Get Behind Me satan--part 1

[trukinlady]

Get Behind Me satan
By Jack Kelley

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (Mark 8:31-33)

In Matthew’s version of this exchange we can read what Peter said to cause such a strong response. His reaction to the Lord’s prophecy had been, “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” (Matt. 16:22). It was an emotional statement, made on the spur of the moment out of a desire to protect the Lord from harm, and spoken with pure motives. You or I might have said something like, “Over my dead body!”
Although the Lord’s response was strong in the extreme it wasn’t off the top of His head like Peter’s had been. Remember, Jesus could not say anything on His own. Instead, He explained, “Whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say” (John 12:50).

Was Jesus saying that no matter how well intended or pure of motive, if what we say doesn’t conform to the will of God, but instead reflects the desires of men, then it’s really from Satan? Let’s find out.
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:14).

During their time with the Lord, the disciples often seemed like they just didn’t get it. More than once, He appeared to have exhausted His patience with them. Matt. 15:1-20 is a good example. Some Pharisees had criticized Jesus because the disciples didn’t perform the traditional ceremonial hand washing before eating. Jesus responded by pointing out instances where their traditions contradicted God’s Law. He called them hypocrites and said it’s not what goes into a man’s mouth that makes him unclean, but what comes out of it. When the disciples told Him the Pharisees were offended by His comments, Jesus told them a parable about the blind leading the blind.
Peter didn’t understand and asked Jesus to explain the parable. “Are you still so dull?” Jesus exclaimed, and then told them how things that go into our mouth go to our stomach and then out of our body, but things that come out of our mouth come from our heart, and include evil thoughts of all kinds. These are what make us unclean, He said, not eating food with unwashed hands.
And in the very next chapter of Matthew, they completely misunderstood His reference to the “yeast” of the Pharisees. Although He had recently created enough bread out of thin air to feed multitudes of people, they thought He was saying they didn’t bring any bread.
Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Matt. 16:8-12)

Even after the resurrection, some did not understand. On the road to Emmaus after listening to two disciples sorrowfully recounting the events that culminated in His crucifixion, Jesus said, “How foolish you are and slow to comprehend all the prophets have spoken.” While they walked along together He explained all the Old Testament prophecies concerning His death and resurrection (Luke 24:13-27).
Then we learn that the disciples didn’t receive the Holy Spirit until the evening that followed the Lord’s resurrection (John 20:22). Even three years of daily teaching by the Lord Himself couldn’t substitute for this gift. Peter’s sermons in Acts 2:14-41 and Acts 3:11-26 show the remarkable difference the Holy Spirit can make in a person.

From this we can see that it shouldn’t surprise us when unbelievers can’t understand God’s word. After all we couldn’t understand it before we became believers either. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the person with the Holy Spirit will immediately understand all the things of God, and automatically yield his or her will to the will of God like the disciples did. It means that unlike non-believers we have been given the potential to understand the things of God and follow his will for us. But to realize this potential we have to allow the Spirit of God to retrain our minds.
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephes. 4:22-24)
Paul made it clear that this is something we have to decide to do. We have to put off our old self, that’s been steeped in the ways of the world, and put on our new self, the new creation we became when we accepted the Lord’s death as payment for our sins (2 Cor. 5:17). We have to be made new in the attitude of our mind.

An attitude is simply a habit of thought. As non-believers we all developed habits in the way we think. We acquired them from exposure to the world around us, and since the whole world is under the control of the evil one (1 John 5:19), many of the attitudes we formed are in opposition to the things of God, and they didn’t go away just because we became believers.

