"And the Lord said, 'Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you that he may sift you as wheat.' "
Luke 22:31
The sifting process involves shaking as in a sieve. Satan wants to shake the believer's faith in the Lord Jesus. The encouraging thing is that he cannot do it without God's permission. This reminds me of the time when Satan asked for permission to attack Job (Job 1:11-12; 2:5-6). This happens not just to a select few but to all of us. When Jesus said "you," he used the plural form of the pronoun, indicating he was not just talking to Peter but to all of the disciples present. Sifting happens to all of Jesus' disciples. Satan has not changed, and he still desires to shake our faith and to get us to turn from our faith in the Lord Jesus. But he cannot unless God permits. Paul admonished us to "be strong in the Lord...that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:10-11). So, "stand fast in the Lord" (Phil. 4:1; I Thess. 3:8), and "stand fast in the faith" (I Cor. 16:13).
Today's Thought: Satan desires to shake our faith in the Lord Jesus, but he cannot attack us without God's permission.
Have a "standing" day. Love you.
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This always confused me. I didn't understand the shaking aspect of sifting.
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