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First Corinthians 10:12 warns Christians against spiritual overconfidence. The ESV says, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” The point is that confidence in ourselves can make us vulnerable to temptation. Peter illustrates the danger in Luke 22:31–34: he spoke boldly about his loyalty to Jesus, yet soon denied Him three times.
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I want to discuss weightlifting injuries. First, I will tell you how I wish they occurred. And then I will tell you how they occur.
I wish they occurred very slowly, so you knew they were coming. I wish you were bench pressing and your rotator cuff said, “This is too heavy. I’m about to tear.” Or you’re squatting in your 20s and your lower back says, “You better not do this. You’re going to have lots of problems in your 40s.”
Instead, weightlifting injuries take place in one of two ways: first, and most obviously, when you’re working out. If you’re interested, you can go to YouTube and search for videos of people tearing their biceps and chest muscles. I decided against showing you any videos because they are gruesome to watch. But here’s what you’ll see: a man bench pressing and he lowers the weight, probably a weight he’s lifted many times before. Suddenly, a large gap develops around his armpit where his chest muscle detached from his shoulder. Or someone is bent over a preacher bench curling, they lower the weight, and suddenly their biceps tears and rolls up their arm.
The second way weightlifting injuries occur is when people are not working out. You shut the car door or drop something and quickly reach for it, and your shoulder tears. There’s only one time my lower back went out at the gym. Every other time I was at home, feeling fine, and I bent over or threw a kid in the air, and then suddenly felt the shooting pain.
What you notice with these injuries is that there’s no warning sign. Instead, we feel strong. We are confident nothing bad will happen. We are doing something that we have done many times before. Next thing you know, we are severely injured.
Spiritual Injuries Occur Like Weightlifting Injuries
I think sin often occurs in this manner, too. There’s no warning sign that we are going to have trouble. We feel strong. We are confident about this particular area of our Christian lives. But then we fail. We are, spiritually speaking, severely injured.
That’s what happened with Peter. He felt confident. He thought he was strong. So strong, in fact, he told Jesus he would die for him. But then he failed.
Here’s the context. Jesus is celebrating the Last Supper with the disciples. During the supper, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet (John 13:2–5). You would think this would produce some humility in the disciples. But it didn’t.
At least three recorded times earlier, Jesus told the disciples that He would die, but when He instituted the Lord’s Supper, He told them that He would die for them. You would think that would produce some humility. But it didn’t.
Then Jesus told the disciples that one of them would betray Him. They questioned one another about who it could be (Luke 22:21–23). Luke also records a dispute about which of them was the greatest (verse 24). Even during this solemn meal, they needed Jesus’s correction about humility and service.
Jesus rebuked them, and you would think that would produce some humility. But it didn’t, at least not with Peter, who we will see demonstrate serious pride. That catches us up:
Luke 22:31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,
Jesus knew Peter’s faith was about to be tested, so He graciously warned him. He let him know that a spiritual battle was raging for his very soul. Jesus addressed him twice as “Simon,” emphasizing the seriousness of the warning. Luke does not state why Jesus used that name. Jesus continues:
Luke 22:32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
Take Heed Lest You Fall, Peter!
Think about all Jesus has graciously said to Peter. You would think it would sober him to the danger he was in and cause him to be on guard and less self-assured. But it didn’t:
Luke 22:33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”
Not the humble response we would hope for. Instead of acknowledging his weakness and expressing gratitude toward Jesus for warning him and praying on his behalf, he makes this declaration. He was overconfident in his ability to remain faithful and oblivious to the spiritual battle he was in.
