These were the words spoken by our LORD Jesus Christ to Peter in Matthew 16:23 (cf. Mark 8:33 ). These same words were also spoken by the LORD when He was tempted in the wilderness (cf. Luke 4:8 ). In the latter it was directly to Satan and “Satan” as used in Luke 4:8 refers directly to Satan. But in the former case of Peter, was Christ speaking to Satan or Peter? The context reveals to us that Christ was speaking to Peter directly after Peter rebuked the LORD and said to Him, “Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee" (Matthew 16:22 ). Peter did not want the Lord to go to the cross even though he knew that it was in accordance with the Father’s will!
Peter was selfish. He wanted Christ to remain with them. He had gotten so used to the leadership of Christ and His presence with them that he didn’t want this security and dependence to be jeopardized by something like “dying on Calvary.” In other words, Peter put his own desire and will first. God the Father’s will, can come second! Hence we have the strong rebuke of Christ in Matthew 16:23 .
Was Christ calling Peter, Satan the Devil? Did Satan possess Peter such that it was Satan who spoke to Christ and not Peter? If Peter was really possessed by Satan then we have to conclude that believers can also be possessed by Satan today.
We know that Peter was definitely a believer with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Just a few moments back in Matthew 16:16 Peter had confessed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Christ confirmed that this was revealed to Peter by God the Father Himself in Matthew 16:17 . The Bible affirms in 1 Corinthians 12:3 that, “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.” Peter was definitely a believer when Christ called him “Satan.”
The Bible also teaches us that the true Christian can never be possessed by Satan or his demons. The reason is that the Spirit of God who indwells every believer is greater than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4 “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” The biblical reason is that the believer belongs to God and the believer has overcome the evil one by the power of God! This means that Peter was not and cannot be possessed by Satan when Christ said to Peter, “Get thee behind me Satan”!
What does Christ mean when He called Peter, Satan? The meaning of the word “Satan” is “an adversary.” What Christ meant was that Peter at that point in time was an adversary of Christ. Peter had rebuked Christ and in essence told Christ to disobey God the Father’s will by not going to the cross! This was very painful and hurtful because Christ loved Peter very much. It is just like a son pleading and begging the father not to go on a mission trip or to prison or die for the Lord when the father and son both knew that it was God’s will for the father to go. Peter in effect behaved like Satan by his selfish desires. Christ was very correct to call Peter “Satan” as his conduct was satanic in characteristic. Satan has always been and will continue to be God’s adversary ever since he was cast out of heaven. This understanding is confirmed by the words of Christ in Matthew 16:23 “But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” [emphasis added]
Can we call a person “Satan” today? Can a professing Christian be called a Satan today? The answer is an obvious yes. When the individual behaves like Satan in his conduct or words which are not according to Holy Scripture he can be called “a Satan” in the same sense as Christ called Peter.. . . he is an adversary to the cause of Christ!
Is it possible for a genuine believer to conduct himself like Satan? Like Peter the answer has to be in the affirmative too. Whenever the believer seeks his own selfish will he goes against God’s Holy Will. He has become an adversary (a Satan) to God. As such it is incumbent upon every child of God to check himself and ensure that his every act is based upon God’s inerrant and infallible Word. If he does not and foolishly goes against the work of God, and God’s people and servants then that disobedient believer is in fact fighting against God and hindering God’s work. There can be only one conclusion if that happens . . . God wins and the disobedient believer will be chastised by God.
The conclusion is that every child of God must beware of such a potential pitfall. We are not immune from this impending danger that hovers over us all the time. Like Peter, who a moment ago amazingly declared that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of God” (Matt. 16:16 ) we too could suddenly turn and be rebuked by Christ for being like Satan!
Always seek to do God’s will and not our own. Pray without ceasing that we do not fall into this deep pit of sin. Amen.