"Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you return to Me, strengthen your brethren.” (v.31-32)
The strength of our faith can be judged by our ability to regroup after a defeat. Setbacks can cause us to either fall away or to return to our faith even stronger. They allow us to show our underlying commitment to Christ. Our Lord's words to Simon Peter suggest this. Jesus knew Peter was about to trip over his own self-confidence and zeal. He knew that Peter, who said he was willing to die for his Lord (v.33), would soon deny Him.
The beauty of Christ's response to Peter's denial was that He saw beyond it, to the disciple's repentance. He assured Peter that He had prayed his faith would not fail (v.32). In essence, Jesus was saying, "An attack is coming, I have prayed for you, although you will stumble, you will return to Me." This experience in Peter's life can encourage all of us. We have the advantage of Christ's work and prayers on our behalf, and this gives us the confidence that He Himself sustains us. We too can be useful again to Him, even after a hard fall.
A spiritual reversal should not cause us to give up. It's the "return" of our faith and His forgiveness that are all-important.
The Truth: “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)
