THE DESIRE OF SATAN.  He is our adversary.  As such, he wants to harm us in any way he can.  He does not have free range, though.  He can do only what God allows.  In this passage Jesus said Satan “desired,” which means he asked God for permission to move against the disciples.

    It is interesting to note that he wanted to harm all of the disciples.  “You” is a plural pronoun.  In our part of the country we would say “You all” (or Y’all.)  “Satan hath desired to have you all.”  Not one was left out.  He is the enemy of every Christian.  He desires to have every Christian, that he may test the reality of our faith - (“that he may sift you as wheat”).  We know he cannot touch our eternal salvation, but he can certainly mess up our lives if he can enlist us in his world and its ways.

    Every Christian needs to be alert to the danger that Satan poses.

    THE SELECTION OF PETER.  When Jesus said, “But I have prayed for thee,” He used the singular pronoun.  He was speaking of one person, Peter.  In praying for Peter in the time of testing, He placed special emphasis on him.  Why Peter?  I don’t know.  Possibly because he was weak.  Possibly because He knew what potential Peter had.

    The important thing to note is that while Satan desires all of us, God singles out some of us for special attention.  He not only knows our weaknesses and our strengths, but He has a plan which requires our participation in the time of testing.  There is a point to the test.  There is a purpose in what God is allowing to happen.

    THE INSTRUCTION OF JESUS.  Now we come to the heart of the matter.  There is no question that Peter will make it.  After all, Jesus had prayed for him.  He will make it through the test, and the test will change him - (“when thou art converted”).  Converted means changed.  He was already a believer.  But now he will be a different kind of man because of what he has gone through.

    So Jesus gives him instructions:  “Strengthen thy brethren.”  Peter will have gone through the fire and been strengthened.  Jesus wants him to share his experience and the change in his life to help the others.  Instead of saying, “I think this will help,”  he can say, “I know this will help,” because it is part of his experience.

    In effect, Jesus is saying to Peter, “Don’t waste your troubles.  Use them to help others.”

    Could He be saying that to you?