Lead Us Not into Temptation

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Matthew 6: 9-13: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one for Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Remembering that the Lord’s prayer is a covenant prayer recognizing who God is as our provider, deliverer and sustainer, we recognize, also, that in covenant with us, He does not lead us into temptation, but He does deliver us from evil.

Satan is the tempter.

Satan tempted Eve.  Genesis 3:1-6: Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, `You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?'' And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, `You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' '' And the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die.   "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'' So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

Satan tempted the woman with what he, himself, wanted, to be God. She, in turn, brought the temptation to her husband.  

Isaiah 14:12-14: "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations!  For you have said in your heart: `I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.”

Satan tempted Jesus. Matthew 4: 1-11 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.  Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.'' But He answered and said, "It is written, `Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' '' Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: `He shall give His angels charge concerning you,' and, `In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.' '' Jesus said to him, "It is written again, `You shall not tempt the Lord your God.' '' Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.'' Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, `You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.' '' Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”

Satan tempted Jesus with the super hero-worship of man.  Jesus is greater than Superman, Batman, Spider man and all the other heroes of this world.

Satan tempts us.  Paul warned the Corinthians.  2 Corinthians 11:3-4::But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.  For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you may well put up with it. “

Progressive and Replacement Christianity preach another Jesus.

Acts 5:3: But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?

John 13:2: And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him.

Know the difference between temptation and testing.

Temptation: the desire to do something, especially something wrong, unwise or foolish.

Testing: measures the quality, performance of something or someone.

God is omniscient. He already knows whether or not we will pass the test. We are the ones who need to know. Ecclesiastes 3: 18.  I said in my heart, "Concerning the estate of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like beasts.''

Psalm 139: 23-24: Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

Ways that God may test us: (Notes from Tom Shephard, “7 Examples of Testing in the Bible.”.

Patience: Trials and tribulation can be a test of patience. The Lord has a timing for fulfilling His plans and purposes. Often His plans take much longer than we expect. Job’s life was a test of patience. In fact the Bible says in book of James, “Remember the patience of Job.”

Faith: Trials test of our faith. Do we believe in God even in the midst of pain and suffering? Do we believe in the promises of God even when everything looks impossible? Do we trust in God even if He does not deliver us? Do we trust in God even when we do not understand His ways and working in our lives? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were tested and showed their faith.

Love: Trials can test our love. They can reveal whom or what we love most in our lives.  John 21:15-17 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?'' He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.'' He said to him, "Feed My lambs.''  He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?'' He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.'' He said to him, "Tend My sheep.'' He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?'' Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?'' And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.'' Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.”

Endurance: Trials can be a test of our endurance. How much are we willing to endure for the Lord? Will we give up easily from following the Lord? Will we endure till the end? The life of Paul is an example of endurance.

2 Corinthians 11:25-28: From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;  in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.”

Lord, You deliver us from Evil.

Psalm 71: Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

James 4: 7.  Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

 

Prayer for deliverance:

Psalm 71: Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

 

All of this so the world will see that “Thine is the power and the glory forever and ever.”