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NASB | Matthew 16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 16:23 But Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on things of God, but on things of man." |
Subject: Get behind me, who? |
Bible Note: Greetings my friend, You ask, "How do you respond to someone when you think that Satan is using him?" First of all, does your question involve spiritual warfare? If so, then I would exhaust all possibilities before even considering this possibility. Secondly, how do you determine that Satan is using a person? You could say that those who are not saved are 'fair game' for Satan to use, since they are completely oblivious of how to discern his presence or what is spiritual. But in regards to Christians, perhaps a brother or sister in Christ? If that be the case, then perhaps our question now comes to: How does a Christian confront another Christian? "You are the man!" Just as David was a man after God's own heart (1 Sam. 13:14), so Nathan was God's gift to the man after His own heart. :-) If you notice, scripture introduces Nathan suddenly when David sought to build a temple to the Lord (2 Sam. 7:1-2). Nathan revealed that God promised to establish David's dynasty, but that He wanted the construction of the temple to be left for Solomon (2 Sam. 7:3-17). Nathan's next appearance followed David's sin with Bathsheba. He pinpointed David's guilt by saying, "You are the man!" And all of Nathan's prophecies concerning David's children and family would come to pass. Nathan helped to prevent Adonijah from taking the throne by reminding David of his promise to make Solomon his successor (1 Kings 1:11-27), and then assited in the crowning of Solomon (1 Kings 1:32-40). What can we learn from Nathan and David, or from Peter and Paul (Romans chapter 14)? 1. No Christian should judge another regarding disputable things (Rom. 14:3-4,13). 2. Each person needs to come to his or her own convictions regarding matters of conscience (Rom. 14:5, 22-23). 3. We are not totally free to do as we please; we must answer to the Lord for our behavior (Rom. 14:7-8,12). 4. We should avoid offending others by flaunting our liberty (Rom. 14:13). Even actions that are not inherently sinful can produce sin if they cause others to stumble. 5. We should practice love, pursuing peace in the body and that which builds others up in the faith (Rom. 14:15,19). In conclusion, you asked, "How do you respond to someone when you think that Satan is using him?" If it is so unmistakably obvious that someone may be willfully speaking false testimony, then I would seek to correct them in a loving but firm way, using Jesus as my model in Matt. 16:23. Blessings to you, Makarios |