Peter, my example.

Peter is the reason for one of my greatest hopes for salvation.  If a man like Peter can be saved, so can I.  A man full of hopes and failures.  A man consumed by enthusiasm and misunderstanding, a man who's mouth and actions got him into the places of greatest blessing and sternest rebuke.

What other man is there that walked on water?  Yet before he stepped out of the boat, what other was so foolish as to say to the 'ghost' they saw "if that is you, bid me come unto thee"?  That one scenario just demonstrates to me the foolishness of faith in God.  Yet in all the foolishness, Peter did walk on water.  And in all his sinking doubt, Jesus was there to save him.

In Matthew 16 there is a wonderful example of the heights and depths which Peter so quickly moved between.  First, the greatest of revelations, the greatest of understandings, and the greatest of blessings:

Matthew 16:15-20.  He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona:for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven:and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven:and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

Followed so quickly by a thought from the Devil himself, the greatest of misunderstandings, and the greatest of rebukes.

Matthew 16:20-23.  From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord:this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan:thou art an offence unto me:for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men

Now, looking at what Peter did, who can blame him for not wanting Jesus to die?  Which one of us could honestly say that we would have been so in tune with the Plan of God as to agree to send Jesus - precious Jesus - to his death?  And the rebuke?  Get thee behind me Satan.  As good as calling him the Anti-Christ!  

At that point, did Peter think back to when Jesus told the disciples - I have chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?  Certainly Jesus doesn't make life easy for those that follow him.  Robust Christianity and true belief is what God requires.  As Job said - though he slay me, yet I will trust him.  Something so real had caught hold on Peter until he could not help but follow.

Another point that has come to my attention recently is how the divisions in Christianity have lead to so much hurt and rejection of the message of Christ.  Brothers and sisters accuse each other of all kinds of things.  Disagreements on doctrines have ended with people accusing each other of being Satan's seed and anti-christ.  While this seems terrible, is it any different than what Jesus did to Peter?  I would have to say no.  It is no different if they have truly recognised an evil influence on their brother or sister.  

Of course if their 'recognition' of an evil spirit is born purely of their own fleshly understanding, they will find themselves in a terrible position.  They have become an agent of the accuser of the brethren.  They have fallen from Gods grace into Gods judgement, for the Bible tells us that those that judge will be judged.  That is a terrible place to live in.  But as the life of Peter shows, there is a time for the severe yet Godly rebuke.

I would like to point out one thing that many people seem to have missed concerning this whole thing.  I think this may happen because of our habit of reading the Bible by chapter and verse.  The Bible didn't happen by chapter and verse, it happened day by day.  The very same day Peter expressed his great revelation was the same day he was called Satan by Jesus.  Six days later...

Matthew 17:1-2.  And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them:and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light

So, if you are going to call a Brother "satan" by the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that same brother should be in most intimate fellowship with you before the week is ended.   In this way we can follow Jesus in the most perfect way - disagreeing, yet not dis-fellowshipping.  Speaking the truth in such love that there is no resentment on either side, and no separation of any kind in day to day walk.

Peter was such a person.  After he took the rebuke of Paul for walking contrary to the commandments he also praised Paul as his beloved brother, a preacher of the wisdom and salvation of our Lord Jesus.  Peter is surely a worthy example to follow.