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'....Who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.' ...From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, 'Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!' But He turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.'" (Matthew 16:15-17, 21-23)
INTRODUCTION
Is it possible that a sanctified 'saint,' who loves the Lord and lives a disciplined life, could unwittingly allow their mouth to be used by the enemy? If we read the scripture above it would seem that this can indeed be so! Peter had been walking with Jesus for three years at the point of this major revelation from God and the rebuke he received from the Lord. Some might say that Peter had a tendency to be impulsive, but surely three years as a direct disciple of Jesus would equal a lifetime of regular discipleship. Even then he missed it!
One thing is for sure, Peter would never forget his time in Caesarea. It was his best day and his worst day all in one! One minute, he receives the highest commendation from Jesus for getting it right and hearing directly from God the Father, and the next, he is told that satan is using his mouth!
 Paved with good intentions
Even though Peter's rebuke of Jesus was out of hand, he obviously spoke with good intentions and out of a protective heart, not wanting to see his master suffer. But to use a well known maxim, the road to hell is paved with good intentions! We can have the best of motives, yet still be wrong in terms of God's will. Some people often plead their 'innocence' saying, "God knows my heart," but they can still be wrong.
When Jesus gave His rebuke, He was not actually addressing Peter but rather, He was speaking to satan, who somehow had managed to commandeer Peter's mouth! In the age old struggle for the heart of man, if God can give us revelation which we then speak, it seems that the enemy can also speak through us without our awareness.
An incomprehensible concept
Peter was told, "...you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." In this context, it would be fair to say that the things of God are spiritual and the things of men are religious. God had a plan of redemption that involved the supreme sacrifice of His own Son, an incomprehensible concept to the natural mind. The concept of the Suffering Messiah demanded a major paradigm shift in the spiritual understanding of that day.
Religion cannot tolerate change and strives to preserve the status quo. Satan can be very religious. He understands that God is always on the move and satan seeks to capture the hearts of men by taking advantage of our desire for the 'comfort' that religious stability offers.
AN OPPORTUNE TIME
After being tempted by the devil in the wilderness, Jesus offered the same rebuke to satan that He would give at Caesarea. "...Jesus answered and said to him, 'Get behind Me, Satan...!' Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time." (Luke 4:8, 13). Perhaps Caesarea was the 'opportune time,' a final, last ditch effort to deter Jesus from His mission, using one of Jesus' closest confidants, Peter, to deliver the message.
If it can happen to Peter, it can happen to you and me too! Even the best of us can be bearers of God's good news or mouthpieces for the enemy. The solution is two fold: we must ensure that our relationship with God is rock-solid and we unmistakably know His will and voice, and that we must place a guard over our mouths at all times.
"If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless." James 1:26
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