This would have been a prideful statement to make at any time, but it was particularly bad now because he was telling Jesus He was wrong. Jesus says, “You’re going to stumble.” Peter says, “No, that will never happen. I would die for you.” He’s like that man on the bench press who thinks he will lift the weight like he has so many times before, unaware he’s about to tear his chest muscle, or he’s like that forty year old pastor who thinks he can train legs like he used to, unaware he’s about to spend a month limping around like an old man. So, Jesus tells Peter exactly what will happen:
Luke 22:34 Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”
We Can’t Trust Ourselves
We can say something untrue without lying. Lying is deliberately misleading people. However, sometimes we believe something is true, only to find out we are wrong. For example:
- You tell someone you will meet them somewhere, but something prevents you from honoring your commitment. You weren’t lying. You thought you would meet the person, but you ended up being wrong.
- You said something in a discussion that you thought was true, only to find out later that some of the details were wrong. You weren’t lying. You thought you were telling the truth. But you ended up being wrong.
That’s how I view the situation with Peter. We are tempted to be overly harsh in our judgment and say that we can’t believe he said this and then betrayed Christ. But I think Peter genuinely believed he would go to prison with Jesus and even die for Him.
So, here’s the question: Why did Peter believe he would go to prison or even die for Jesus…when he wouldn’t even acknowledge knowing Jesus to a servant girl? Because Peter didn’t know himself. And we don’t either. Consider this familiar verse:
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
The Hebrew word for deceitful is `aqob. It’s closely related to Jacob’s name: yaʿăqōḇ. Just like Jacob deceived people, our hearts deceive us:
- Our hearts deceive us into trusting ourselves versus trusting God
- They deceive us into thinking we can sin and get away with it
- They deceive us into thinking we will do something we wouldn’t do…such as go to prison for Christ or even die for Him.
Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m just following my heart” or “This is what my heart is telling me to do”? I don’t want to sound harsh, but I want to be honest: When people say this, you know you’re listening to people who don’t know the Bible, because the Bible would tell them their heart is the last thing they should listen to.
We Need New Hearts
If our hearts were so great or trustworthy, God wouldn’t have to give us new ones! Jeremiah 31:31-34 contains the prophecy about the New Covenant that Jesus instituted at the Last Supper. It is about God giving us new hearts. Elsewhere:
Ezekiel 11:19 (Amplified) I will give them [a new heart]…I will take from them the heart of stone, and will give them a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart…I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Our hearts are so evil that God doesn’t even talk about fixing them. He says we need new ones. Picture this: you take your vehicle to the mechanic to be fixed, but instead of fixing it, he says, “It’s so bad, you should just get a new one.” That’s the situation with our hearts!
Jeremiah 17:9 is a familiar verse. I have listened to people quote it throughout my Christian life. But I don’t know if I’ve ever heard anyone share the next verse, which is where we learn the solution to our deceitful hearts:
Jeremiah 17:10 “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
We can’t search our hearts or test our minds, which is to say we can’t know ourselves. But these are things the Lord can do. He does know us. Hebrews 4:12 says He discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart. David knew that he couldn’t know his own heart, so he wrote:
Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
David prayed for God to search him and test him, revealing if there was any wickedness in him, because he knew he couldn’t see all of it for himself. Then he wanted God to lead him in the way of everlasting, which is to say, put him on the path of righteousness…because he knew his heart would put him on the path of unrighteousness.
The Way Godly Men Describe Disqualified Leaders
Reports of serious misconduct by Christian leaders provide a sobering setting for applying these verses.
When I preached this message in June 2025, two examples were in the news:
- Josh Buice was a pastor and the founder and president of G3 Ministries, an organization that hosted conferences featuring some of the nation’s most prominent speakers. It was discovered that he created fake social media accounts to slander prominent Christian leaders.
- Michael Tait, formerly of DC Talk and Newsboys, faced allegations of sexual misconduct from three men, reported in June 2025. In a June 10, 2025 statement, he acknowledged substance abuse and unwanted sexual touching while disputing some details of the accusations.
We don’t have to go back very far to talk about other disqualifications, such as Steve Lawson, who had an inappropriate relationship with a woman.
