What does Luke 22:31 mean?
The account of Jesus telling Peter that he is going to deny Jesus three times is well known. Luke does something interesting with it, however. In the mirrored "chiasm" of Luke 22, this segment is placed opposite Jesus' warning that one of the disciples will betray Him. The disciples' reaction to the first warning is to discuss among themselves who it will be (Luke 22:21–23). Specifically, each man worries that it is he (Mark 14:19).Of course, Jesus' betrayer is Judas. Yet it's important that the other eleven understand they have that potential in their hearts. Jesus now reveals how their faithlessness will manifest: Satan wants to sift all of them: the "you" is plural. Peter will not be the only one to find his faith staggered. All except Peter and John will run away when Jesus is arrested (Mark 14:50). All of them will hide when Jesus is in the tomb (John 20:19).
Peter will fall the furthest: denying that he follows Jesus where Jesus can hear. But he will also recover the most. Satan wishes to pick apart the disciples into tiny pieces, but he will find he merely separated the chaff of their weakness from the kernel of their faith. Peter will reconcile with Jesus (John 21:15–19), preach before thousands (Acts 2:14–41), be the first—with John—to be arrested (Acts 4:3), and defend the disciples' right to teach that Jesus has risen from the dead (Acts 4:19–20).
Meanwhile, Luke's use of Peter's names reveals another great irony. Here, Jesus calls him "Simon," which means "hearing" or "listening." Jesus wants "Hearing" to hear the warning, but "Peter," the rock, doesn't. Jesus warns "the Rock," who is supposed to be strong and steady, that he will deny Jesus three times (Luke 22:33–34). It's difficult to have strong, resolute faithfulness to God when we won't even listen to Him.
There are times in the Bible when God grants Satan permission to attack or tempt us (Job 1:6–12; 2:1–7). But we shouldn't assume that evil spirits are responsible for every temptation and hardship. James 1:14–15 says, "But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." Sometimes, we're just foolish; other times, we fall victim to the fallen world. Even if we are tempted, and even if we fall into that temptation, we cannot fall out of God's hand (John 10:29; Jude 1:24–25). And someday, our accuser will be destroyed (Revelation 12:10).
