The Story of Jesus According to Mark, Pt 23 (Out of Order): Leave Satan Behind

 

November 17, 2024           NOTES NOTE EDITED
The Story of Jesus According to Mark, Pt23:   “Leave Satan Behind”
Mark 8:31-38

SIS – Satan controls most believers more than they realize but to move ahead in faith believers must leave Satan behind.

This text contains one of the most striking and shocking statements the Lord ever made to an individual:  “Get behind me, Satan” (33).

Let’s read that passage together:  MK. 8:31-38

(NIV84) 31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

Peter had a problem and the problem was he let Satan control his thinking, instead of God.  He was not possessed by Satan, but his mind was definitely impressed by Satan.  We all face the same problem as Peter—Peter was just the one singled out that day.

No one can get ahead in life in any way that matters—and certainly not spiritually which matters most, unless one leaves Satan behind. The essence of Christianity is simply that:  “to get ahead, one must leave Satan behind.”

In one sense, Satan was utterly defeated at the cross.  At the moment of His death, the Lord said, “It is finished.”  In this sense:  Satan is a defeated foe—utterly defeated. 

There is another sense however, in which Satan continues to pose a problem for believers.  While Satan’s power has been crushed, his presence is still with us.  Satan is like a vicious lion that was recently purchased at a zoo. The zoo had a beautiful enclosure built. The crowd was protected by a 10 feet high fence with razor wire on the top. The lion was put in the cage. The next day to the shock and horror of the zookeeper, the lion was found outside his enclosure. The zoo increased the height of the fence to 15 feet. There’s no way the lion was getting over it. The next day, sure enough, the lion was wandering outside his enclosure. The zoo increased the height of the fence to a staggering 30 feet. One evening the lion was talking with the giraffe that lived next door. The giraffe asked, “How high do you suppose they are going to keep building that fence?” The lion grinned and said, “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe 1000 feet unless someone remembers to start locking the gate.

That’s how it is regarding a believer and the Satan. Jesus defeated Satan and put him in a cage. It’s up to us to make sure we keep the door locked.

Leaving Satan Behind means we live in such a way that Satan remains locked up by faith and has no influence or how we think and live.

Spiritual success (which is the only true measure of success) comes when believes put into practice a “strategy” for leaving Satan behind.  That strategy has three phases:

1.  First, we must recognize Our Problem (31-33)

Listen as I read one of the most shocking stories from the life of Jesus:

(NIV84)  ³¹ He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. ³² He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ³³ But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

The language is shocking. The same word Jesus uses for “rebuking Peter he used for rebuking the Devil in the Wilderness Temptation. That is a HARSH CONDEMNATION for Peter’s worldly thinking What makes this even more incredibly shocking than the Lord describing Peter as “Satan” is the fact that just moments before Peter gave the greatest expression of faith of any person up until that time. When asked Who Jesus was Peter responded quickly and boldly:

“You are Christ.” (Mk. 8:29).  Matthew adds Peter’s full description, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Mt. 16:16.

That is quite a drop in spiritual altitude in just four verses. From declaring Jesus is the Messiah to Jesus declaring Peter was Satan! That is shocking—and it should be—because every one of us are like Peter. At any moment, if we are not constantly on our spiritual guard, Satan can devour our soul and detour our faith. Peter remembered this “great fall” and later wrote in his own book,

1 Peter 5:8 (NIV84) Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

The greatest threat to the growth of the Kingdom of God is not the sinful state of affairs in the world—and it is a sad, sinful state indeed—but the sorry, sinful state of many sitting in church. Most Christians who regularly attend church every Sunday fail to recognize how much they serve Satan and not Jesus. Yes! That is a shocking statement, but it is true. It was true of Peter. It can be just as true of you and I.

What does it take to be a servant of Satan? Do we have to be drug-addicted or alcohol dependent? Do we have to be murderers and rapists? Politicians? Do we have to rob banks and kick puppy dogs? No, all it takes to serve Satan and not Jesus is to not think like God. Look what Jesus said:

“[Peter] you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (v.33).

Every problem, every sin committed by every person comes from the same source: “following the thinking of the world instead of the teaching of God Word.” We can fail to “think like God” by knowing what God says and ignoring it, or we can fail to “think like God” by failing to get into His Word and discover His thoughts on every matter.

Jesus was teaching about God’s plan for saving mankind. It was a plan of pain, suffering, sacrifice, and death. It was a plan that would end in the greatest event in the history of the world since the Creation—the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!

But, Peter didn’t like the way God was going to save mankind. Peter thought God needed a bit of correction. Peter thought he had a better way. And, it wasn’t just Peter, it was all the disciples—it is all of us!

The first step to leaving Satan behind in our lives is FULL, ABSOLUTE SURRENDER TO THE WILL OF GOD AS DEMONSTRATED BY JESUS AND REVEALED IN THE BIBLE.

As I’ve said before, the motto for the military is a good motto for the believer:  “ours is not to question why, our is just to do and die.”

