An Inconvenient Truth

All is fair in love and war. This applies in all types of war – between nations, between people. It applies in a war of words, doubly in a war of the heart and most deviously in spiritual war.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Who are the combatants in this fight? Who are the pieces in this chess battle? Unfortunately they are you and they are I. All of us? All of us. (I told you it was inconvenient.)

But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."

Woah! This is Peter he’s talking to here. Peter the pebble, Peter who was blessed with answers from on high, Peter who had the keys to the kingdom, Peter who would speak at Pentecost. And he flat out calls him Satan! He could have used a lesser insult – whitewashed tomb? Brood of vipers? Hypocrite? Son of hell? He used all of these before, but not with Peter – Jesus goes right to the head of the pack and calls him The Accuser himself.

But why? Peter had just been named a white bishop (or rook if it makes the religious politics easier) and now he’s the black queen? All is fair in love and war. Satan uses whatever he can in this war, and he’s good at it. He uses people and they don’t even know it. He’s used me. He’s used you. (I told you it was inconvenient.)

Why did Satan use Peter? He had the best access; he was closest. Who better to attack us with than those who are (were) closest to us? (I told you it was inconvenient.)