And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. (Luke 22:31-32)
A person who is born again by the Spirit of God has been made free from the penalty and stronghold of sin. We were once enslaved by sin; it controlled our every action. Praise God, Christ has made us free!
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. (Romans 6:17-18)
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin…If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (John 8: 32, 34, 36)
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. (Romans 6:22)
However, this does not mean we will not face the temptation to sin. Even Christ, while in the wilderness, was tempted by Satan. The Bible also tells us that we will sin, even though we are saved.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us…If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:8, 10)
The important matter is how we handle temptation and how we react after sinning. Scripture commands we flee temptation and pursue the things of Christ.
Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22)
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; (1 Peter 2:11)
Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. (Psalm 34:13-14)
When we sin, as Christians, we are to repent and confess our sins to God. He promises that He will forgive us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
Knowing that a great temptation to commit sin lies within each of us and that many of us often give in to such temptation, let us highlight a specific Scripture passage that teaches us what we can do to help in this area.
In Luke 22, we find Jesus and the disciples gathering for the last supper. The Lord revealed many things to His disciples during that special meal. Jesus revealed to Peter that before daybreak, he (Peter) would deny the Lord three times. This would be a great trial for Peter. He would be committing a great sin – denial of Christ.
This was also a turning point for Peter. He could repent and seek forgiveness (as he would do) or become embittered against God and live for himself. What made Peter turn to the Lord? We cannot doubt that Peter’s love for the Lord had much to do with it. As with King David, Peter was a man after God’s own heart. However, the passage itself gives a more likely reason for why Peter repents and proceeds to serve the Lord.
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. (Luke 22:31-32)
Jesus prayed for Peter. He prayed that Peter’s faith would withstand the coming trial. Think about it: If we know all Christians will face temptation and will struggle with sin, what are we doing about it in the meantime?
The solution Christ presents is to pray for our fellow Christians. Pray that when sin is at the door, Christians can resist; that when fellow brothers and sisters stumble, they will be able to stand up straight and walk forward; and pray that when Christians are living in sin, they will listen to the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit.
How many Christians have fallen by the wayside and stayed there, in large part, because we did not pray for them? How many Christians have given up on serving God because we did not care enough to pray that their faith would not fail?
The Lord prayed that when Peter repented of his sin he would “strengthen thy brethren.” Peter would bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to an untold number. His books of First and Second Peter encouraged Christians struggling under persecution, and they continue to help Christians to this day.
Let us resolve to pray more often for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Only God knows what could happen in the life of a person who gives his life back to Him.
Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: (1 Samuel 12:23)
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; (Romans 1:9)
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ephesians 6:18)
For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; (Colossians 1:9)
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Trinity Baptist Church holds monthly prayer meetings on the third Wednesday evening of each month at 7:00 PM. Click here for more information on our Wednesday evening services.