people. The world’s definition of success can so affect us and cause to spend much of our lives trying to become someone we were never designed by God to be. I have a personal story that can help, to a degree, explain what I mean.

In 1971, I started my own contracting business as a plumber. I worked for several small home builders installing the plumbing in the homes they built. I had two or three friends who also began businesses around that time. Over a period of years, I would occasionally run across these friends and we would sort of talk shop and compare notes on the various pitfalls and rewards of being in business. One friend, in particular, had a fast growing business and became well known, with a good reputation. Every time I would hear his success stories, I would compare my own situation to his and wonder why I was coming up so far short of what he was able to do.

In the 1980’s there were a few Christian books written on the subject of success, which I read. I came away with even deeper feelings of defeat because I could not measure up to what others were defining as success. Comparing a business to a tree was one application to define success. A tree began as a sprout, and then a twig then soon begins to branch out with many limbs putting down deep roots. A tree is determined to be healthy if it continues to grow larger and cover more area. This type of analogy was used to define what a successful church, or a business, would look like. Basically, if it was not growing then it was dying out or, in other words, unsuccessful.

I determined by that definition that I was unsuccessful in business. At one point I tried growing the business but it became unmanageable for me. Through all these toils and snares, I one day realized I had bought into and was following the script of the world’s director. I was trying to fit a mold I was not destined for. I am not suggesting that my friend with the large, successful business was out of line, but I just realized that not everyone is equipped with the skills and talents to run a large business. I wanted to be considered successful but, by the world’s standard, I was not. I even bought into the idea that God saw me as unsuccessful.

It was not until about twenty five years later, when I felt directed by the Lord to close down my business to become available full time for His business, that I got the true picture. I had to notify the builders that I had worked for, some for nearly the whole twenty five years, that I was getting out of the business. In all the years I no idea what a success I had been. One after another they began to express their appreciation for the work I had done, saying that I was the most faithful subcontractor they had. I always did what I promised to do and when they needed it. They expressed their concern about finding someone as reliable to replace me.

It was also at that time when I sensed the Lord commending me. It was as if my good record and reputation was taken into consideration in His decision to call me into His service full time. He let me know that, in His eyes, I was very successful. The Lord does not measure success in the same way that man does. Size and the amount of territory one covers is quantity, but He measures by quality and integrity. We are only responsible to the degree we are gifted. Just as in the parable of the talents, the only one who was not rewarded was the servant who did nothing at all with the talent he was given. The other two servants were given talents in varying degrees and were both faithful with what they were trusted with. It was not the size of their accomplishments that earned reward; it was their faithfulness to use what they were given.

I had struggled for years to fit into a mold designed by the world. I was caught up in performance, trying to act a part that was not designed for me. I even strived to be pleasing to God because I allowed the world to define success. I tried to put on the identity of a successful business man, but it was not made for me. I realized later that all I needed was to be identified as a child of God. I was in performance mode, acting out the scenes designed by this world, but when I got on the right page with God, I realized my life was for an audience of One.

Ultimately God has written the script for each one of us. We must take off the identity of this world and put on our new identity in His Kingdom. This is accomplished without striving: it only requires surrender to His purpose and plan for our lives. We can only play the part He has designed us for; any other will leave us frustrated.

Knowing the truth sets us free. I was a slave to performance until I understood how God viewed my life. He saw me as a success based on my surrender to Him, not by how much I could do for Him.

Overcoming Religion

Often times when testifying to unbelievers about my salvation experience, they would say, “It sounds like you got religion.” I used to agree with that statement because, to me, that meant my salvation brought me into the Christian religion. But in more recent times I prefer to disassociate myself with that term because religion, to most people, means adhering to a set of rules in order to become acceptable to God. Most unbelievers do not see Christians as God’s family dwelling together in unity but in disagreement over how best to interpret all those rules. It is better to avoid the term religion and focus on being in a family relationship with God instead.

The many religions of the world center their focus on doing something in order to be accepted or to gain eternal rewards. Christianity was never intended to become a religion in that sense of the word. The central theme of the bible is about God’s plan to restore broken relationships, not broken rules. God gave us the commandments as laws to protect relationships, not to be the building blocks of a relationship. Relationships are formed through spending time with someone. God desires a family, having lots of sons and daughters. The idea that we must do something to be accepted by God is actually from a slave mentality. Religion is tailor made, and well suited, for those who have a slavery mentality. Because we were all born slaves to sin and the devil, it is easy to be deceived when he returns in a religious guise.

