There are moments in life where everyone has to face satanic attacks. You, like everyone else, will have to fight spiritual battles on a regular basis. But, there is one attack that has a very special meaning concerning who you are and where you are going to spend eternity. Peter and Judas came to this important moment of testing. Let Jesus use the situation with Judas and Peter to get you ready.

Mat 26:31-35 (NIV) Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of Me, for it is written: "'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee." Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of You, I never will." "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown Me three times." But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with You, I will never disown You." And all the other disciples said the same.

Peter knew Who Jesus is; he had NEVER heard Jesus say ANYTHING that was a mistake or wrong. Yet, he felt free to refute what Jesus said. That didn’t look like respect and love. BUT, if you examine the motive behind this dispute, Peter was trying to show Jesus how much he loved Him. He was using very wrong procedures; but, they were MOTIVATED by love. Because He was arguing with Jesus, he didn’t join Jesus and resist the temptation. But, he was in the process of learning how use love to resist the right things.

Judas, didn’t say anything. Jesus was walking right into Judas’ plans. Mat 26:31 (NIV) Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of Me, for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ Judas had financial plans for seeing to it that Jesus, the shepherd, would be stricken. Judas was so much in love with money, he was even willing to sell out his own Friend.

What will get you ready for this love crossroad? How can you make sure your love for Jesus is greater than anything else? How can you have to pay your bills, have to work for a living, have to provide for your family, and demonstrate that you aren’t some lazy bum that won’t accept their responsibilities in life? The submission and the resistance must be applied to your motive for why you do what you do. Not what you tell yourself, your friends, your family, or Jesus. Your REAL motive is revealed by how you spend your time.

Luke 22:31-34 (NIV) “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with You to prison and to death.” Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know Me.” Peter really believed what he was saying; but, he didn’t allow his love to be used to resist the temptation that was coming his way.

You won’t join Jesus in resisting anything you feel you can handle. For as long as you see yourself as adequate for the job, you will use human resistance and human effort. Peter is about to fail miserably. He loves Jesus but he isn’t DEPENDENT on Jesus. You need to see HOW MUCH you need Jesus so you will let Him join you in resisting all the temptations you are going to face. Ask Him to protect you from feeling like you can handle ANYTHING on you own, no matter how insignificant it may seem.

John 13:21 (NIV) After He had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray Me.” This was a direct warning; but, Judas had heard a lot of warnings about the direction he was headed. Let Jesus show you some of the warnings Judas and all of us get concerning loving money.

• Mat 6:19-21 (NIV) “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
  
  Luke 12:15 (NIV) Then He said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”


• Luke 12:16-21 (NIV) And He told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”
  
  “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” Judas couldn’t miss the warning in this illustration. He didn’t repent of his attitudes and deeds. He didn’t come to Jesus and ask for His help. He didn’t want to give up his passion for money. He actually cultivated it and enhanced it to the place where he had no resistance toward it.

Jesus took His disciples to the garden of Gethsemane to pray about His being tortured and crucified. He left most of them a little farther away from where He was going to pray. But, He allowed Peter, James, and John to come closer. So, after Jesus went and prayed the first time He checked on His disciples: Mat 26:40-41 (NIV) Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter. “Watch and pray SO THAT you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

Why did Jesus give this warning and training in Matthew 26:40-41 to Peter and not to Judas? It was because Peter was right there with Jesus. Judas was somewhere else. Prior to this when the disciples were eating the Passover meal with Jesus, Peter and Judas were with Jesus. Both of them were taking communion by eating the bread and drinking the cup representing Jesus’ broken body and shed blood for our healing and salvation. Peter was committed to following Jesus. Judas was committed to betraying Jesus. So, as they sat at that table, Judas got plenty of warning.

Mat 26:24-25 (NIV) The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” Then Judas, the one who would betray Him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “Yes, it is you.” The love of money had taken over Judas heart. Just like Jesus warned him, he was unable to serve two masters. Judas chose money as his master.

John 13:26-27 (NIV) Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. “What you are about to do, do quickly,” Jesus told him. This is why Judas didn’t hear the watch and pray instructions for how to use love to resist the body, the world, and the devil. He was gone doing evil things that had GROWN in his heart.

Mat 26:48 (NIV) Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest Him.” While Peter was still following Jesus, Judas was getting things set up for his betrayal. All the times he ignored Jesus’ training and warnings, brought him to the place of no love for Jesus and no resistance to his body, the world, or the devil.