One of the most sobering lessons I’ve learned about myself,
and I don’t think it’s just me, is that, given the “right” (I mean” wrong”)
circumstances, I am capable of all kinds of sin. Though I’ve been a Christian a
very long time, I know that if I put myself in the wrong place at the wrong
time with the wrong kind of temptations, I can and will fall.
One of the keys to my walking in victory is not getting
close to the things that tempt me. I think this is why Jesus teaches us to
pray in The Lord’s Prayer, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
the evil one. Matthew 6:13
This statement poses a problem for some people, because the
Bible teaches that God never tempts us to sin (cf. James 1:13). So why would Christ
tell us to pray, “don’t lead me to be tempted?”
Jesus is teaching us to acknowledge that our God controls
all things. Our path tomorrow, the people we meet, the circumstances we face,
the opportunities and blessing, the trials and tragedies, the victories and
triumphs, all are under His control. Were we to wander into the wrong place at the wrong time, we might stumble, to the discredit of God and our own shame.
So we humbly come to ask our Father, Please don’t let
me get into a situation where I would dishonor You. I don’t pretend to be strong,
Lord. I depend upon You. By faith I will turn away from sin, and pursue
righteousness. But please guide my steps so I won’t trip and fall.
Similarly, we ask, Deliver us from the evil one. (The
original Greek is literally, deliver us from the evil. I think this stresses the personal, demonic nature of evil here – the Evil One.)
Our God is in the delivering business! This is the same beautiful word used in Colossians 1:13: He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us
to the kingdom of his beloved Son.
Demonic power is a real force against us,
and a true threat. But we do not fear and we do not panic. We pray. We trust not our experience and spiritual progress, but our great God. As John said, We know that everyone who has
been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects
him, and the evil one does not touch him. 1 John 5:18.
This is the E of our acrostic: Expect Guidance and Protection, and we do. We expect it of Him because He has promised it in His word and demonstrated it to us over and over. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 2 Corinthians 1:10.
FOR NEXT TIME: prayeR - RE-FOCUS ON HIM
