This post was last updated on September 2, 2026
Day 105 (Year 3)
When God’s Will Conflicts With Humans’ …
“And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.'”
(Mark 8:31-33 NASB)
After the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness, it then attempted to interfere with Jesus’ mission of atoning death by speaking through Peter. If Satan could use Peter to speak, no believer should be confident that he or she will never be deceived by the devil. Today’s scripture reveals the secret to not being used by Satan, and that is to always seek, accept, and agree with God’s will, because human opinion can sometimes align with Satan’s.
The phrase “setting one’s mind on” comes from the Greek word phroneo, which here also means “to think or judge what one’s opinion, to direct one’s mind to a thing, to seek, to strive for, or to seek one’s interest or advantage.” Peter judged from a personal perspective that Jesus’ death would threaten his own interests, and thus unconsciously aligned himself with Satan. There are several points worth noting here.
First, avoid evaluating God’s word or work from a purely human perspective, lest you be exploited by the devil. Instead, believers should allow God’s word and work to evaluate and guide us in changing ourselves. We must accept the role of God’s servants, affirm His ideas, and allow Him to lead us without reversing the role. Second, carefully discern whether pursuing personal interests or preferences will affect our submission to God. Personal interests, expectations, or demands of different people and situations can all affect our faith in God. In the early stages of breaking free from Satan’s dominion, we are often called to lay down our expectations and dreams so that we can follow Jesus wholeheartedly. Third, for words arising from personal opinion, interest, expectation, or dreams, think carefully, pray, and seek God’s permission before speaking. If we want to avoid being trapped by Satan, we should be very careful with our words. When in doubt, say less and pray first. Seeking and following God’s guidance in all things is the safest path. Finally, when facing Satan or its agents, we can follow Jesus’ example by speaking up to rebuke and silence everything that opposes God.
Reflection questions:
1) Do you think it is vital to do everything possible to avoid becoming Satan’s instrument or being used by him? Why?
2) Among the three methods mentioned above for avoiding being used by Satan, which is most difficult for you? If so, how will you rely on the Lord to resolve it?