“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus doesn't just warn Peter; he reveals a spiritual battle where Satan asked permission to test them, and Jesus immediately countered with His own intercession. The "you" Jesus uses is plural, showing this wasn't just Peter's personal struggle, but a test for all the disciples, and a glimpse into the ongoing spiritual warfare waged for believers.
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This comes during the Last Supper, as Jesus and his disciples are sharing their final meal before his arrest. Just moments before, they had been arguing about who was the greatest among them, revealing a deep misunderstanding of Jesus' kingdom. Jesus, knowing the intense spiritual battle about to engulf them, warns Peter directly about Satan's imminent desire to test all of them severely.
Ever wonder if the devil actually has to ask God's permission to mess with your life? Jesus' words here reveal a cosmic drama behind our struggles.
Jesus speaks directly to Peter, repeating his name for emphasis: "Simon, Simon." He then reveals a startling truth: "Satan has asked to have you."
This isn't just a casual observation. The original Greek suggests Satan "demanded" or "sought to obtain" this permission. It's a picture of the unseen spiritual realm, where Satan isn't acting on his own authority but seeking permission from God. Think of it like a prosecutor asking a judge for a warrant to investigate.
This might seem unsettling, but it’s also a profound comfort. It means our struggles aren't random or beyond God's control. God is sovereign, and even the devil's attempts to sift us are permitted and ultimately overseen by Him. He sets the boundaries, just as He did with Job.
Why would Jesus describe Satan's goal as 'sifting'? It's not about destruction, but about revealing what’s truly within.
Jesus uses the vivid imagery of sifting wheat. When wheat is sifted, it's shaken vigorously in a sieve. The goal of this process is to separate the valuable grain from the worthless chaff and dust.
Satan's desire, therefore, is to agitate, to shake, and to test believers to their core. He wants to expose any 'chaff'—falsehood, weakness, or hypocrisy—and, if possible, to scatter and destroy the true 'wheat'—the genuine faith and life in Christ.
However, Jesus immediately counters Satan's request with His own prayer: 'but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.' This reveals the crucial difference: Satan sifts to destroy, but Christ prays to preserve and purify. His sifting is meant to refine, not to ruin, ensuring that true faith, though tested, ultimately endures.
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Facing Satan's intense scrutiny? Jesus reveals His active intercession on your behalf, a prayer that guarantees your faith won't ultimately fail.
Right after describing Satan’s intent, Jesus offers the ultimate counter-measure: 'but I have prayed for you.' This is not a passive observation of Peter's impending trial; it's an active, powerful intercession.
The Greek tense used for Jesus' prayer indicates an action completed in the past, with ongoing results. He has already prayed, and His prayer is effective. It’s a prayer specifically that Peter's 'faith may not fail.'
This doesn't mean Peter wouldn't stumble or even deny Jesus. He did. But his core faith, the 'seed of God' within him, would not be extinguished. Jesus' prayer ensures that while believers may falter or be severely tested, their faith will not ultimately collapse. They will be restored, strengthened, and their faith purified through the trial.
Understand the original words
Simōn · Greek Proper Noun
A personal name, meaning 'hearing' or 'hearkening,' used here by Jesus to address the apostle Peter, emphasizing his identity before his fall.
Satanas · Greek Proper Noun
The supreme adversary of God and humanity, acting as the accuser and tempter who seeks to destroy the faith of God's people.
exētēsato · Greek Verb
To demand, claim, or ask for something, often with the implication of asserting a legal or moral right over someone.
siniasai · Greek Verb
A metaphorical process of testing or refining through trial and tribulation, separating the true substance of faith from the chaff of superficiality.
