Wrongful Thinking

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. (Matthew 6:13)

Temptation and evil surround almost constantly. The word ‘temptation’ as we use it now according to Merriam-Webster is a strong urge or desire to have or do something, or something that causes a strong urge or desire to have or do something, especially something that is bad, wrong, or unwise.

We are often tempted in this life by food, drugs, money, fun, anger, love, and so many other things. Giving into temptation does not always lead to sin, but the problems begin when we are tempted to sin. And so, we pray as Christ taught us “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil”.

This phrase in the Lord’s Prayer is often said as if it were one thought, or two ways to say the same thing. But God does not lead us into temptation, as we know from James 1:13 and being delivered from evil is a very different situation entirely. First look at temptation.

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.

If God does not lead us into temptation, why would Christ put that phrase into the prayer He taught the disciples? This may seem contradictory but looking at the Aramaic and Greek translations of this phrase makes it clearer to us. Here is a word study on the phrase by Chaim.

“Hence using the Dead Sea Scrolls rendering as guide we would find a more proper rendering of this phrase: Lead us not into temptation to be: Do not allow us to enter wrongful thinking or testing.” Posted on May 16, 2014 by Chaim

We now understand that when we pray ‘lead us not into temptation’ we are really asking God to protect us from making our own mistakes and to guide our minds into right thinking. We are asking Him to prevent us from using our free will to choose to ‘enter into’, not only wrongful testing (being around what we know is bad for us), but also wrongful thinking. To know that God is protecting our minds is very powerful and comforting.

Look now at evil. God not only protects us from our own bad choices but also protects us from the evil that is in the world. Humanity today calls good evil and evil good. We are buffeted all around us by people doing wrong but thinking it is right. We work with them, we live with them, we see it on television and movies, we hear it in our music. The world is evil, and we need to be delivered from it.

Jesus, in His prayer, is encouraging us to pray for two different and deadly things. One is for protection from ourselves and the other is for protection from the evil that comes from outside ourselves.

And give no opportunity to the devil. (Ephesians 4:27)

We can come before God and request these two protections, but we also have the responsibility to follow Christ’s teaching to remove ourselves from places and things that tempt us. As much as is possible in living our daily lives, we must not give the devil any opportunity to confuse us, to scare us, or to draw us away from what is right.

Avoiding temptation and evil makes life easier but when evil presents itself, we must resist. Learning not to go along with the crowd and to appear different is challenging for all of us. Non-Christians will not understand why we choose not to get drunk, or not to do drugs or sleep around. We will be judged and ridiculed. This is okay. This is persecution which Christ told us we would suffer. But the more we resist, the more the devil will flee. Christ is God, the creator of Heaven and Earth– the devil is just a fallen angel. He is weak but with Christ we are strong.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

There are ways we can stay strong in addition to staying away from places and things that tempt us and avoiding evil. God’s word tells us to arm ourselves for this battle. This is a war for our very souls, but God has the armor.

His word is our strength. God has our back, front and all sides. We can stand firm no matter what attacks us. We do that by being truthful, righteous, knowing the gospel, bringing peace wherever we are, having faith, relying on the Holy Spirit, and most of all having God in our hearts and His forgiveness of our sins.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, (Ephesians 6:13-17)

Repentance of our failures due to temptation and evil means turning away permanently from the things we choose that made us fail and sin. It is a turning away and a turning toward God. We don’t just stop sinning, we start living for God. We don’t just stop hanging out with sinners. We start hanging out with those who believe as we do. We learn a different way to live and a different way to think. We need to change our wrongful thinking to God thinking.

For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:18)

Prayer: God, forgive us for our failures, our sins and for giving into temptation. Forgive us for yielding to the evil in this world. Help us to know the truth and stand firm in it. Give us a great desire to turn our whole bodies, souls, minds, and spirits toward You and away from the world. Thank for the free will that we have to choose You over evil and the strength you give us through your armor. Help us take up the sword of Your spirit and slay the enemy daily. Amen

My book Fresh Fruit Meditations on the Fruit of the Holy Spirit can be ordered from Amazon or Goodreads.com.  Also available at Chritian Bookstores or on Kindle.  Thank you. Jennifer Chamberlain