For the past couple of days, we have been discussing the mind—why it was given to man, how its designer designed it to function as per the designers manual, how it can yield optimum results in the form of making available to you the life of God and the peace of God. We have also seen its place in the fight of faith which if won, leads to a tranquil state that sets the stage for the God of Peace to “swiftly pound Satan to a pulp under your feet” or to “come down on Satan with both feet, stomping him into the dirt”.
Today we will look at how the mind has potential—not only to enable us but to influence others negatively—effectively turning us into obstacles or adversaries of progress for other people around us who open their information gates to us.
WHAT IS SATAN?
But before discussing the matter at hand, we need to define the word Satan. Who or what is Satan? The first answer is, it is not just a name but also a description.
Rev 12:9 (KJV) And the great dragon (drakōn) was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil (diabolos), and Satan (Satanas), which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Rev 20:2 (KJV) And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
There is a being of whom much is not said in the Old Covenant. It is a Dragon of the Old Serpent. It is called by the names Devil or Satan. These two names imply the Old Serpent’s cause, character, interests, and pleasure.
STUDY VERSES AND ANALYSIS
Now for our study verse:
Mat 16:21-23 (TPT)
21 From then on Jesus began to clearly reveal to his disciples that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer injustice from the elders, leading priests, and religious scholars. He also explained that he would be killed and three days later be raised to life again.
22 Peter took him aside to correct him privately. He reprimanded Jesus over and over, saying to him, “God forbid, Master! Spare yourself. You must never let this happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get out of my way, you Satan! You are an offense to me, because your thoughts are only filled with man’s viewpoints and not with the ways of God.”
Other versions of the bible translate v23 as such:
Mat 16:23 (TLB) Jesus turned on Peter and said, “Get away from me, you Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are thinking merely from a human point of view, and not from God’s.”
Mat 16:23 (NIV) Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns."
Mat 16:23 (AMPC) But Jesus turned away from Peter and said to him, Get behind Me, Satan! You are in My way [an offense and a hindrance and a snare to Me]; for you are minding what partakes not of the nature and quality of God, but of men.
Mat 16:23 (Weymouth) But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Adversary; you are a hindrance to me, because your thoughts are not God's thoughts, but men's."
Jesus calls his start pupil to whom he leaves his sheep, ecclesia, and the keys of the Kingdom, Satan. Why? All Peter tried to do was answer offer advice when Jesus stated that he would eventually have to die. Peter’s response was to take Jesus "… aside to speak to Him privately and began to reprove and charge Him sharply, saying, God forbid, Lord! This must never happen to You!" Mat 16:22 (AMPC). By Peter taking Jesus aside and speaking privately, it had the semblance of Godly wisdom. But this was far from the case! Jesus upon hearing Peter words responded to them, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are in My way [an offense and a hindrance and a snare to Me].
Jesus explains why he called Peter, Satan. I will quote from multiple translations of scripture so you can get a better understanding:
- You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns
- you are a hindrance to me, because your thoughts are not God's thoughts, but men's
- You are in My way [an offense and a hindrance and a snare to Me]; for you are minding what partakes not of the nature and quality of God, but of men
- You are a dangerous trap to me. You are thinking merely from a human point of view, and not from God’s.”
These 4 translations show us that the reason Jesus gave for describing a follower of his as Satan was a specific thinking pattern (the way Peter used his mind)—by focusing his mind on human concerns, thoughts of men, human point of view, etc. Many of you might be shocked but to think as a human is a no-no for the New Creation in Christ Jesus. The believer is no longer part of the former creation and must think on and set their minds on higher truths and realities, the spirit of God, the things of God, God’s concerns and points of view.
The moment we use our minds for anything else, we become hindrances to the plan of God, his adversaries, stumbling blocks, and a snare to Jesus. This is why Jesus called Peter an adversary or Satan and then added, “get thee behind me or get out of my way” so that I may fulfill the plan of God.
With our minds, we can be enablers of God and his plan or we can become his adversaries—Christian or not.
Rom 8:7 (KJV) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:7 (NASB) because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,
Rom 8:7 (TPT) In fact, the mind-set focused on the flesh fights God’s plan and refuses to submit to his direction, because it cannot!
It is a fearful thing to become the ADVERSARY OF GOD. Below is a definition of Satan.
DEFINING SATAN
Satan is translated from a Greek word Satanas and the meaning if satanas is:
- an adversary (one who opposes another in purpose or act), the name given to
- the prince of evil spirits, the inveterate adversary of God and Christ
- In his name as Satan, he is the opposer, the adversary of both believers and unbelievers. Satanás is the prince of the fallen angels (Mat 4:10; Mar 1:13; Rev 12:9) and is also used as a general word for evil spirits or devils (Mat 12:26; Mar 3:23, Mar 3:26; Luk 11:18). Applied by the Lord to Peter who was considered as opposing the divine plan of man's redemption through Christ's sufferings and death, and thus as joining with Satan (Mat 16:23; Mar 8:33).
- Satan is also called ho katḗgoros (G2725), the accuser (Rev 12:10); and ho Apollúōn (G623), the destroyer (Rev 9:11). He is also called the antídikos (G476), the adversary (1Pe 5:8); ho antikeímenos, the pres. part. of antíkeimai (G480), to be contrary, the one who has set himself against all, the adversary (1Ti 5:14); the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2); Belíal or Belíar (G955), meaning worthlessness (2Co 6:15).
CONCLUSION
God’s plan was that Jesus, HIS ONLY SON would die and be sown so the Father would receive a harvest of SONS—but the mind of Peter thinking on the things of men, from a human point of view and having his mind set on the flesh thought of self-preservation and tried to forbid Jesus from dying—effectively becoming an enemy of the divine plan of God. Leaders must learn to differentiate between when God is speaking through their followers and when it’s the dragon via his function as Satan using them to thwart the purpose of God.
Let us endeavor to be New Creations and enablers of God—not his adversaries or opposers of the plan of God---all the while thinking we are doing good because our minds are full of the viewpoints of men by human wisdom.
