In the gospel of Luke, Jesus forewarns Peter that Satan has requested permission to sift him as wheat:
And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
Luke 22:31-32 NKJV
What exactly does this mean?
It means to shake someone’s faith so vigorously (as wheat is shaken in a sieve) that they would stumble and fall. The enemy’s aim is to shake a person’s faith to the limit, in hopes that their faith fails. We see confirmation of this when Jesus said to Peter, “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail.” The enemy has various reasons why he would shake a person’s faith, and we see examples of this in Scripture. In Peter’s case, Satan’s aim was for Peter to deny Jesus. However, in Job’s case, it was to get him to curse God:
Let’s take a look at the full account of this from Scripture:
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. And the LORD said to Satan [lit. the adversary], “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”
So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? [This speaks about the Lord’s protection.] You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”
And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
Job 1:6-12 NKJV
It’s important to note that the enemy cannot move against God’s people just as he pleases, because God’s hand of protection is always over His people, and all things are ultimately under His control. In Job’s case, we see that Satan and the fallen angels first came to present themselves to God before moving against Job. And in Luke 22:31, Jesus said to Peter that “Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.” This next part is important to understand: The Greek word for “you” in Luke 22:31 is actually plural and not singular, meaning that Satan had requested to sift all of Jesus’ disciples, not only Peter. This tells us that there is a good chance that our faith will too be shaken by the enemy at some point in our journey with the Lord.
I believe this next point is also important to understand:
The bible tells us that our faith will be tested by the Lord, however this is very different to having our faith shaken. The Lord tests our faith, because He wants us to be rich in faith. When Jesus tests our faith, the purpose is to show us where our faith is weak or lacking, so that He can build and strengthen our faith, giving us the ability to stand strong in His truth.
However, the enemy’s aim is to shake our faith so forcefully that we either fall, or give up. His intentions are for evil. I have personally experienced both (tested faith as well as having my faith shaken) in these last few years, so I’m starting to have a very good understanding of the difference.
It may be hard to understand why God would allow the enemy to “sift us as wheat”, but we know that in His goodness – He always has a purpose and a plan for His people. Also remember that because God is just and fair, He will not allow the enemy to get away with evil and wrongdoing. In my case, when I went through times of “sifting”, God made me very specific promises for good. Firstly, He promised to give me back a double portion of everything I lost – just as job received back double of everything he lost (see Job 42:10-12). The other promise I received from the Lord is that He would restore to me the years that the enemy stole from me (Joel 2:25).
God will always turn what the enemy meant for evil into something good. We see confirmation of this in Scripture. In Job’s case, Scripture tells us that the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before, and He blessed the latter days of Job’s life more than his beginning (see Job 42:10-12). In Peter’s case, Jesus told Peter that when he returned to Jesus, he should strengthen his brethren (Luke 22:32).
Going through great suffering and hardship gives us greater compassion on others who are struggling. It gives us the opportunity to strengthen their faith, because we can testify of the goodness and faithfulness of God when we were in the midst of our trial or suffering. We can testifying of how God built up our faith to the point where we could stand strong, even in the midst of the “shaking.” In the beginning of my trial, I couldn’t stand strong because I lacked the faith I needed. There were many times when I sat on the bathroom floor in tears, and that’s when God came through and built me up and strengthened me.
My word of encouragement to you is this. If you are in a season of either having your faith tested, or shaken by the enemy, trust in God with all your heart. He always has a good plan and purpose for our lives, and He will always turn what the enemy meant for evil into something good. Seek His face with all your heart, and ask Him to strengthen your faith. During this time, He will make you very specific promises which you must cling to – no matter what you experience. The trail, or hardship you are experiencing will pass, but God’s truth and faithfulness remains steadfast. He loves you so much and He will help you.
Also, when He makes you a promise, write it down so that you can remind yourself of it often. His promises give us the hope and faith we need to endure the trials we go through. Not only that, but God used what I went through to teach me a very important lesson. Instead of just waiting for God’s promises to come into fulfillment, He encouraged me to declare them over my life often.
At first, it was difficult for me to declare them over myself, because God’s unchanging Word and His promises did not match what I was experiencing in the natural. But faith and sight are opposites. When I finally came into agreement with God’s word and His promises, (instead of agreeing with the lie from the enemy), He rewarded my faith by bringing His promises into fulfillment. I had to speak God’s truth over my situation – no matter what I saw and experienced, and no matter how hopeless the situation looked. And even though I still experienced the same attack from the enemy, I could stand against the “shaking” because God had strengthened my faith in His unchanging word and promises.
Therefore, regardless of what you may be struggling with, choose to only speak God’s eternal word and His promises over your life, because the Lord is faithful and He cannot deny Himself. If He said it, He will do it! Thank You precious Jesus!
May this word be a blessing and an encouragement for you.
Blessings in Jesus’ name.