|
LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL ONE
Matthew 6:13
In recent weeks we have been pondering the prayer Jesus that taught us to pray. We have seen that it is a prayer to be prayed as we go into each day. And we have seen that it is a prayer that gives meaning to our lives. It reminds us that we are God’s children, deeply loved and significant. It reminds us that our great purpose in life is to bring praise and honor to God. It reminds us where life on this planet is headed and gives direction to our own lives. It reminds us to put our trust in our Father in heaven to meet our needs.. and to be content with what He gives us. It reminds us to ask for God’s forgiveness and let go of grudges - and be set free! Pray this prayer daily.. and it will give us significance, purpose, direction, contentment, freedom. It will also give us confidence. We come now to the final petition.. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Interpreters struggle with the first part of this prayer - Lead us not into temptation. Read different version of the Bible and in some you will read, Do not let us yield to temptation.. in others, Do not bring us to the test.. and more.. So how are these words to be translated? Here a few things to think about. Hebrew speakers often said the same thing twice for emphasis. It seems to me that this is what is happening in this prayer.. Deliver us from the evil one is another way of saying, Lead us not into temptation. In Matthew 4:1.. Matthew writes, Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. It seems that it was the Father’s plan that Jesus be tempted. He was, and overcame the devil and then began His ministry in the power of the Spirit. The Father did not tempt Jesus.. the devil did.. and in a similar way God does not tempt us, the devil does. But God does allow us to be tempted so that we will become stronger people. But God will not allow us to be tempted in a way that will break us. The Apostle Paul writes, 1 Corinthians 10:13.. No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. Consider Job. God set a limit to what Satan could do! With all this in mind.. I believe we can translate the prayer like this. Our Father in heaven.. lead us not into trials and temptations that will get the better of us, but deliver us from the evil one. And when I pray it like that.. it gives me confidence as I face today.. and the future! It assures me the devil will not get the better of me. With that in mind.. now let us look more closely at the second part of the prayer, deliver us from the evil one.
When we pray these words we remind ourselves that.
As we have just seen, Jesus faced this enemy Himself. At the very beginning of his work as a teacher and healer He spent 40 days in the barren hills near Jericho. Luke tells us.. in Luke 4:1,2,13.. Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert.. When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. The enemy.. Satan, the devil, the evil one.. tried to divert Him from His life's work.. he tempted Him with food, fame, and fortune. And the struggle did not end there! At one time he even tried to divert Jesus through something the Apostle Peter said. Matthew 16:23.. Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Jesus warned Peter that he, too would be hounded by this enemy: Luke 22:31,32.. Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers. About 30 years later the Apostle Peter himself wrote: 1 Peter 5:8,9.. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.. And the Apostle Paul reminds us.. Ephesians 6:12.. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Many people think the devil is a fiction.. and joke about him. Satan is no joke. He is very real. And very dangerous. D.L. Moody said, I believe Satan to exist for two reasons: first, the Bible says so; and second, I’ve done business with him. The truth is - there are very real evil forces at work in this world.. and Satan is their chief. We have a powerful enemy.
When we pray this prayer we remind ourselves that..
Just before He was crucified Jesus said: John 12:31.. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. Who was He talking about? Satan. The devil. He went on to speak of being lifted up from the earth and John explains He was indicating the kind of death he would suffer. In Hebrews 2:14,15 we read.. Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. When Jesus died and then rose again the ruler of this world.. Satan, evil one, devil.. was overthrown. And as a result.. we can be free! The Apostle Paul was one who was set free. He reflects on how it was for him.. and us.. before we were set free.. 2 Corinthians 4:4.. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.. Ephesians 2:1,2.. You were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.. That is how it was for Paul. But the Lord opened his eyes.. made Him alive.. and set him free from the evil one.. He wrote.. Ephesians 2:4-6.. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.. Jesus set him free.. and gave him a job to do.. Acts 26:18.. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God The truth is we have a powerful enemy but Jesus has defeated him and we are free.
When we pray this prayer we remind ourselves that..
Jesus has set us free from the clutches of the evil one, but he is still a foe to be reckoned with. He has been defeated.. but he has not been eliminated. He is still about the place.. And he refuses to lie down. He prowls like a roaring lion.. but he roars because he is fatally wounded.. I remember seeing a film set in Africa.. where a lion was wounded.. roared in pain.. and attacked in rage! When we pray this prayer we remind ourselves that we have a powerful enemy.. that we have been freed from his clutches.. that God will keep us safe from him.. That gives us confidence.. but it also reminds us that we are unable to fight him by ourselves.. that we need God’s help. That is why Jesus prayed.. John 17:15.. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. And why the Apostle Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 3:3.. The Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. What a promise that is. Take it to heart.. and place our confidence in God, not in ourselves! Pray this prayer.. Keep me safe.. protect me.. deliver me from the evil one.. and go on to pray.. For Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory! As I ponder this, a picture comes to mind.. a scene from the schoolyard.. a group of boys has ganged up on Johnny.. and are chasing him. In terror, he runs to his big brother.. throws himself around his legs.. turns.. faces the gang.. and shakes his fist at the gang.. go away.. leave me alone. We can do that every time we are tempted. Run to God like that! He will protect us!
And when we pray this prayer.. and pray it day by day..
I cannot see how we can possibly pray.. Our Father in heaven.. lead us not into trials and temptations that will get the better of us, but deliver us from the evil one.. if we do not do our part.. if we do not co-operate with God. Here are some ways we can co-operate with God.. We can stay away from tempting situations. James writes.. James 1:13,14.. God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Stay away from things that arouse desire. You will know what they are! We can stay away from bad company. The Apostle Paul writes.. 1 Corinthians 15:33.. Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” But aren’t we supposed to mix with unbelievers.. to make Jesus known to them? Yes.. but there comes a tipping point.. when they are influencing us more than we are influencing them.. when that happens.. run! We can memorise the word of God. In Psalm 119:11 we read.. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. At the very outset of His ministry Jesus was tempted.. tempted by food.. turn these stones into bread.. tempted by fame.. throw yourself down from pinnacle of the temple.. the greatest publicity stunt ever.. tempted by fortune.. the devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world.. worship me.. and all these kingdoms will be yours. And how did He win? He quoted scripture! He knew what His Father thought.. what His Father valued. Be like Him! We can fix our eyes on Jesus. In Hebrews 12:2 we read.. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Driving car.. another vehicle coming towards you.. what do you do.. look at that car? No. Keep eyes on the road.. look straight ahead! Do you want to resist temptation? Keep your eyes on Jesus!
This is a prayer that gives us confidence to face today and the future. God will allow us to be tempted to make us stronger people.. but He will not allow the devil to get the better of us. Pray this prayer.. often.. believe it.. co-operate with God.. and be confident!
|