We have to make a choice to exchange our old worldly attitudes for new Godly ones. And even with the indwelling Holy Spirit, this takes time and it takes practice. Remember, He’s only here to guide us into all truth (John 16:13), not to control us. That’s why He’s called the counselor instead of the commander. We still have to make the choice to allow Him to change the way we think. The reason so many believers today still live the same way and want the same things as they did before they were saved is they haven’t made this choice, and therefore the Holy Spirit can’t change them (Matt. 13:22).
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2-4)

Offering our body as a living sacrifice means choosing to live in a manner pleasing to God in gratitude for the priceless gift of salvation. Renewing our mind means rejecting any worldly attitudes that aren’t consistent with God’s word and replacing them with those that are.
In 1 Cor. 6:19-20 Paul reminded us that we are no longer our own, but have been bought at a price. According to 1 Peter 1:18-19, that price was not silver or gold but the precious blood of Christ, and when we agreed with God to let it constitute payment in full for our sins, He put His seal of ownership on us and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Cor. 1:22). We belong to Him now, and nothing can change that.

The world tells us we’re free to choose what ever lifestyle, vocation, and world view we want. But Paul said to experience the full benefit of God’s will for us, we should not blindly conform to the world’s patterns, but instead should yield our lives to Him, and allow Him to give us the abundant life He desires for us (John 10:10). There’s no real sacrifice involved here, because when we delight ourself in the Lord, He will give us the desire of our heart (Psalm 37:4). Most people never realize their heart’s true desire, but sooner or later settle for much less. It’s only those who delight in Him who can look forward with assurance to getting it all.
Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:13-16)

So ultimately everything that’s not from God really is from Satan. Even the things of this world that we think we’ve freely chosen are really only an illusion, because if they’re not drawing us toward God they’re drawing us toward His enemy. There is no independent position. For example, do we really believe that by excluding God from our society we’ve gained more freedom for ourselves? Or does the evidence around us point to the conclusion that we’ve only acquired a different master, one who does not have our best interests at heart. Having abandoned God are we not conforming to the evil desires men had when they lived in ignorance of Him?

Look around you. Are we healthier? Are we happier? Are we more secure? Are our children better off? Can they look forward to a life of opportunity and promise? Can we trust our elected officials not to betray us? Have the prospects for the future improved? Is there any evidence at all that life is better in a society that’s breaking free of God? People ask me if I think it’s too late for the US, but I think a better question would be, “Is it too late for the world?”
King David had our day in view when he prophesied,
Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.
“Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.”
The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.” (Psalm 2:1-6)
While this prophecy will see its ultimate fulfillment in the Battle of Armageddon, it’s reasonable to conclude that the world is already in open rebellion against God. Can His wrath be far behind?

1 Peter 1:13-16 contains good advice for us upon whom the end of the age has come. We’re to prepare our minds for action, be self-controlled, and set our hope fully on the grace to be given us when Jesus Christ is revealed. To me this means get ready to leave, don’t panic, and trust in the Lord’s promise to rescue us before His wrath comes crashing down (1 Thes. 1:10).
We’re to turn away from the evil desires of this world and be holy, as the One who called us is holy, not depending on the world to somehow right itself without God, but staying focused on His plan for our future instead.

Remember, holiness is not a function of behavior, it’s a function of purpose. To be holy is to be set apart for God, and the clear message of the Bible is that God’s people are to be set apart from the world. We’re not to conform to its ways (Romans 12:2) or be deceived by its promises (Matt. 13:22) or store up its treasures (Matt. 6:19). We’ve been redeemed from the world and set apart for Him. Although for a little while we’re still in the world, we’re not of the world (John 18:36). Our citizenship is in Heaven (Phil. 3:20) and our destiny is to dwell there. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Cor. 4:18). Anything less is not having in mind the things of God but the things of men.

Get Behind Me Satan, Part 1 | GraceThruFaith

 

[trukinlady]

By Jack Kelley

Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matt. 16:23)

In part one of this study we learned that Jesus was telling the disciples about His upcoming ordeal in Jerusalem where He would suffer many things at the hands of the chief priests and teachers of the law culminating in His death and resurrection. Peter had taken Him aside and rebuked Him. “Never Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” (Matt. 16:22).
This resulted in the Lord’s sharp command to “Get behind me Satan.”

We spoke about forming new attitudes (Ephes 4:22-24) having our minds renewed (Romans 12:1-2) and turning away from evil desires (1 Peter 1:13-14) which are things we’re all called to do. But don’t make the mistake so many make in thinking they only apply to removing the sin from our lives. Peter was not committing some grievous sin when the Lord rebuked him. He only had in mind the things of men instead of the things of God.

