DELIVER US FROM EVIL
Matthew 6:5-10
“Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray…” Luke 11:1 ESV
1. Pray with your HEART SET on the KING of the KINGDOM.
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:5 NIV
2. Prayer CHANGES US, not God.
Prayer aligns our thinking and desires with our Holy Father’s.
“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Matthew 6:7-8 NIV
3. Pray as JESUS TAUGHT us to pray.
This, then, is how you should pray…” Matthew 6:9a NIV
4. Pray to THE FATHER who is ABOVE ALL.
“Our Father in heaven” Matthew 6:9b NIV
5. Proclaim HIS HOLINESS.
“Hallowed be your name.” Matthew 6:9c NIV
6. Pray for God’s Kingdom to RULE, be EXPERIENCED and EXPRESSED in OUR LIVES as it is in HEAVEN.
“your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10 ESV
7. Trust the Lord to PROVIDE, and believe that His PROVISIONS are BEST!
“Give us this day our daily bread,” Matthew 6:11 ESV
8. Walk in the Lord’s FORGIVENESS and FORGIVE as you have been FORGIVEN.
“and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:12 ESV
Jesus continued to teach…
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Matthew 6:11 ESV
Five truths to help us understand the Lord’s teaching.
1. We were ENEMIES of the LORD when He SAVED us.
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved… Ephesians 2:1-5 ESV
2. His ENEMY is OUR ENEMY.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10 ESV
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 ESV
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:10-12 ESV
“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44 ESV
And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world… Revelation 12:9 ESV
3. The Lord TESTS but NEVER TEMPTS.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4 ESV
4. The Evil One TEMPTS us with our own DESIRES.
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. James 1:13-15 ESV
And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.
All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Mark 7:20-23 ESV
5. His ENEMY, the EVIL ONE, does NOT want:
- God’s Name to be Hallowed
- God’s Kingdom to Come
- Us to Trust in God’s Provisions
- Us to be Forgiven or to Offer Forgiveness
How should we understand:
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Matthew 6:11 ESV
Remember:
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9 ESV
“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41 ESV
“… sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:7 NIV
Petition:
Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers… Psalm 141:3-4 NIV
Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me… Psalm 19:13 ESV
Promise:
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able
to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV
Submit yourselves, therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you. James 4:7,10 ESV
…for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 ESV
Resisting the Evil One
Intellectually
“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:15-17 NIV
Physically
But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith… 1 Timothy 6:11-12 ESV
Emotionally
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise think about these things.” Philippians 4:8 ESV
How should we understand:
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Matthew 6:11 ESV
“Lord, I know there is a battle being waged against my faith and trust in you. Lord, I am weak… I know I still have evil desires fighting for first importance in my life. Lord, keep me from the temptation to give in to those desires, for I am weak and need your help and strength. I need you to deliver me from those evil desires and the Evil One who schemes against me.”