When I became a Christian many years ago, I got involved in church, along with other believers. I didn’t give a second thought as to whether or not I was being exposed to religious practices designed to neutralize my effectiveness in the world. When we do things religiously we often loose track of why we do them. We continue just because we have always done it that way. Someone once said that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. That is a fitting definition of religion as well. Religion lacks the personal relationship with God. It depends completely on what is written in scripture. Without that relationship, it is like reading someone else’s mail: it would be hard to understand and likely mean very little to us.

In order to overcome religion we must see it for what it is. We must be able to determine to what degree we are affected by it. Jesus often offended the religious people of His day because He exposed their hypocrisy. Religious spirits are at work among us: John calls them antichrists (See 1 John 2). Religious spirits not only oppose Christ but come to take the place of Christ, the anointed one. Religion lacks a true anointing. It is the anointing that breaks the yoke of slavery, so obviously these antichrist spirits want to come in with a counterfeit anointing, to neutralize or displace the true anointing. How do we spot a false anointing? Jesus read the following scripture passage concerning Himself and those who are called to the same ministry.

Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."
NKJV

In another place it is written, concerning Jesus. John the Baptist was in prison and about to loose his head. He was likely wondering if his mission of preparing the way for the Lord was accomplished.

Matt 11:2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3 and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"

4 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." NKJV

The anointing destroys the yoke of bondage. The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the dead are raised. These are signs of the anointing at work. If these signs are not following us and we tend to be offended by them, we are likely under the influence of a religious spirit. Religion hates the “Anointed One” because He breaks its power over people. Religion uses the neediness of people to control them, while the true anointing comes with the answer to those needs. Religion poses as the solution to every need but it is only an empty lifeless disguise.

Religion is of the world, but greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. Jesus said in John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
NKJV

Slavery to Debt

Proverbs 22:7 The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender. NKJV

1 Tim 6:9-10 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. NKJV

Those who set their sights on riches and material things position themselves for a fall. The enemy always takes advantage of our desires and lays a trap for us. If we love money more than we love God, it will always lead us astray.

The enemy is so deceitful that he will even use what appears good to snare us. I believe that the spirit of mammon will work together with a religious spirit to draw Christians into debt for a good cause so that God’s people will be in bondage. God’s people forfeit their inheritance through disobedience and enter, instead, into bondage.

Deut. 15:4 for the Lord will greatly bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance — 5 only if you carefully obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command you today. 6 For the Lord your God will bless you just as He promised you; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you. NKJV

It is our destiny to rule over cities and nations but, instead, we have fallen into bondage through financial debt and the love of money. God’s people should be in control of the money as lenders and not borrowers.

Deut. 28:9 "The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. 10 Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. 11 And the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. 12 The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. NKJV

God’s people are not to be slaves to any one, but servants of God only. Jesus said that a man can not serve two masters. He will either despise one and be true to the other, or he will be true to the one and despise the other. If God’s people are servants to the lenders, then are we trying to serve two masters? Jesus said this in the context of wealth. Slavery to wealth is not reserved for those who are in debt. The rich man that wanted to enter into God’s Kingdom was confronted with his love for riches. He was given a choice to either serve his wealth or God. He sadly chose wealth as his master. It was not financial debt that trapped him in slavery, but his love for riches. It is a good thing to love your master; it just better be the right one. The rich man’s love for wealth became a snare that prevented him from serving God.

It is natural for us to become so used to our environment that we can not tell if something is missing or broken. Financial indebtedness is so common place in America that it has become almost as natural as breathing. Our dependency has shifted from God to money. If we were half as dependent upon getting a hold of God as we are about getting more money, we would be much better off.

According to the scriptures in Deuteronomy, there is a definite connection between our obedience to God’s commands and our influence in this world. We have become impotent and ineffective in this world due to being lured into slavery. A slave has no inheritance in God’s plan. The strategy of the enemy is to keep those who would otherwise have authority and dominion over him, in bondage and in slavery. Slavery comes in many forms other than wealth, but because riches, in themselves, are not evil like some other addicting vices, it is more deceitful and adaptable to religion.

Modern Day Slavery

John 8:34-36

34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. NIV

All who are born into this earth are born as slaves to sin for all have sinned. (See Romans 3:23) One of sin’s greatest deceptions is that sometimes it appears righteous.