The phrase things of men refers to things we normally don’t count among our sins. These things can include patriotism, good works, ecumenism, self determination, self reliance, personal achievement and others.

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death (Prov. 14:12)

It was natural for Peter to want to protect the Lord from what was coming. They’d been constant companions for over three years and in addition to knowing that Jesus was the promised Messiah of Israel, Peter had developed a genuine affection for Him. He even said he would die before disowning the Lord (Matt. 26:35) and stood alone with drawn sword against several dozen trained soldiers, intending to prevent His arrest (John 18:10). Had Peter had his way, he would have kept them from taking the Lord and would have whisked Him away to safety instead. Any able bodied man would have felt the same way.

In Matthew’s account of the Lord’s arrest, we see the difference between the things of God and the things of men clearly revealed.

“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” (Matt. 26:52-54)

Jesus was not in any danger, as Peter supposed, but was obeying the will of God. The events of that night and the following day had all been fore ordained, and while He could have stopped them at anytime, Jesus had agreed in advance to allow them to happen. It was the only way mankind could have a hope of salvation. Peter’s well intended defense was contrary to God’s will and would have only resulted in his own death.

One best-selling author of historical novels suggested that Judas might have had good intentions as well. This author speculated that Judas had convinced himself that the contention between Jesus and the religious authorities was just a misunderstanding. Unlike the other disciples Judas was from a well connected family in Jerusalem and knew some of these leaders. He believed they were sincere and if he could just get Jesus to sit down and talk with them he was sure they could resolve their differences. The author said this was the motive that led to his act of betrayal. It seemed like the only way to arrange a meeting between them. Afterward he realized his mistake and was filled with remorse. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood” (Matt. 27:4).

Of course we don’t know for sure what his motives were, but it’s not an unreasonable assumption. Judas could simply have had in mind the things of men, things like discussion, accommodation, and compromise. And Satan could have used his desires to tempt him into betraying the Lord.

James said that God doesn’t tempt us, but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. He said desire gives birth to sin and sin gives birth to death (James 1:13-15). It’s an adaptation of Proverbs 14:12 and tells us even honorable intentions can lead us into sin if they’re based on the things of man rather than the things of God.

Remain In Me

Jesus warned us to remain in Him. He said if we do we will bear much fruit, but apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:4-5). We know He wasn’t talking about our salvation. In the first place salvation is not a fruit bearing event. And earlier Jesus had said once we’re saved no one can take us out of His hands (John 10:27-30). The phrase “no one” includes us. Paul said having been saved, we are no longer our own, but have been bought at a price (1 Cor. 6:19-20) and God has set His seal of ownership on us guaranteeing what is to come (2 Cor. 1:21-22). We couldn’t get away if we wanted to.

No, Jesus was talking about remaining in His will. Remaining in His will requires that we yield our life to him. We stop conforming to the pattern of this world and allow ourselves to be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:1-2). When we’re in His will we can be fruitful, but when we’re out of His will we can’t accomplish anything of value to the kingdom. And don’t forget, when we yield our life to Him He’ll give us the desire of our heart (Psalm 37:4). He said He came so we could have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). It’s a win-win deal.

This is another slant on the things of man versus the things of God. When we’re in His will we’re doing things at His direction and in His strength. We’re doing the things of God, and no matter how miniscule the results seem to us, in His eyes they’re like gold, silver and precious gems.

But when we’re out of His will we’re acting on our own initiative and in our own strength. That means we’re doing the things of man and no matter how much we think we’ve accomplished, in God’s eyes the results are like wood hay and straw (1 Cor. 3:12-13). That’s because the things of man work to Satan’s benefit and are of no more value to the kingdom than the branches that are pruned, thrown into the fire, and burned (John 15:6).

