Question 117: What do we pray for in the sixth petition?

Answer: In the sixth petition, which is, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil," we pray that God would either keep us from being tempted to sin, or support and deliver us when we are tempted.

DAY 1: Matthew 26:41

This week will obviously be a time where we can contemplate temptation, the sovereignty of God, our wills and God’s purposes. I hope these lessons will raise questions in your mind that we can discuss. The other week we were able to touch upon some of the things in these lessons around the table. Possibly this will give some light to that discussion.

In the model prayer Jesus gives us the phrase, “and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Let’s first take a look at what we are asking God not to lead us into. The word temptation is the word peirasmos (pi-ras-mos’). It is “an experiment, attempt, trial, proving”. All temptation is in reality a testing ground. It is the place where we are proved for what we are. It reveals how pure or impure we are. There are numerous instances of temptations in the Scriptures. We will mention a few in a moment.

However, the question might arise, “Does God lead men to temptation?” I think clearly since God has ordained all things that truly He has ordained that men are to be tempted. However, just because He ordains and may even lead men to be tempted, does not mean He is the one tempting. We have spoken previously about James 1:13. In that passage the verb form of the same word is used and there we are told that men should not look to God and accuse Him of tempting them. Rather, temptation comes from within man. It does not come from outside of man, though the thing he lusts after and is tempted by may, and usually does exist outside of him. However, this was not true with the Son of God.

We recall the story of Jesus after His baptism in Matthew 4 where the Scriptures say that Jesus was led by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil (4:1). Here we have a clear description of the fact that the Spirit of God, who is God, leads the Son of God to be tempted. However, we find also that the one tempting is not God, but Satan. Yet, unlike fallen man, the Son of God does not have sinful lusts within Him that succumb to temptation. The purpose of the temptation in Matthew 4 was not to show that Jesus was able to sin, but it was to show He could not and would not sin.

We are not the Son of God, nor do we have a sinless nature. We do however find ourselves tempted daily. Each day we exist we are tested to whether or not we will our fidelity towards God will be proved genuine or not. We will either show forth our love of God and His truth by overcoming temptation or we will give in to temptation and show a love for ourselves. Therefore it seems that Jesus is illustrating the fact that we should be those who call upon God to show mercy in regards to temptation: that mercy being expressed in being delivered from the evil one. The true child of God is one that knows that temptation will come but pleads with His Father that he would be delivered from the aspect of sin that can come from yielding to the temptation. This petition is designed to keep us from being presumptuous in regards to sin (Psalm 19:13). We should not give into temptation and distort the issues concerning God’s foreordination and just say, “Well God foreordained this and I desire it, so I’ll do it and grace will cover it.” That is the very thing that James says that we should guard against.

Our passage from Matthew 26 illustrates a very practical point. Remember that the context is that it is the night before Jesus’ crucifixion. He has taken three of His disciples with Him to the garden to pray with Him. As Jesus goes to pray to the Father, He admonishes His disciples to watch with Him. The word He uses is gregoreuo (gray-gor-yoo’-o). This word speaks to being cautious and active, while giving strict attention to something. Specifically, it seems that Jesus is speaking to them praying. For in verse 41 He includes praying alongside of watching.

What He says in verse 41 seems to be tied to several things that were said earlier in the chapter. For instance, in verse 31 Jesus quotes Zechariah 13:7 and speaks about this referencing what is about to take place. At this point we see that Peter is the one who stands up in verse 33 and says that he will never be one to stumble, even if the rest of the disciples do. He even says he will die before he is willing to deny Jesus. Also, let us note that Peter is a leader and inspirer of confidence. Many sermons focus on the fact that Peter makes this statement, but Matthew records for us that the rest of the disciples also chimed in with the same thing at the end of verse 35.

It is here that we move ahead to verse 40. Jesus specifically speaks to Peter and you can almost hear some sarcasm as He says, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?” This is followed by the imperatives to watch and pray, lest they enter into temptation. The idea behind entering into temptation is that fact that they are not only led to temptation, but that they actually submit themselves to the temptation. Yes, Jesus was clear in verse 34 that Peter would deny Him 3 times that night. Yet, He was just as clear in speaking to Peter how to overcome the temptation which was going to ensnare him. The mystery for us as a creature is why Jesus continues to admonish His disciples to do something in order to overcome something that He has already prophesied would come to pass. I do believe this is one of those passages that demonstrate the responsibility that man has and also the divine sovereign plan of God.

However, the flip side of what happened with the disciples is seen in the Son of God during what is probably the most testing time that we see in His earthly life. He is One who is dependent upon the Father. Three times we see Him bring Himself before the Father and submit Himself to the will of God (vss. 39-44). Each time He cried out that the will of His Father might be accomplished. This is a stark contrast with His disciples.

What happened as a result? Well we discover that the disciples were indeed scattered as Zechariah and Christ prophesied and Jesus accomplished the will of the Father overcoming the temptation that was before Him to forsake the cross.

So some heart probing questions we must ask ourselves. Are we confident in the flesh and yet failing to realize that it is weak (vs. 41)? Do we constantly bring ourselves before the Father and submit ourselves to His will? Do we have a desire to be led by God’s Spirit through trials and temptations and come out being delivered from the power of sin? Are we presumptuous when it comes to sin or are we those who are indeed watching and praying in order that we may not enter into temptation. May God teach us to be those who call upon Him to deliver us from the evil one and prove us to be those who are faithful unto Him.

