Satan’s Strategies: Human perspective

Matthew 16:21-23 | From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

• What was Peter telling Jesus not to do? Why? 

• How was Peter’s human perspective (or view) different from God’s? 

• How can a human perspective, or not understanding how God thinks, keep someone from sharing Jesus with others? When have you experienced this yourself? 

• What does Jesus do to stand firm in this attack from Satan? What can you learn from or how can you apply His example?