17/07/2026
17TH JULY, 2026
BEYOND POWERS AND PRINCIPALITIES: REBUKE SATAN AND NOT HUMANS.
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Matthew 16:21-23 NIV.
Before Jesus came to the earth, scriptures have confirmed the purpose of his earthly sojourn. About 700 years before his birth, prophet Isaiah had prophesied his mission, and his substitutionary death. Isaiah 53:3 -5 says: "He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed". Jesus pivots His ministry to explicitly teach His disciples about His impending suffering, death, and resurrection. He was fully focused on the brevity of his mission to safe humanity by dying on the cross. The scripture says: "From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life". Matthew 16:21 NIV. However, his disciples' expectations of their beloved master and teacher was to live and reign like other earthly rulers.
Peter instantly rebuked Him out of a desire for a triumphant, worldly Messiah. Unlike His disciples, Jesus knew that the cross was not a tragic accident, but a resolute necessity to fulfill God's redemptive plan. Peter loved Jesus and could not reconcile the concept of a suffering, dying Messiah with his deeply held view of a political, victorious king. Peter, who was just praised in verse 18 as the "rock" upon which the church would be built, now unwittingly acts as a stumbling block to the very foundation of Christianity. Peter takes Jesus "aside" and rebukes Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall never happen to You!" Jesus knew that Peter was not the one speaking but satan. Rather than condemning Peter, Jesus rebuked satan who was speaking through him. Jesus turns to Peter and says, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me..." While Peter is likely not demon-possessed in this moment, he acted as an adversary by tempting Jesus to bypass the cross and the salvation of humanity. At that point, Peter was not mindful of the things of God, but the things of the world. Jesus knew that satan will naturally cause humans to gravitate towards self-preservation and earthly glory. Peter was not His adversary but satan. We must learn to rebuke satan rather than our perceived enemies.
PRAYER
1. Holy Spirit, purify my heart to know the appearance and activity of satan posing as angel of light. Teach me to understand the cost of true discipleship, and align myself with kingdom' work.
2. Lord Jesus, expose to me the way and manner that satan will naturally cause humans to gravitate towards self-preservation and pursuit of earthly glory. Eternity shall be my daily focus.
3. Thank you Lord Jesus because you knew before you came to the earth that the cross was not a tragic accident, but a resolute necessity to fulfill God's redemptive plan for humanity.
