50 Days of Prayer – Day 10
“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.”
Matthew 6:13 (NKJV)
A Christian comedian I heard once recited this portion of the Lord’s Prayer but added:
“Lead me not into temptation – (I seem to find my own way there!)” Maybe like me, you can relate. Temptation is often unavoidable. It comes naturally! Martin Luther said, “You can’t keep the birds of temptation from flying overhead but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” How do you do that? How do you overcome temptation? Jesus gives us the first step in the rest of this petition – “… But deliver us from the evil one.” Because we live in a fallen world and Satan is the prince and power of the air, the “god” (little “g”) of this world, we will encounter temptation deliberately targeting us from the evil one. He knows our weaknesses and will do all he can to use them against us. Apart from Christ, we are no match for him. But in Christ, the Bible says, we are more than conquerors! We are overcomers! That means we don’t have to be overcome by temptation but can overcome it through the power of prayer as we draw close to God! He is our shield and protector!
If you are bombarded by temptations beyond your ability to resist, cry out to God – deliver me from the evil one! This is the privilege of every child of God. Prayer is a mighty weapon in the arsenal Christ followers are given! Don’t fail to use it or you will fail. Temptation will never be won by will power. That is why New Year’s resolutions fail so quickly. Maybe I’m getting too personal here. What we need is God’s power! Jesus said, “For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever! Amen.” This part of the prayer is omitted in some earlier manuscripts, but I think it could have a double meaning. First it relates to God, the Father, to whom belongs all the power and glory of His Kingdom. But maybe it could also be a message to Christ followers as well. Could Christ be saying that in Him we have been given the kingdom of God, His rule and reign in our hearts that enables us with power and glory to overcome temptation and defeat the evil one? John tells us in 1 John 4:4 (NKJV), “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” I have a friend who paraphrases that verse like this: “Greater is He who is in you than he who is after you!”
Satan is a defeated foe. Yet, we are to fight the good fight of faith in this fallen world if we are to live in the victory Jesus won for us. Prayer is the first offensive weapon we are given. The other weapon is the Word of God. The Word of God, the Bible, is called “the Sword of the Spirit.” in Ephesians 6:17. When Jesus, Himself, faced temptation from the evil one in Matthew 4 we are told He quoted the Scripture – “It is written …” Luke’s account of this says that in response the devil left Jesus for a more opportune time. It’s imperative to know the Scriptures and how to use them in spiritual warfare. Read them daily. Meditate on them. Then when temptations come knocking on your door, send Jesus to answer it! Use the Word of God against the evil one.
These 50 Days of Prayer are designed to equip you and empower you to overcome the habits and hang-ups that have thwarted your spiritual growth. God desires for you to thrive, not just survive! As you begin to overcome the temptations through prayer and the Word of God, your faith will soar! You’ll be living from the offense and not just the defense! You’ll begin to attack the gates of hell and rescue others who are perishing. You’ll be a victor and not a victim! Keep praying, keep reading God’s Word! Even the weakest Christian is a threat to the evil one when he is on his knees. Our power comes from God through prayer.