It is obvious from the strong rebuke Peter received (which includes all of us as followers of the Lord) that something Peter and the others did not really comprehend Who Jesus was and what He came to do—at least not in the full sense as they would later after Pentecost.

Peter is often the spokesman of the group.  He after all was the only one to verbalize that “Jesus was the Messiah” as we saw in our last lesson.  The problem is:  the Jews had a misunderstanding of exactly what being the “Messiah” would entail in the First Coming.

The Jews expected the Messiah to be a military leader that would deliver them from political oppression.  At this time, Christianity was greatly suspect, even among the Jews.  Christianity was religio illicit, or, an illegal religion.  Christians were despised by pagans and religious groups, and even the common citizenry. This hatred would increase, not diminish for the Apostles.  This hostility to Jesus had periods when it subsided, but as we see in our day, that hostility has increased.

Christian living throughout the N.T. is described in “battle language.” But, it is a spiritual battle, not a physical one. For example, 1Cor. 10:3-4 says,

³ we do not wage war in an unspiritual way,  ⁴ since the weapons of our warfare  are not worldly,  but are powerful  through God for the demolition of strongholds.

In a battle, a war of any kind, there is an “enemy” against whom war is declared.  To understand who our enemy is and what our problem is, we need to first understand what it is NOT.

(1)  Our problem is not PHYSICAL, so merely changing ones circumstance will not win the battle and bring one success in life.

(2)  Our problem is not POLITICAL, so simply electing a new president or changing a few laws will not ultimately achieve success as a follower of Jesus Christ.

(3)  Our problem is not EMOTIONAL, so therapy and counseling alone will not bring lasting and meaningful success in life.

(4)  Our problem is not EDUCATIONAL, so educating the mind to accomplish great, almost supernatural, achievements will not conclude ultimately in a “successful, victorious, blessed life.”

Our problem, at the core, is simply one thing: obedience. This simply means falling in line with the thinking of God and doing what God asks us to do. We cannot “think like God” when our lives are CONSUMED BY the World, and not IMMERSED IN the Word.

Everyone of us in this room this morning has the same problem as Peter: “failing to have the Mind of God and instead being directed by the thinking of the world.”  The next phase in leaving Satan behind to follow Jesus is:

2.  IMPLEMENT a spiritual strategy for life (34)

³⁴ Summoning the crowd along with His disciples, He said to them, “If anyone wants to be My follower, he must deny himself,  take up his cross,  and follow Me. 

Notice the parallel in the language of the rebuke of Peter and this instruction to the crowd. Jesus told Peter to “put Satan behind,” and he told the crowd, “get behind, or follow me.” This parallel in language shows the absolute “incompatibility” of trying to follow Jesus and Satan at the same time. It is IMPOSSIBLE.

The disciples will not clearly understand God’s Strategy for many months.  That strategy can be summed up with simple symbol of: THE CROSS. If you are not “taking up the cross and following Jesus” you will be “tripping up constantly by following Satan.” There is no “neutral zone” in life. 

“Taking up the Cross” has three important elements:

(1)  Humility or self-denial:  we can do NOTHING to save ourselves.

We see the prideful, staunchly self-reliant attitude of man reflected in Peter’s words, especially in Matthews account of this same incident:

16:22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, “Oh no,  Lord! This will never happen to You!” 

Literally Peter said, “Mercy to you Lord this will NOT NOT happen.” Peter’s pride was on STEROIDS! 

In proper English, a double negative is “no-no” (pun intended).  A double negative makes something a positive—a double negative negates the negativity of the statement.  In Greek, a double negative is quite proper and used often to make an emphatic point.

Peter heard what Jesus said was God’s clear will for Him as the Messiah Who had come, and Peter, in stubborn, self-reliant pride declared:  “Absolutely not, Lord.” The word translated, “took Him [that is Jesus] aside literally means, “to take possession of, or receive, or control.”  Peter assumed the role of teacher and sought to assert authority of Jesus.  To this, Jesus referred to Peter as “Satan-driven.” An important aspect of a statement of faith in God is first to understand: “we are NOT God!”  Listen to this verse:

Isaiah 55:8–9 (NIV84)  ⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. ⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Or, listen to God’s response to Job when Job begins to question why it seems the entire foundation of his life has crumbled and Job’s righteous service to God has ended up in being swallowed by a whirlwind of trouble and misery. God’s response to Job is this:

38:4–18 (NIV84)  ⁴ “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. ⁵ Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? ⁶ On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— ⁷ while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? ⁸ “Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, ⁹ when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, ¹⁰ when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, ¹¹ when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’? ¹² “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, ¹³ that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it? ¹⁴ The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment. ¹⁵ The wicked are denied their light, and their upraised arm is broken. ¹⁶ “Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? ¹⁷ Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death? ¹⁸ Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this.

Accept it, my friend: You Ain’t All That!

So many people treat God like an elderly grandfather full of nothing but joy, love, and mercy. Yahweh is Almighty God. He is also punishment, justice, and wrath. BOTTOMLINE: He’s God! We need a heavy dose of humility as we follow Him.

Humility is the key element of the cross. God is infinitely greater than the collective wisdom of a universe full of Einstein’s.

