Peter Sifted as Wheat: Why Jesus Allowed It

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith will not fail; and you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” Luke 22: 31, 32.

Why Did Jesus Let Peter Get Sifted?

So, why did Jesus let Peter get sifted as wheat? The word “sift” means to “separate coarse particles from small or fine ones by passing through a sieve”. In other words, it’s a purifying and refining process.

And it could apply to any difficult trial that tests our faith. It’s necessary, and therefore a good thing. Satan meant it for evil, but God worked it for good.

To read this passage for context, click here.

You’ve probably heard of sifted flour. Now days the term means something a little different. But back in the day, flour had to be sifted before it could be used. The unusable had to separated from the usable, the worthless from the valuable, the chaff from the grain, the hull from the wheat.

Sifted flour was far superior to unsifted. In fact, unsifted flour was pretty much unusable. But the process of being sifted in order to be useful. . . ohhhhhh.

Satan Demands to Make Us Useful!

We need to be sifted too. . .ohhhhh. And Satan willingly does this for us. How true then that “all things work together for the good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28.

Satan is God’s servant. God uses him to cause unbelievers to turn to Him. Sin (that satan leads people into) eventually makes people miserable.

And in their desperation, many people look to God for help. God also uses him to purify and refine His children. I believe He uses him to accomplish His purposes on earth. And that’s why God allows him to remain here.

So, what were the results of the sifting process satan put Peter through? “He turned and strengthened his brothers”! It helped get him ready for his ministry. It was part of the preparation for it. God had a plan for Peter, and he used the devil to accomplish it. Imagine that!

Peter went on to be one of the pillars of the early church. And a significant contributor to the New Testament. God desires to use our sifting process to enable us to accomplish His plan too.

You Must Continue to Believe God is Love

But there is a catch, of course. This process is painful and difficult. And there is a chance our faith will fail in it. In order to endure (and thus benefit) from any difficult situation, we must exercise our faith.

In fact, the sifting process will do one of two things, depending on what we believe. Without faith in God’s promises, it could cause us to lose heart.

And give up on our faith or give in to the temptation to go back to our old ways. But if we hold fast to our faith that God is good, it will purify us and prepare us for greater usefulness. And greater blessing in our own lives.

Not to beat a dead horse, but the sifting process represents purifying and refining. If we endure this difficult and painful trial, and don’t give up on our faith, or turn back to our old ways, we will be refined by it.

We will be purified in order to help other people. It’s also good for us too because king David tells us: “No good thing will He withhold from Him whose walk is blameless” Psalm 84:11.

How about you? Will you let satan sift you so you can be useful? And accomplish God’s plan for your life? For similar posts to Peter Sifted as Wheat: Why Jesus Allowed It, see Jesus Fed the 5000, What About the Leftovers?

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