And lead us not into temptation. (Luke 11: 4, ESV)
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from [the evil one]. (Matthew 6: 13, ESV)
Have you ever been tempted to “go for it” when you shouldn’t have? You have two hundred and thirty yards to carry the lake from a questionable lie, yet you decide to give it a try. Kerplunk! You have two hundred and forty yards to carry the corner of a tall, tree-lined dogleg, and you think, “What the heck, let’s give it a rip.” A nanosecond later, you are playing pinball with tree limbs.
Obviously, these examples don’t apply to everyone. For some, those yardages and shots are well within their wheelhouse. For others, not so much. However, we are all prone to try shots that we are incapable of pulling off. Much like sinful enticements, in the moment, we have an adrenaline rush; but, in the end, disaster waits.
Temptations are an unavoidable part of the fallen world. Knowing what is right and wrong is crucial; resisting evil is another matter entirely. Socrates claimed that “no one knowingly does evil.” Sadly, all of us have plenty of personal evidence to refute that assertion. The issue is not ignorance; rather, the essential issues are: love for Christ and the power to overcome.
Jesus instructs us to ask, “Lead us not into temptation.” This prayer can be perplexing. Elsewhere, we are told, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God….’” (James 1: 13). Why would we ask him not to do something he is incapable of doing—tempt us with evil?
One way to untie the knot is to understand the word can be translated as “testing” rather than temptation. That solves some of the riddle. Why?
For one, while God does not tempt his children, he most certainly does “test” his children. He tests us so we can discover what is in our hearts (cf. Exodus 16:4). He, obviously, already knows. But then, if that is the case, why would he instruct us to ask the Father not to test us?
Perhaps, the idea is in asking God not to test us beyond our capacities! Knowing the weaknesses of our own hearts, maybe he is teaching us to petition the Father to “keep us from evil.” Or perhaps, we are being taught to ask the Father to strengthen us against the temptation.
When we turn to Matthew’s version of The Lord’s Prayer, we notice that he adds, “…but deliver us from the evil one.” As is often the case, this second part is intended to shed light on the first part.
When we read it this way, he is essentially saying, “When you are in the battle against the unrelenting forces of temptation, petition the Father to deliver you from the Evil One.” Understood this way, we are petitioning the Father to do for us that which we cannot do in our own strength—lead us in Christ’s triumph over evil.
In our own strength, we are no match for Diabolos (aka, the Devil). Yet, Scripture teaches us, “Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4). In Christ, we are clothed with impenetrable armor provided we remember to put it on. We have all the weapons we need to fight and win the battle over temptations and sin.” (Ephesians 6: 10-20).
Whenever you find yourself overpowered with nagging temptations, remember the words of the Psalmist:
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield…my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. (Psalm 18: 2-3, ESV)