Deliver Us from the Evil One
ICS Daily Devotions
Matthew 6:13 (NKJV) And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Temptation can be translated as trial, testing, or evil seduction. The purpose of trial and testing is to test our morals and character in order to bring out the best in a difficult situation. In contrast, an evil seduction is to lure us into bringing out the worst. As good students of the Word, we should be able to divide between good and evil.
When we come to this portion of the prayer, we need to remember that Jesus can empathise and sympathise with us when we are tempted in this world. The weakness of the flesh can easily draw us away from Him. Therefore, we need to ask the Lord to help us to be delivered from temptation. There is a tussle between the desire of the flesh and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
James 1:13-14 (NKJV) 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.
The devil knows our weaknesses and will play into our flesh’s desires. Temptation will come in different forms. It is designed to lure us away from God and lead us to follow the world’s ways. As we don’t want to offend God again after being forgiven, this is a good reminder not to succumb to temptation or make foolish decisions.
God cannot be tempted by evil; neither does He tempt anyone. It means that God is not the source of temptation. Temptation is the work of the devil and the desire of our flesh. God is a good God. Therefore, God has no darkness at all. As believers, we should rightly divide what is right and wrong, including what is the work of the devil. The devil kills, steals, and destroys, whereas God gives us an abundant life. We need to deal with our flesh and carnal inclinations daily. The Lord’s Prayer is a good daily reminder regarding 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 was tempted in the wilderness. Temptation can lure us to do something evil and wrong, but we can ask God to keep us away and empower us from within to walk away from the people who tempt us or the places of temptation. We can walk in victory through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and the new creation in our spirit.
Sermon Series: Lord, teach us to pray
