Deliverance From Evil

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:13, ESV)

Once I had a job at US Steel inspecting the slag pockets on the Open Hearth Furnaces. It was dangerous as we opened the access to the running furnace at the ground level. The problem was that the operators on the floor above us could do things that would cause flames to blow out of the inspection hole while I was there. So, I had an assistant on the operating floor with a radio and I would call him to stop the furnace operator from doing something that could cause such a problem. Frankly, while doing this job I was in a vulnerable place and wanted to make sure the possible dangers were eliminated.

This is the sense of this last part of the Disciple’s Prayer. Jesus taught us to pray, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:13, ESV)

We live in a dangerous world. By this I mean a world that is evil and plagued with sin. Moreover, we are very weak and vulnerable people when it comes to sin. The world throws temptation at us all the time. It appeals to the cravings of the eyes, the cravings of the flesh, and the pride of man. As weak as we are and as evil as the world’s temptations are. We need the powerful of God to protect us.

Now while James stated that God does not tempt anyone to sin (James 1:13), we also know that the flesh is weak. This prayer is for the power of God to fortify us and keep our minds on the righteous path. It is a prayer by which we call upon His grace to give us strength amid the temptations that will inevitably come. It is also a call upon the promise of God to never allow any temptation to come which is beyond our ability to withstand it and also provide a way of escape from it (1 Corinthians 10:13).