Peter planted his right foot firmly on the chest of the dead soldier lying at his feet. He clutched his bloody sword with both hands and lifted it high above his head, letting out a victorious cry. Dozens of the emperor’s best fighting men lay scattered around him, each victim to Peter’s lethal battle skills. Pilate would think twice next time before letting the Jews talk him into taking Jesus. They had underestimated both the power and the passion of this one disciple. He noticed the other disciples looking at him with admiration, as if they were fully aware of their plight should Peter have not chosen to act. Jesus would have been taken and their incredible journey would come to an abrupt end. He felt certain that the other disciples now realized the wisdom in Jesus’ decision to take Peter deeper into the garden.

Although Peter had been certain moments ago that he had finished off the last soldier, in an instant he was back in battle mode as someone had somehow gotten close enough to get a hand on his shoulder. As he brought his sword around to strike down one more foe, the scene dissipated like a vapor before him. He slowly opened his sleep-heavy eyes as he heard his name called again. Looking up, he saw that the hand on his shoulder belonged not to an enemy, but to Jesus Himself. Jesus said something about watching with Him an hour, but Peter didn’t catch most of it as he laid his head back down on the rock. In just a few moments, he was back on the field of battle showing his fellow-disciples how to protect the Savior of the world.

In reality, instead of protecting Jesus from the soldiers and religious leaders who had come to capture Him, Peter had slept through the one time Jesus needed him most. Within a few hours, he was a broken man, nothing like the one in his dreams. How could he see himself so willing to lay down his life for his beloved Master one moment, then denying he even knew Him the next? His life was such a dichotomy. Daring to actually walk on water one moment. Sinking into the sea through failing faith the next. Using his sword to swing at a servant. Refusing only a few hours later to admit he even knew Jesus.

I assume you’ve been there. I have. I have the dreams and failures to prove it. My memory is a collage of both trophies and scars. Fresh starts are a passion of mine because I have needed so many. Dreamers fail. Failures dream.

But something Jesus said to a slumbering Peter is one of the best truths I’ve noticed the last several years. He made a profound statement that we’ve historically only taken one half of, while the other half has lived in an unfortunate shadow. Jesus informed Peter that his flesh was weak. No argument there. But we lose sight of the fact that He also said Peter had a willing spirit (Matthew 26:41). In context, Jesus’ emphasis was on his weak flesh, no question. But the weak flesh was the point only at that moment. Time would prove that Peter wasn’t just cursed with a weak flesh. He was also blessed with a willing spirit. And his willing spirit proved to be a stronger influence in his life than his weak flesh.

A weak flesh comes as standard equipment with a human being. All of us possess it. And it’s dangerous. Very dangerous. But do you know what’s more dangerous than the presence of a weak flesh? The absence of a willing spirit. While a weak flesh is not optional, a willing spirit is. Peter’s weak flesh wasn’t his defining factor because he maintained a willing spirit. David’s weak flesh did not seal his fate; rather, his willing spirit enabled him ultimately to live a life that we admire and that God used.

Do you know what a Fathead is? They are advertised as life-sized stickers that go on your wall, and they are usually of a famous sports figure. Imagine putting a Fathead of Peter on your wall. Take a magnifying glass and look very closely and you’ll see his weak flesh and lots of it. But, take a few steps back to use your magnifying glass and you’ll be amazed at the man that emerges. Read Peter’s biography and there are chapters that will make you cry for his failures. But finish the book and you’ll be inspired by the man with a spirit that would not die.

Maybe you have chapters in your biography that you have wished a thousand times weren’t there. They’re there because you have a weak flesh. The presence of tear-stained pages filled with regret doesn’t have to define you, though. From its pages can emerge a book that inspires all who finish reading it. Jesus Christ offers fresh starts to everyone who has a weak flesh. But a willing spirit is essential to take advantage of it.