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

Morning & Evening
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
Morning Thought: Song of Songs 5:16
"The superlative beauty of Jesus is all-attracting; it is not so much to be admired as to be loved. He is more than pleasant and fair, he is lovely...."
Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'Lying to God' (Acts 5:1-9)
"But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it..."
Today's Verse
A daily devotional featuring a Bible verse, thought and prayer.
2 Timothy 1:9
"God has saved us and called us to a holy life — not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ..."
Quotemeal
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
Quote by Robert Louis Stevenson:
"The best things are nearest: breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of God just before you."

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!