(2)  A second element of the cross SACRIFICE.  Taking up the cross will COST EVERYTHING and more likely than not bring great suffering. THE CROSS TAKES IT ALL!

Luke 14:33:  “Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. In Greek, everything means EVERY THING!

(3)  A third element of the cross is STRENGTH.  The cross was not a moment of “weakness”in the life of Our Lord, but of great strength.

Mark 8:31 (NIV84)  ³¹ He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.

In the N.T., the cross never stands alone without the empty tomb.  Notice Jesus’ statement in verse 31:  “and rise after three days.” The Empty Grave of Jesus is the ULTIMATE SHOW OF POWER!

How short-sighted Peter (mankind in general) was.  He heard the word, “killed,” but not the word, “rise.”  So often we exacerbate our situations because we “exaggerate” the negative.

The cross is central to the strategy of living a victorious Christian life.  It represents self-denial, sacrifice, and yet strength.  Without the cross as the central controlling element of your life, no true success in life is possible. Without the cross upon our back the burdens of life will be overwhelming and crushing.  Without the cross, one cannot “leave Satan behind.”

Take careful note of the Lord’s command.  He did not say, “believe in the cross.”  He did not say, “admire the cross.”  He did not say venerate, or worship the cross.  He said, “take up the cross.”  The word for take up literally means:  “lift up from the ground.” That refers to “effort” or “work.” That requires activity, or action.  So, let me give you four fundamental actions required to implement the strategy of the cross that must be practiced enthusiastically and consistently on a daily basis.

[DISCIPLE’S CROSS PIC]  (1) Praying; (2) Bible Study (including a daily devotion, memorizing Scripture, and hearing sermons); (3) Fellowship; (4) Evangelism. These activities must be practiced consistently on a daily basis in the attitude of (5) Worship, that is an attitude where the Indwelling Christ is controlling all.

Practicing these four fundamental activities on a daily basis is the ONLY SURE STRATEGY for leaving Satan behind and experiencing real success, or true victorious Christian living.

There is a third phase to “leaving Satan behind.”  Phase 1 is to clearly identify that your problem and enemy in life is Satan and put yourself under the blood of Jesus Christ.  The second phase is to implement the spiritual strategy for overcoming Satan’s influence in your life on a consistent, daily basis.  Phase 3 is:

3.  Anticipate the VICTORY Leaving Satan Behind (35-38; 9:1)

There are real benefits to living a victorious Christian life. Look at the first part of verse 36:

(CSB) 36 For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life?.

One of the great blessings of working for Jesus is the fringe benefits are “out of this world!”

The word benefit refers to “increase, profit, or advantage.”  Implementing the strategy of the cross--prayer, Bible study, fellowship, and evangelism—results in a great profit or advantage in this life, and more so, in eternity.

I remember reading about a rich Arabian Chief that hired a New York stockbroker. The stockbroker made the Arabian Oil Magnate multiple millions of dollars. The Arabian Shiek wanted to reward the stockbroker. The broker resisted saying, “No, Sir. I was just doing my job.” The Arabian Oil Magnate insisted. The broker relented and said, “Well, I have just taken up the sport of golf. I suppose I could use some new golf clubs. A couple weeks went by and the broker received a letter from the Arabian Oil Magnate. It said, “I just want to let you know that I bought you three new golf clubs. I hope you won’t be disappointed, however, because only two of them have swimming pools.” The benefits of a Victorious Christian Life far exceed anything we could imagine.

I often quote one of my favorite verses:  Psalm 103:1–4 (NIV84)  1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits— 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.

Those who “leave Satan behind” will share in the “glory of Jesus Christ” when He comes again—and He IS coming again.  Look at the benefits outlined in verses 35-38:

Verse 35 says “one will gain eternal life (save his life).”  Verse 36 says, one will “gain possessions greater than the whole world.”

Verse 37 states one will “exchange this temporary life of misery for an eternal life of glory.” Verse 38: “we look forward to the coming of Jesus in power with His holy angels!

Romans 8:17–18 (NLT) 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. 18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.

Notice also that our Victory when we Leave Satan Behind is GUARANTEED.  The guarantee is stated in Chapter 9, v1:

(NIV84) And he said to them, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.”

Jesus Said It. They Saw It. That Settles It. Our Benefits Come with an Eternal Life Guarantee!

Satan will not be a defeated foe SOMEDAY. He was defeated on RESURRECTION DAY! Mark this down. Maybe even get a tattoo:  Jesus is Alive—Satan is Defeated! That’s the theme of every Sunday worship. That’s the primary reason that the Early Church moved from Sabbath worship to Sunday worship.

Satan is defeated, destined for hell. For now, he’s locked in the cage of God’s Plan. We need to leave Satan behind and follow Jesus without reservation or without questioning His authority.

Satan controls most believers more than we realize but to move ahead in faith believers must leave Satan behind.
May we never have to hear those soul-stunning words that Jesus spoke to Peter: “Get behind me, Satan!”

Leave Satan Behind. Follow Jesus.