Permission to Sift

Steven’s Scribbles
“Permission to Sift”
Luke 22:31
    There’s a fascinating detail tucked away in Luke 22:31 where Jesus says, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat.” That phrase--“demanded permission”—ought to stop us in our tracks. It reveals a comforting truth: Satan does not have free rein. He cannot act without God's allowance. This isn't an isolated case either. We see the same dynamic in Job 1 and 2, where Satan must receive God’s permission before afflicting Job. Even in spiritual warfare, the Almighty sets the boundary lines. That should give every Christian hope. Satan is real. Trials are real. But God is still in control. That’s why Paul confidently writes in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle. That promise should be etched into our hearts.
    Now, someone might ask, “If Satan had to ask permission, then how did he rebel in the first place? And what about the angels that followed him?” The truth is, Scripture doesn’t tell us everything. A lot of what’s popularly believed about Satan’s fall comes more from Paradise Lost than from the Bible. However, we are given glimpses. Jude 6 tells us, “And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day.” That tells us these celestial beings had some level of will or choice—and that God dealt with their rebellion definitively. Though we’re not told all the “how,” we are told enough: even in the heavenly realm, God reigns. And the same God who reigns in heaven reigns in our trials.
    So what’s the main takeaway here? When life feels like it’s unraveling, when the weight of temptation or suffering seems unbearable, when it feels like we’re being sifted like wheat—remember this: God is still setting the limits. Satan can’t go a step further than what God permits. And even in the midst of trial, God is making a way of escape. If you’re walking through what feels like hell on earth—just keep walking. The trial won’t last forever. The temptation will not be more than you can bear. And the God who rules above will walk with you through it all.
I love you all!
In His Service,
Steven Hugley