Matthew 6:5-15
Verse 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
This part of Jesus’ prayer is one which we may sometimes get confused about. There are various phrases which get thrown around, some as weak excuses, to make us feel better about the ways we sin. You may have heard or even said things like, “the devil made me do it” or maybe “I can’t stop doing that.” Jesus knew the truth is, even though we know God’s forgiveness and our need for it, we will still be in a battle with sin.
Jesus prayed about this temptation knowing we needed to understand the temptations in life are not from Him. He may allow us to be tempted but He is never the one who puts it in front of us. Jesus was also revealing the responsibility we each have for not following a sinful path. Yes, there are things which entice us and we find their pull more than we can withstand but when it comes to the moment of choice, we still have the option of standing with God or gratifying ourselves.
With this prayer request Jesus is showing His followers they don’t have to fight those temptations alone. While we have to make the proper choice we don’t have to do it on our own strength. There needs to be a working relationship with the Holy Spirit. Part of the Spirit’s work in our lives is to help us know truth and to stand with it.
When temptations come and we find ourselves struggling against them, the Holy Spirit will remind us of verses which will help us fight the pull of the sin. Of course we need to be knowing the Word of God before the Spirit can remind us of it, but He will remind us of things we have long forgotten just to help us fight against the ploys of the enemy.
We also need to remember that the enemy isn’t going to give up easy. In fact many times as we are drawing nearer to God, the enemy will step up his game of tempting us. He also likes to tempt us when we are tired and stressed and so we need to be careful not to let those things become an issue in our lives. We will never find revival in our lives if we aren’t consistently making the godly choice when we are tempted and repenting when we don’t.
Making It Personal
How do you deal with temptation in your life? Do you find it hard to fight temptation? How closely do you listen to the Spirit for His guidance in your life?
Making It Personal Kids
What does temptation look like? When have you been tempted? How can you fight against temptation?
Closing Prayer
Father, we repent of all the times we have given in to the temptations of life instead of standing strong for You. Help us be more aware of our weaknesses so we can hold tighter to You in those times. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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