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Satan's "Innocent" Helpers
When Jesus plainly declared that he would have to go to Jerusalem, suffer many things of the chief priests and elders and then be crucified, Peter flatly contradicted him – “Not so, Lord.” To Peter’s rebuking, Jesus, in turn, responded – “Get thee behind me Satan,” (Matthew 16:21-22). Jesus’ “judgmental” response would certainly be out of order in our culture. After all, Peter appeared to be concerned about Jesus’ well being. But a crucifixion did not fit the expectation of the disciples. And, perhaps, Jesus could have been a little more considerate of Peter’s good intentions?
Earlier, Satan had tried in vain to get Jesus to forsake his sacrificial death (Matthew 4:1-11). However, the truth of the matter was that Satan was behind the seemingly innocent rebuke of Peter. Jesus saw that it was Satan who was working through a beloved friend to tempt him. And, should we grant to Peter the noblest of motives, he was really aiding Satan. Sometimes, Satan accomplishes, through our closest friends, what he could never accomplish through our worst enemies. We expect our known adversaries to attack us but we may not be prepared for subtle temptations that come through our friends.
Words spoken from genuine (?) concern can dampen a brother’s enthusiasm. Tongues that are vicious and gossiping can be disguised by claimed innocence of “just speaking the truth.” Talking about things that are unbecoming to a Christian in the presence of worldly people might be justified as wanting to show the world that Christians are human too. Our words are to be spoken with grace and seasoned with salt and our speech indicates the kind of wisdom that directs us (Colossians 4:6; James 3:13-17).
Truly, love covers a multitude of sins as it places the best construction on a brother’s behavior and overlooks human imperfections (1 Peter 4:8; 1 Corinthians 13:5-7). And, we are not those who scrutinize others in order to rejoice in minute flaws (Matthew 7:1-ff; James 4:11-12). However, love that does not hold a brother accountable for his sins may actually align us as Satan’s assistants. We might just cause a brother to be deceived by thinking that sinning is all right.
Paul was slanderously charged with teaching, “Let us do evil that good may come…” – (Romans 3:8 – study the verse in its context). When a non-believing husband says to his wife, “If you will go to the lake with me just this once on Sunday, then I will go with you to services next Sunday,” and the wife succumbs to the offer, she does evil. Going to the lake for recreation is not evil within itself, but complying with a spouse’s temptation to miss worship is. We may even justify telling a lie to keep from hurting someone’s feelings. But it is never right to do wrong – even if we lie with good (?) intentions, we become Satan’s assistants in promoting evil.
Are we ever Satan’s “innocent” assistants? We might be innocent from the point of view that our intentions might be good but we are never innocent when we promote evil. Satan’s deceptions are subtle – Jesus does not call him “the deceiver” by accident. Be committed to right to avoid helping him stand against God and God’s people. Be able to see him in anyone who seeks to cause you to sin – “GET THEE BEHIND ME SATAN.” -- Jim R. Everett
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