There was a man who came to Jesus asking; "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" 17 So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." 18 He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 19'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
20 The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?" 21 Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Matthew 18: 16-22 NKJV

The rich man was totally focused on doing good things. He wanted Jesus to tell him which good deed was the magic bullet that would assure him of a place in God’s eternal kingdom. He was likely hoping Jesus would point to some good thing that he had done, or tell him what he could do, to enter into life. When Jesus began to run through the list of commandments I can imagine his hopes rising, yet there seemed to be a nagging lack of assurance. Then Jesus put his finger right on the very problem. "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

The rich man searched for fulfillment in wealth and possessions, yet his apparent emptiness caused him to come to Jesus. The Lord gave him the cure for lack of fulfillment but he chose to hold on and trust in earthly things. He could not trust in the promise of God above the things of this visible world. It proved that wealth was his master. Wealth is not evil in it self but it can become our slave master. Religion, in the same way, can be perverted to be nothing more than a cover for sin.

Sin will try to hide under a cover of good deeds. Jesus taught that sin begins in the heart and He used murder and adultery as examples. Matt 5:21 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. NKJV

In effect, Jesus was saying that the sin of anger is just as deadly as the act of murder. We rationalize it away because we did not commit the act, but who can argue with God? He is the only one who can truly define sin.

Again Jesus speaks of adultery; Matthew 5:27-29 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. NKJV


Recognizing Slavery

When Jesus spoke of the Son making them free, some in His audience were offended at His words. He was basically calling them slaves that needed to be set free.

John 8:33 They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, 'You will be made free'?" NKJV

Not all who are actual descendants of Abraham are free from slavery: only those who trust and believe God’s promises, as did Abraham. Abraham believed that God would raise up a deliverer, the Messiah, to remove the sins of the people. There were some that claimed Abraham as their father but did not act at all like him. They were of their father, the devil, looking for opportunity to kill Jesus, the very deliverer that Abraham believed would come.

Slavery cloaks itself in a religious robe of good works but on the inside there is hatred, anger and a murdering spirit. These religious people were slaves to sin while claiming to be servants of God.

The only escape from slavery is to have a new father. We must be born again into the family of God. We become sons and daughters who remain in the Father’s house forever. Through the new birth we obtain a new inheritance. We inherit a righteous nature in place of the old sinful one. Freedom from slavery to sin comes by obeying our new master. We are no longer slaves to sin but servants of righteousness.

Don't Tempt Me

Matt 6:13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. NKJV

We could say it as follows: “Lead us away and help us avoid tempting circumstances and deliver us from the evil one.” God does not tempt us with sin but He will allow our faith to be tested.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. NKJV

When Jesus was praying in the garden just prior to His arrest, He returned twice to where His disciples were.

Matt 26:40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." NKJV

Watching can help keep us aware of the snares of the enemy.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. NKJV

Our enemy knows our weaknesses and waits for opportunity to tempt us in the area of that weakness. Trusting in our own will power and human strength makes us prey to the roaring lion. Faith is trusting in the strength and will of God even if it seems contrary to human reasoning.

God does not tempt us with sin but He will allow our faith to be tested.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. NKJV

We endure temptation through faith believing that, even though our flesh might fail and fall into sin, faith will cause us to endure knowing that God’s grace is greater than our sin. The process of enduring temptation may include some failures but, as long as we do not forsake our faith and trust in God, He will cause us to be triumphant. This process is to test or prove our faith. Faith is not defined by sinless perfection but by trusting in God to complete the work He has begun in us. As long as we confess and forsake our sin, He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Jesus surely knew the weakness of Peter’s flesh and thus warned him to watch and pray lest he would fall into temptation. Our prayer time is much more than words or requests. It is a time when we are sober and vigilant, watching out for the enemy’s traps. Peter may have been a bit too confident in his own ability to stand beside Jesus even unto death. Jesus maintained mastery over His flesh, surrendering to the will of His father in the garden, but Peter and the others were sleeping.

It appears that Satan, having observed Peter’s extreme self confidence, then asked for the right to test him, or sift him as wheat, in order to prove if he would actually stand by Jesus unto death. Any time we make such a bold statement in self confidence we may be inviting a challenge of the enemy to try to prove us wrong.

Luke 22:31And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren." 33 But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death." 34 Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”

By the time Peter wrote his first epistle he had gone through a lot of enduring and humbling and is well able to give us advice that will strengthen us.


1 Peter 5:5-11 Submit to God, Resist the Devil

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble."

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. NKJV

If pride led to Peter’s fall and denial of Christ, then God was likely resisting him instead of imparting grace to him. Therefore prayer is a good way to be clothed with a humility that resists or repels the devil. James says “resist the devil steadfast in the faith.” We all suffer temptation in this world but only through faith will we endure testing and overcome. God will establish, strengthen and perfect us through our suffering. He will build us on the firm foundation of Christ and He will get all the glory forever and ever Amen.