DAY 2: 1 Corinthians 10:13

The context for this verse is in the midst of Paul speaking to the Corinthians in regards to those of Israel who saw and experienced the living God among them. They partook of all of the blessings that God poured out and yet verse five tells us that He was not well pleased with them and scattered them throughout the wilderness. Why are these things mentioned to the Corinthians and to us as well? Verse six tells us that those things are for our example to remind us that we should not lust after evil things. Specifically Paul speaks to idolatry, sexual immorality and tempting God. He calls us away from such presumptuous sins.

Lest we forget and think that we are capable of taking up the battle against these temptations in the flesh, Paul reminds us in verse 12 to be careful in thinking that we are above falling into the same types of sins that the Israelites found themselves in. When we have this type of mindset, we are the most prone to actually fall into temptation.

However, in verse thirteen notice what Paul says.

1. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man. The phrase “common to man” is one word in the Greek anthropinos (anth-ro’-pee-nos). It simply means that which is human or that which is applied to men. It seems that whatever temptations we face, those temptations are not restricted to us alone. Many others have faced the same temptations. Some have overcome them and some have succumbed to them.
2. These are real temptations. The same word used here for temptation is the same one that we have seen before used in the New Testament. The word can speak to testing or a trial. These temptations are there to show what we are made of. There are some examples we could speak to in the Old Testament about this. Abraham in Genesis 22 was tempted or tested by God. A variation of the word is used in the Septuagint to speak of God’s testing Abraham concerning his son Isaac (22:1). In light of the passage we looked at in James, was God tempting Abraham with evil? In no way. God was merely putting Abraham to the test. It was to prove what was indeed in Abraham’s heart. And in the midst of the testing, what happened? God provided a substitute for Isaac. Abraham was proved to be faithful to God.
3. We made mention of Abraham’s faithfulness. However, the passage in Corinthians speaks to the fact that God is faithful. He is pistos (pis-tos’). He is trustworthy. We can rest assured that God does not lead us to the testing fires and leave us to be consumed in them. Rather, He will walk with us through it and not allow the temptation to be more than we are able to take on.
4. He then goes on to say that God provides a way of escape or a way out of the temptation. However, he concludes with the phrase “that you may be able to bear it”. The idea is that God is not always pleased to provide the means of escape immediately and so will grant to us the ability to bear it. The word used here speaks to endure or persevere. God will provide the necessary means of escape, but also will provide the endurance to hold up under such temptations. We can see this even in the temptations of the Lord Jesus from Matthew 4.
5. With that in mind. It seems that some temptations are to be dealt with by not being in the place where they are going on. In verse 14, Paul says to flee idolatry. In 1 Cor. 6:18 we are told to flee fornication. We are told to flee foolish and harmful lusts along with the love of money and greediness in 1 Timothy 6:11. We are not to engage the enemies of our souls in conversation and be hospitable towards them. Rather we are to leave them just as Joseph did Potifer’s wife, even to the point of stepping out of his own cloak.

Examine yourself. Have you resisted temptation? Do you easily succumb to it? Can you testify to the sustaining power of God that gives to you endurance under such temptation? Are you prideful of a squeaky clean reputation? Do you feel that you could never fall into such wicked temptations as idolatry and sexual immorality? If so, be careful lest thinking that you stand you fall. May God in His mercy and grace grant to us the ability to endure temptation and be delivered from it by His divine means.

DAY 3: John 17:15

Today will be just a brief look at John 17:15. In the midst of the high priestly prayer of the Lord Jesus we find that He has a specific petition of the Father. There are two things within this petition.

1. First H specifically states that He does not desire that they be taken out of the world. Though they are in the world, they are not of the world (vs. 16). So Christ’s desire is that they not be removed from the world in order to escape temptation or any other thing in the world. Rather He has promised that they would indeed experience those things in the world.

2. However, He does pray affirmatively that those whom He has been given (vs. 9) and not for the world. Thus He prays that they would be kept from the evil one. The word for keep is the word tereo (tay-reh’-o) and means, “to guard”. The idea behind this is that not only would they be guarded against Satan himself, but also against sin and it’s ultimate power, which is death.

3. Jesus’ prayer is not only for the his disciples at that time, but also for all who will believe in all ages (vss. 9, 10, 20).

4. This prayer indicates that God is our sole means of protection against the enemy. Temptations cannot truly be overcome apart from His power. Though He has enabled us to fight against temptation, the apostle Paul admonishes us not to stand against the forces of darkness in our own strength, but to stand strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Eph. 6:10).

5. Again, the implication is that we have been set apart and that God’s prescriptive will is that we not give into temptation presumptuously. Rather, our prayers should be like that of the Lord Jesus in that we cry out to God for deliverance from evil. This is the same thing that David prays in Psalm 19:13. May God grant us the same mindset not only in prayer, but in the waking moments of the day. Let us be sober and watchful, lest we fall into temptation.

Scripture: Matthew 6:13; 26:41; Psalm 19:13; 1 Corinthians 10:13; John 17:15.