Temptation

Matt. 6:13 "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."

 

It is actually kind of weird. The very thing that the Spirit did with Jesus, Jesus tells us to pray would not happen to us. In chapter 4 we read: "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil." Jesus was lead into temptation. He was taken to the wilderness for the very purpose of being tempted. Not so with us. We need to pray that this not happen. Not only should we pray that God deliver us from sin, but we need to pray that He deliver us from temptation and the schemes of the evil one.

 

Jesus knows what we are like. We are unlike Him. He was able to be battle Satan effectively. We can as well, but we are humans and we fall. We sin. We succumb to temptation. Paul knew this: "No temptation has taken you but such as is common to man. But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will, with the temptation, make a way of escape, so that you can endure it." I Cor 10:13. As my pastor says: We sometimes can't avoid birds flying over our heads, but we can avoid them making a nest in our hair. It is going to happen. We are going to be tempted, but we can even avoid that if we ask God to not lead us there. If we ask Him to deliver us, to rescue us from the evil one. Satan is tricky. He knows where we are weak. He knows our soft spots. I need to ask God to firm those soft spots up and rescue me from the tendency to give in.

 

Frankly, I don't hear people pray like this very often. In fact, I don't pray like this very often. I wonder why that is? We think we can handle it on our own? We are just oblivious to the arrows that are shot at us? We/I have to open my eyes and realize that Satan is out to devour us. He wants to take us down. We need the strength and power of God in our lives. We need what comes next: For Yours is the kingdom, and the power and glory forever. Only God can handle this stuff and I need to rely upon Him, not me.

 

This is God's kingdom. He is the One who rules and is in control. This is God's power. He is the One who has the might to deliver us. This is God's glory. He is the One who will be exalted, forever. Amen. So be it.