When godly men respond to these disqualifications, they don’t say, “I can’t believe them. How could they do this? I would never do something like that. I hope they get everything coming to them.”
Why don’t godly men say things like this when another Christian fails? Because godly men know that they don’t know their hearts, which is to say, they know that they have the potential to do the same things themselves. They recognize that God prevents them from being as bad as they could be…but they could be that bad without God. They have an appreciation for God’s grace because they know it restrains them. They know that without it, they could do the same things. Hence the familiar saying, “There but for the grace of God go I.”
In other words, in these godly men’s discussions of other men’s failures, there isn’t any pride or haughtiness. Instead, there’s humility because they know they don’t know themselves.
Take Heed Lest You Fall, Because We Fail Regarding Our Strengths
Consider this familiar verse:
1 Corinthians 10:12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
This is another verse that’s often quoted without considering the context. But the context is essential. In 1 Corinthians 10:1-10, Paul discusses various failures of the Israelites in the wilderness. He talks about God punishing them for complaining, committing idolatry, and engaging in sexual immorality. Then he writes:
1 Corinthians 10:11 These [judgments] happened to [the Israelites] as an example, [and] they were written…for our instruction…12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
So, here’s the question: Why did Paul write this after talking about the Israelites’ failures? He knew we would be tempted to become proud and look down on the Israelites: “I can’t believe them. What in the world were they thinking? They were so terrible. I would never do that.” So, he says, “Let anyone who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” In other words, don’t become proud, or you will fall just like them.
We Must Be Warned About Our Strengths
Paul could’ve simply warned us to take heed, but he specifically addresses the person who thinks he stands. Paul isn’t warning us about our weaknesses. Who needs to be warned about their weaknesses? When I reflect on my shortcomings, I realize I don’t excel in those areas. I know those are the areas in which I struggle to stand. I know these are the areas where I fail.
When Paul says, “let anyone who thinks he stands,” he’s referring to our strengths, or the areas in which we think we stand. That’s why we need to be warned, because these are the areas in which we think we won’t struggle. It is as though Paul says, “Let anyone who thinks he’s strong be careful because that’s where you could fall.”
That is what makes Peter’s failure so sobering. We may remember Thomas for doubting the resurrection report, but he later confessed Jesus as his Lord and God (John 20:24–29). Peter, too, had made a remarkable confession of faith:
Matthew 16:15 [Jesus asked], “Who do you say that I am?” 16 Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus [responded], “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Talk about confessing Jesus well, Jesus said He would build His church on “this rock,” referring to Peter’s confession. When Jesus says He will build His church on your confession, you know you’ve got a great confession. So, the point is, if there’s anyone who would never deny Jesus, it’s Peter, the man with the greatest confession in Scripture. But that’s precisely what happened, because we can fail at the point of our greatest strength.
Many Men Failed Regarding Their Strengths
I don’t often build lessons off of isolated events. I’m not saying that if something only happens once, that it can’t teach an important truth, but as I’ve said many times, if God wants us to learn something, He repeats it. Therefore, I believe that if something is vital, it’s mentioned multiple times in Scripture, and that’s the case: we repeatedly see men fail in their areas of strength. Here are a few examples.
Noah Was Unrighteous
Genesis 6:9 Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation.
Noah was so righteous that when the entire world was destroyed because of its wickedness, he got to live. When the whole world is destroyed because of sin, but you live, you know you are righteous.
2 Peter 2:5 [God] did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness.
When the New Testament mentions Noah, there’s more attention given to his righteousness. Righteousness was his strength. But then he exits the ark, gets drunk, and passes out naked. That’s not what righteous men do.
Abraham Lacked Faith
Abraham’s strength was his faith. He’s known as the father of faith. When Paul explains justification by faith, he uses Abraham as the example:
Romans 4:12 [God made Abraham] the father of [all] who walk in the footsteps of the faith that [he] had.