This warning to Peter occurred just hours before his actual denial, placing the spiritual battle in sharp relief against the backdrop of Jesus' impending arrest and crucifixion. The 'sifting' was a real, immediate spiritual assault, not a distant possibility.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus' Ministry in Galilee
Jesus begins his public ministry, gathering disciples and teaching about the Kingdom of God. This period includes the selection of the twelve apostles.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Journey to Jerusalem for Passover
Jesus and his disciples travel to Jerusalem for the Passover festival, knowing that Jesus' crucifixion is imminent. Tensions with religious authorities are high.
Night of the Last Supper— this verse
Institution of the Lord's Supper
Jesus shares his final meal with the disciples, instituting the Lord's Supper and offering profound teachings and warnings about the events to come. This is when he warns Peter.
Night of the Last Supper
Jesus' Arrest in Gethsemane
Following the Last Supper, Jesus and his disciples go to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested by temple guards.
Night of the Last Supper
Peter's Denial of Jesus
While Jesus is being interrogated, Peter, in the courtyard, denies knowing Jesus three times, fulfilling Jesus' prophecy.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
Jesus is crucified on Passover day and rises from the dead on the third day, demonstrating his victory over sin and death.
c. AD 30-33
Post-Resurrection Ministry and the Early Church
Jesus appears to his disciples over forty days, commissioning them and preparing them for the spread of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit empowers the disciples at Pentecost.
This passage shows Satan asking permission from God to test Job, similar to how he 'desired to have' the disciples in Luke 22:31.
Zechariah 3:1-2Here, Satan stands to accuse Joshua the high priest before the Lord, mirroring the accusatory role Satan plays when he 'desires to have' the disciples to sift them.
1 Peter 1:7This verse speaks of the testing of faith through fire, which directly relates to the imagery of Satan sifting the disciples like wheat to test their faith.
1 Corinthians 10:13This passage offers assurance that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond our ability, a promise that underpins Jesus' prayer for Peter even as Satan sought to sift him.
Amos 9:9God declares He will sift the house of Israel, but unlike Satan's destructive sifting, God's is for purification, highlighting the difference between divine and demonic intent in sifting believers.
pooleLuke 22:31: "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:"
Ver. 31,32. Our Lord directeth his speech to Peter, as one who (as it will by and by appear) had a greater confidence of himself than the rest expressed, and as one who he foresaw would fall more foully than the rest; though it appears, that in his speech he had a respect to them all, for the word you is in the plural number. The devil had a mind to disturb them all by his tempt…
vincentLuke 22:31: "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:"
Hath desired (ἐξῃτήσατο)Only here in New Testament. It sometimes means to obtain by asking, or to beg off. So Xenophon, "Anabasis," i., 1, 3. The mother of Cyrus, who is charged with an attempt to kill his brother, begged him off (ἐξαιτησαμένη). Rev., in margin, obtained you by asking. The result proved that Satan had obtained him for the time.Sift (σινιάσαι)Only here in N…
Jesus doesn't just warn Peter; he reveals a spiritual battle where Satan asked permission to test them, and Jesus immediately countered with His own intercession. The "you" Jesus uses is plural, showing this wasn't just Peter's personal struggle, but a test for all the disciples, and a glimpse into the ongoing spiritual warfare waged for believers.
This comes during the Last Supper, as Jesus and his disciples are sharing their final meal before his arrest. Just moments before, they had been arguing about who was the greatest among them, revealing a deep misunderstanding of Jesus' kingdom. Jesus, knowing the intense spiritual battle about to engulf them, warns Peter directly about Satan's imminent desire to test all of them severely.
This comes during the Last Supper, as Jesus and his disciples are sharing their final meal before his arrest. Just moments before, they had been arguing about who was the greatest among them, revealing a deep misunderstanding of Jesus' kingdom. Jesus, knowing the intense spiritual battle about to engulf them, warns Peter directly about Satan's imminent desire to test all of them severely.
"“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat," — Jesus doesn't just warn Peter; he reveals a spiritual battle where Satan asked permission to test them, and Jesus immediately countered with His own intercession. The "you" Jesus uses is plural, sh…
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Last reviewed October 2026