THE LORD’S PRAYER - PROTECTION
In March, 1989, an asteroid a half mile across, moving at the speed of 44,000 miles per hour, shot across the very path the earth travels, missing us by only six hours. Did you know about this danger? Every day an estimated twenty tons of material from space enters our atmosphere, most of it the size of grains of sand but some as large as golf balls. Did you know about this danger? Daily we face temptations of every size and shape. Do you know about this danger? You should!
Matt 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
After recognizing God’s person and provision the Lord’s prayer ends recognizing His protection. We need to constantly remember that we are safe in the hands of Jesus.
1. Lead us not into Temptation –
When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden all creation was changed. We were born into a fallen world as fallen people. Even though we have been redeemed from the curse we still face it’s consequences daily. We face temptations of many kinds. Most come as a result of our fallen nature:
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world.
Gen 3:6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom …
The lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life are things we daily face. Temptation does not come from God. It comes from the devil and from our own fallen nature. The devil uses it to destroy us and lead us away from Christ.
James 1:13 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
To pray “lead us not into temptation” is not to say that God would tempt you. It is also not saying that God would keep you from ever being tempted. It is asking God to help you face temptations and to lead you out of them. It is not a sin to be tempted – it is what we do with temptation that is important. All of us faced it every day coming in many forms and wearing many faces.
1 Cor 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.
You do not have to sin when you are tempted. There is always a way out. God has given us everything that we need to overcome it. How are we to handle temptation when it comes? How does God actively help us to avoid falling into sin?
a. Keep watch –
The way to handle temptation is to catch it early. Above in James 1:15 it says "after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death" This gives the picture that temptation is like conception. The more it is allowed to grow the stronger it becomes. Praying “lead us not into temptation” is asking God to keep you alert to the danger always around you.
Martin Luther – “lead us not into temptation is to say: O dear Lord, Father and God, keep us fit and alert, eager and diligent in your word and service, so that we do not become complacent and lazy as though we had already achieved everything. In that way the devil cannot fall upon us, surprise us, and deprive us of your precious word or stir up strife and factions among us and lead us into other sin and disgrace, both spiritually and physically; Grant us wisdom and strength through your spirit that we may valiantly resist him and gain the victory. Amen."
We need to keep constant watch over our eyes, mind and heart. Erwin W. Lutzer wrote “Temptation is not a sin; it is a call to battle”. When you see temptation approaching sound the battle cry and call upon God to aid you in the struggle.
An idle person tempts the devil to tempt him. - Proverb
b. Avoid tempting places –
An old Arabian Proverb says “He who wants to play with a cat should be able to bear its scratches.” Another proverb says “Pheasants are fools if they invite the hawk to dinner.” Avoiding temptation means that we need to stay out of places and situations in which we will be tempted. No one can be caught in a place he does not visit. – Danish Proverb
To pray “lead us not into temptation” is to pray that God will help keep you out of places that you know will be tempting.
2. Deliver us from the evil one –
Some translations say “deliver us from evil”. The word used in the Greek is PONERUS or evil and is used here in the nominative case. This normally denotes a title and is translated “the evil” or the evil one.
We do not simply face the desires of our fallen nature but we face a real and living devil that has only one goal – to destroy you and lead you away from Christ. The devil has years of experience in leading people astray and is an expert on human nature. However, he is just a fallen angel. His power is nothing compared with the awesome majesty of God.
1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world .
In Christ God has already delivered you from the devil’s hands. You have been saved from his kingdom and he is no longer your master. You have been set free. To pray “deliver us from the evil one” is to lean on God’s power and authority to resist the devil. Satan has no power over you accept that which you give him. We need to stand on who we are as God’s children and what Christ has done for us on the cross.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
A certain man wanted to sell his house. Another man wanted very badly to buy it, but because he was poor, he couldn’t afford the full price. After much bargaining, the owner agreed to sell the house for half the original price with just one stipulation: he would retain ownership of one small nail protruding from just over the door. After several years, the original owner wanted the house back, but the new owner was unwilling to sell. So first the owner went out found the carcass of a dead dog, and hung it from the nail he still owned. Soon the house became unlivable and the family was forced to sell the house to the owner of the nail. If we leave the Devil with even one small peg in our life, he will return to hang his rotting garbage on it, making it unfit for Christ’s habitation.
3. Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen –
Some translations do not include this statement in it. The reason for this is that most of the early manuscripts do not have this statement in them. The King James version – which uses mostly latter translations – does include it. While this may or may not be an addition, it’s focus is certainly in line with the theme.
The Lord’s Prayer ends in a triumphal proclamation of victory. God’s is the ultimate kingdom and He has the ultimate power and His glory is the greatest. By keeping our focus on Christ and His kingdom we will keep our heart, mind and eyes from things that lead us astray. By remembering our position in Christ we will not give up or give in to the plans of the devil for our lives.
The mighty Niagara River plummets some 180 feet at the American and Horseshoe Falls. Before the falls, there are violent, turbulent rapids. Just before Chippawa Creek River empties into the Niagara, a pedestrian walkway spans the river. Posted on this bridge’s pylons is a warning sign for all boaters: "Do you have an anchor?" followed by, "Do you know how to use it?" Faith, like an anchor, is something we need to have and use to avoid spiritual cataclysm.
Do you have your anchor fixed firmly in Christ? Have you given your life to Jesus and made Him Lord? Do you know how to use the spiritual victory and resources that Jesus purchased for you on the cross? Do you know you are more than a conquerer in Christ and are you living like it in your daily life?