Abraham’s faith is an example for us, yet he also acted out of fear. On two occasions, he concealed that Sarah was his wife because he feared being killed: first in Egypt (Genesis 12:10–20), and later in Gerar (Genesis 20:1–13). Even a man known for faith needed to trust God in moments of danger.
Moses Was Proud
Moses’s strength was his humility. Numbers 12:3 describes him as more meek than anyone else on earth. Yet at Meribah, his words and actions failed to honor God:
Numbers 20:10 Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?”
Moses spoke as though he and Aaron were the source of the water, and he struck the rock instead of speaking to it as God commanded. God gave the reason they would not lead Israel into the land: they had failed to trust Him and uphold His holiness before the people (Numbers 20:8–12). Even Moses needed to guard against pride and disobedience.
Solomon Was Foolish
Solomon was considered the wisest man who ever lived. Wisdom was his strength. But when I say that, you sort of cringe. It almost seems like there should be an asterisk or footnote in the Bible stating that Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived, but he also appeared to be the most foolish man who ever lived, as he did every single thing God told kings not to do. In Deuteronomy 17, God told kings:
- Don’t multiply horses from Egypt, but that’s precisely what Solomon did
- Don’t multiply wealth, but that’s precisely what he did
- Don’t multiply wives, but that’s precisely what he did
We must be careful with our weaknesses, but because we know they are our weaknesses we are on guard against failing in those areas. We must be even more careful regarding our strengths, because those are the areas in which we are the most confident that we won’t fail. Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
Repent and Then Help Others
In Luke 22:32, the phrase “When you have turned” is synonymous with “when you have repented.” Sin is going in the wrong direction. Repentance is turning around and going in the right direction. Peter was going to sin and head in the wrong direction, but he would repent and turn in the right direction. And we know this is what we should do when we sin: repent.
But Jesus also expected Peter to do something else after repenting: strengthen others. When we have repented, God wants us to help others. And this is another lesson that I probably wouldn’t have taught if there wasn’t support from elsewhere in Scripture.
David committed adultery with Bathsheba, murdered her husband Uriah, and then hid his sin until Nathan confronted him. He repented and then wrote Psalm 51. David spent over half of the Psalm asking God to forgive him. Let me read some of the verses:
Psalm 51:1 Have mercy on me…according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!…7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow…9 Blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Then, after all this, consider what David said he would do after being forgiven:
Psalm 51:13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
David said he would do what Jesus told Peter to do: help others. But notice David didn’t say, “I will teach people,” or even, “I will teach disciples.” He said, “I will teach transgressors.” These are individuals who have already sinned. That sounds too late, doesn’t it? Don’t we want to teach people before they sin, so they don’t sin? But there’s a lot to teach people after they’ve sinned.
Think about what David could teach people who had already sinned:
- He could teach them not to hide their sin like he did.
- He could teach them to confess their sin like he did.
- He could teach them about the forgiveness they can receive, like he did.
David also said, “Sinners will return to you.” This is similar to what Jesus said to Peter about turning. Returning to God is synonymous with repentance. David said, “I will help sinners repent and return to You.”
David sets a good example for us. He couldn’t undo his sin or the consequences of it, but he could help others. We can’t undo our sin, and often we can’t undo the consequences of our sin in our lives or the lives of others. However, one of the best things we can do is help others repent and overcome their sins, just as God graciously helped us do.
Take Heed Lest You Fall
Peter’s declaration that he would die for Jesus, made just before he denied Him three times, is a familiar account in Scripture. The hypocrisy makes it well-known. It’s one of those cringeworthy moments that allows us to pass judgment on Peter and think we would never do the same.
But I think that’s the completely wrong response. We should look at this and say, “If Peter, who was passionately committed to Christ, could sincerely believe he would die for Him, and then deny Him, we should be on guard against failing Christ, too.” I think this sobriety is the best way to help avoid failing Christ. Because as Paul wrote, “Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.”
