It’s interesting that Jesus didn’t say, “Do not lead us into sin.” But instead, He taught us to pray, “Do not lead us into temptation.”
We know that we cannot escape temptation entirely. The Bible tells us in Luke 4 that the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, where He was tempted by Satan for 40 days. If Jesus was tempted, we will be tempted.
However, the Son of God was tempted by Satan directly. James said that we, on the other hand, are tempted because “[we] are drawn away by [our] own desires and enticed” (Jam 1:14). He said again in chapter 4, that the battle of temptation comes from within us: “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?” (Jam 4:1)
But then he said, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (Jam 1:12).
“Do not lead us into temptation” goes even further than the “Forgive us” prayer. Now, we’re not just praying for forgiveness but for divine help. We cannot avoid temptation entirely, but we can pray that we do not find ourselves in unnecessary situations that would tempt us to sin.
This prayer is worded as if we are supposed to pray it like this: “Lord, while you are leading us not into temptation, please at the same time be delivering us from the evil one.” Again, this prayer is for divine help from God. This is a prayer for us to be kept and delivered by God every day.
The evil one is Satan. So, you could pray it like this: “Deliver us from Satan.” This reminds me of a conversation that Jesus had with Simon Peter before Simon would deny Jesus three times in one night. “And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat’” (Lk 22:31). Satan wanted Simon in order to destroy him. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (Jn 10:10). Satan wants to get at you and destroy you.
I live with the knowledge every day that I am no match for Satan. But I also know that he is no match for the Holy Spirit who lives within me! “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (I Jn 4:4).
Jesus told Peter that Satan desired to have him, but then He said, “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”” (Lk 22:32). While you are praying for deliverance, you’ve got Jesus praying for you, too. The Bible says, “He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb 7:25). “It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Rom 8:34). And “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31). Jesus is praying for you that your faith doesn’t fail! He’s praying for you right now at this very moment!
The Bible says, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (I Cor. 10:13) Your temptation isn’t uncommon. If you’re facing it, so are others. And God is faithful! There’s always an escape—a way out!
When we trust in Jesus, we can escape the trap of the evil one. We can trust God to deliver us from Satan and to make an escape. We should pray daily to be delivered, so that even when we are tempted, we don’t fall into sin.
Pray today: “Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
The Azusa Weekly 