After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13
Lead us not into Temptation
If you are following the Lord, you will still be tempted.
This can come from others, from yourself, from engagements you might have allowed into your life,
music, images, seeking after the things of the world or desires in your own heart that are fleshly,
and of course, that old devil who recycles his tricks and we all keep falling for them.
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man:
but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able;
but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1 Corinthians 10:13
Jesus was saying to keep following Him, watch where you’re going.
Satan is the tempter. We can also be led away by our own lusts.
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil. Proverbs 4:25-27
but deliver us from evil
We do have a part in this.
Our feet can walk right into evil.
We might think we’re strong enough or we might justify the action somehow.
His Spirit is also there to remind us when we have gone astray.
He has the ability to deliver us from evil, even if we get ourselves into predicaments,
when we haven’t been seeking God’s Kingdom.
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Matthew 26:41
There are some things that are benign.
There are many things that are blatantly evil.
The Devil is very crafty and he knows our weaknesses, what we like, what might entice us.
He’s always looking for the perfect opportunity to get us distracted from God’s best for us.
This is where we have had warnings of not touching the unclean thing.
The unclean things represent anything at all that is not holy, that is tainted.
In other words, things that will lead you astray from following the Lord.
However subtle, they are there. Watch and Pray and guard your heart.
But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. 2 Thessalonians 3:3
Jesus has given us all we need. He is right there beside us, able to help when we ask,
when we choose to walk in His ways, to follow His commands and to listen to His Spirit.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:13
Scriptural References:
Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her;
be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.
Isaiah 52:11
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Proverbs 4:23