What Jesus Did! 'The Clash of Wills' — John 18:10-11

Sunday, November 8, 2026

[After Jesus identified himself to the soldiers and guards who came to arrest him,] Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest's slave. But Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?"
— John 18:10-11 NLT

Key Thought

Peter thought that the biggest battle would be a physical battle between the forces of Jesus and the forces of religious and political authority. He was wrong. The biggest battle was one of the will. Jesus had the authority to call down angels to slay his enemies. [1] He did not ask for the angels' help but instead offered himself up as a sacrifice to be our help. The battle was between Peter's earthbound vision of a worldly kingdom and Jesus' passion to glorify the Father by obeying his will. So often, we try to battle Satan with worldly wisdom and worldly weapons. However, our battle is with Satan's deceptive and seductive influence over our will. We need the power of the Spirit to win this battle. Do we choose to obey? Do we obey when we don't understand or if it doesn't make sense? Is our apparent victory less important to us than our obedience to God? Jesus chose the will of the Father. Will we?

[1] Matthew 26:52-53.

Today's Prayer

Holy and gracious God, my Abba Father, I surrender my will to you to obey and honor you as you command. I offer my body as a living sacrifice to you. Use me as you so choose and mold my heart to be like that of Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

1 Related Resource by Heartlight

Seed, Towel, Promise, and Torchlight: The Torchlight
Article by Phil Ware
With Jesus' arrest under torchlight, the end for darkness' reign drew near. Phil Ware concludes his four-part series on Jesus' Passion called seed, towel, promise, and torchlight.

Illustration

Illustration of John 18:10-11 NLT — "Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?"

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Sunday, November 8, 2026

God's Holy Fire
A daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
'No Match!' (Ac. 6:10)
"None of [the people arguing with Stephen] could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke."
Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'Extending the Ministry of Jesus (Part 1)'
"Meanwhile, Peter traveled from place to place, and he came down to visit the believers in the town of Lydda. There he met a man named Aeneas, who had..."
Passion for Praise
A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
'Feared Above All Gods' (1 Ch. 16:25-27)
"Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods. The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the Lord made the..."
Spiritual Warfare
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
'God, You Are My Hiding Place!' (Ps. 32:7-8)
"For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best..."

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

More What Jesus Did!