Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus answered him, "Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward." Peter said to him, "Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.
Until this moment Peter, along with all of the disciples, embraced a messianic imagery that would soon challenge each of them to their very core. Peter himself would take up a sword when guards would come for Jesus in the garden. Peter was genuine in his desire to lay down his life for his friend. But Peter did not have a clue what that meant. When the guards eventually came Peter was not ready to hear Jesus tell him to put his sword away.
Like many of us Peter wanted to engage the enemy on fleshly turf. Yet the battle would not be fought then, or is it fought now, on human terms. Even after three years in the company of God incarnate Peter did not understand the nature of spiritual warfare. He did not understand how his spiritual mettle would soon be tested. Such is nature of life - many who seem the strongest in the flesh are ill equipped to engage in the warfare of the spirit.
Lord, help me to trust you instead of myself. Show me how to engage in spiritual warfare.
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We can never truly lay down our lives until we fully embrace the life Christ gives us.
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