Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, "You also were with Jesus of Galilee." But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are saying. " And when he had gone out to the gate-way, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth. " But again he denied with an oath, "I do not know the Man!" And after a while those who stood by came to him and said to Peter, "Surely you also are one of them, because your speech betrays you." Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!" And immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus when he said to him, Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." Then he went out and wept bitterly. Mathew 26 69-75.

It was after the supper had ended, the washing of feet completed that Jesus in conversation to Peter said: "Will you lay down your life for my sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied me three times.

Peter, in his bravado, emphatically insisted that he would not deny Jesus, "I will lay down my life for your sake." he said.

Peter's first mistake was not accepting Jesus warning. The words said by Jesus were ignored.

Peter's second mistake was to go into battle unprepared. Without the protection of God's armour. Paul tells us: "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Peter's third mistake was that he went into the devil's lair. He went and sat outside in the palace courtyard among the servants of the High Priest. Mathew Henry comments: " Bad company is to many an occasion of sin; and those who needlessly thrust themselves into it, go upon the devils ground; they scarcely can come out of such company without guilt or grief, or both."

Peter was vulnerable He had ignored Jesus warning, and entered the devils domain without God's armour. Peter never stopped loving Christ, but this was not enough, he had to rely on Christ's strength. So do we!

Forth in Thy name, O Lord, I go,

My daily labour to pursue,

Thee, only Thee, resolved to know

In all I think, or speak or do.

Charles Wesley