ICS Daily Devotions
Deliver Us From Evil
Matthew 6:13a And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray that we will not be led into temptation but be delivered from the evil one. God has already forgiven us for all our sins, but we don’t want to offend Him again by sinning. This prayer is a good reminder for us not to succumb to temptation or fall into the trap of making foolish decisions.
The word temptation can be loosely translated as “trial, testing or evil seduction”. “Trial and testing” are a test of our values and moral character in order to bring out the best in us in a difficult situation. On the other hand, an “evil seduction” is to lure us away from what is right, and to bring out the worst in us.
James 1:13-14 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”, for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
God cannot be tempted by evil. Because He is a good God and He is holy; there is no darkness in Him at all. As a believer, we should rightly discern what is right and wrong including what is the work of the devil.
John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
The devil’s mission is to steal kill and destroy, whereas Jesus came to give us abundant life. In order to avoid falling prey to the devil, we need to deal with our flesh and carnal inclinations daily.
This part of the Lord’s prayer is an excellent daily reminder of who we are in Christ, and what we can do in and through Him who lives in us. We will face temptation just as Jesus Himself has done in the wilderness, but we can always ask God to keep us away from temptation and empower us from within to walk away from people, places or situations that tempt us.
We need to remember that because of what Christ has done, we are able to walk in victory through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and the new creation in our spirit being.
Having said that, we should also take time to reflect upon what temptations we are facing in the office or at home each day, and what usually trigger us. Perhaps it is a weakness that we have in that specific area of our lives that needs to be dealt with.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
Scripture promises that there will always be a way out of the temptation, if we are to yield to the Holy Spirit, and remind ourselves that we are to live through the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus that has set us free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8: 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Sermon series: Our Prayer Life
