Peter was naturally forward and impulsive, and Satan had taken advantage of these characteristics to lead him astray. When Jesus had opened before his disciples the fact that he must go to Jerusalem to suffer and die at the hands of the chief priests and scribes, Peter had presumptuously contradicted his Master, saying, “Be it far from thee, Lord; this shall not be unto thee.” He could not conceive it possible that the Son of God should be put to death. Satan suggested to his mind that if Jesus was the Son of God he could not die. Just prior to the fall of Peter, Jesus had said to him, “Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” That period had now come, and the transformation wrought in Peter was evident. The close, testing questions of the Lord had not provoked one forward, self-sufficient reply; and because of his humiliation and repentance he was better prepared than ever before to fill the office of shepherd to the flock. {3SP 231.1}

Peter var af naturen fyrig og hurtig til at handle, og Satan havde benyttet sig af disse karaktertræk for at føre ham bort fra den rette vej. Da Jesus havde åbenbaret for sine disciple, at han skulle gå til Jerusalem for at lide og dø, overgivet til ypperstepræsternes og de skriftkloges hænder, havde Peter formastelig modstået sin Mester og sagt: "Gud bevare dig, Herre. Nej sådan må det ingenlunde ske!" Han kunne ikke tro, det var muligt, at Guds Søn skulle dræbes. Satan indgav ham den tanke, at hvis Jesus var Guds Søn, så kunne han ikke dø. Kort før Peter faldt, havde Jesus sagt til ham: "Satan begærede jer for at sigte jer som hvede. Men jeg bad for, at din tro ikke må glippe. Og når du engang omvender dig, da styrk dine brødre. (Luk 22,31,32) Den tid var nu kommet, og den forandring, som var sket hos Peter, var åbenbar for enhver. Mesterens nærgående, prøvende spørgsmål havde ikke fremkaldt et eneste fremfusende, selvtillidsfuldt svar, og på grund af, at han havde ydmyget sig og angret sin synd, var han nu bedre end nogensinde før skikket til at være en hyrde for Herrens hjord.