So Much For Good Intentions

If even good intentions can be used to lead us into sin how are we supposed to know the difference between the things of God and the things of man? The Bible shows us several ways. First, the presence of the Holy Spirit gives us the power of discernment. (As we’ve already seen, Peter lacked this power since he hadn’t received the Holy Spirit yet.) Sometimes this discernment comes in the form of a “check” in our spirit. It’s a warning from the Holy Spirit to stop and think and often manifests itself as a lack of peace about a decision we’ve made or a direction we’re heading.

Other times we can tell something is not of God because it’s in conflict with what we know about God’s word. Paul described this in Acts 17:11, warning us to search the Scriptures to see if what we’re hearing is consistent with God’s word.

In 2 Cor 10:3-5 he explained this in greater detail. He wrote,

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

This is where our knowledge of God’s word is so important. A stronghold is a strongly held belief. If it’s contrary to our knowledge of God it’s part of the old self Paul told us to put off as we’re being made new in the attitude of our mind (Ephesians 4:22-24).

Depending On God

Here’s an example. For many, self reliance is a strongly held belief, sometimes expressed in an effort to store up money and goods against an uncertain future. But is it contrary to our knowledge of God? Time after time the Bible argues against self reliance. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3). Are little children self reliant? Where our salvation is concerned, are we not to rely totally on the completed work of Christ instead of trying to work our own way in? (Ephes. 2:8-9).

And did Jesus encourage us to store up treasure on Earth, or did He specifically speak against it?

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt. 6:19-21).

And didn’t Jesus call the rich farmer a fool for tearing down his “small” barn to build a bigger one to hold all his excess? (Luke 12:16-21) The Lord knew that once you begin storing up for the future, enough is never enough.

No. He told us not to worry about these things, but to seek His Kingdom and His righteousness and all our needs would be met. (Matt. 6: 31-33).

The attitude of self reliance is a stronghold. It’s part of the old self we’ve been told to put off, and it sets itself up against the knowledge of God. We are to take it captive and make it obedient to Christ, and the way we do that is to obey His teaching. He said not to worry about the future (Matt. 6:34) but instead to give generously to those in need because God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor.9:6-7). He said doing so is the best way to insure we will always have more than enough for ourselves (2 Cor. 9:11). Choosing to obey Him is how we’re made new in the attitude of our mind.

Becoming A Monarchist

A well known Bible teacher was once asked if he is a Republican or a Democrat. “Neither” he replied. “I’m a monarchist, and I await my coming King.”

Another example of the things of man is patriotism, especially among Americans. For reasons I don’t understand I woke up one morning recently with the words to “My Country Tis Of Thee” running through my mind. After I had mentally sung them, I followed up with “America the Beautiful” and finally “The Star Spangled Banner”. There were tears in my eyes as I was struck anew at the depth of the love I have for my country. For a brief moment the fact that the America I fell in love with is not the America that exists today was irrelevant. I will freely admit that this love is a stronghold in my mind.

But the thought that America on its best day could compete with the future God has planned for those who love Him is a pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and I had to remind myself that this was a part of my old self, the one I’ve put off in the process of being made new in the attitude of my mind (Ephes. 4:22-24).

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:13-14).

When I became a believer I became child of God (John 1:12) and a citizen of Heaven (Phil. 3:20), part of a kingdom that resides temporarily in this world but is not of this world (John 18:36). At that time I made a choice to seek His Kingdom and His righteousness because no man can serve two masters. And though I treasure the memories I have of growing up in America, I know they are only part of my temporary life here. I will not let them cloud the vision God has given me of the Kingdom He has in store for us, because that life will last for eternity (2 Cor. 4:18). I don’t want to return to the past. I want to be taken into the glorious future He promised us.

I chose these two examples because they’re currently popular in our national thinking. We have neither the time nor the space here to explore all the things of men that have formed our attitudes of mind. But if we follow Paul’s direction in Romans 12:1-2 we’ll be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good and pleasing and perfect will. Then we’ll each be able to distinguish between the things of God and the things of man in our own life, and we’ll be able to say to the things of man that continue to occupy our thoughts, “Get behind me Satan, you’re a stumbling block to me.”

Get Behind Me Satan, Conclusion | GraceThruFaith