EXPLANATION OF THE LORD'S PRAYER
"Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
Matthew 6:13.
Temptation is enticement to sin, and this does not proceed from God, but
from Satan and from the evil of our own hearts. "God cannot be tempted with
evil, and He Himself tempteth no man." James 1:13.
Satan seeks to bring us into temptation, that the evil of our characters may
be revealed before men and angels, that he may claim us as his own. In the
symbolic prophecy of Zechariah, Satan is seen standing at the right hand of
the Angel of the Lord, accusing Joshua, the high priest, who is clothed in
filthy garments, and resisting the work that the Angel desires to do for
him. This represents the attitude of Satan toward every soul whom Christ is
seeking to draw unto Himself. The enemy leads us into sin, and then he
accuses us before the heavenly universe as unworthy of the love of God. But
"the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that
hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the
fire?" And unto Joshua He said, "Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to
pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment." Zechariah
3:1-4.
God in His great love is seeking to develop in us the precious graces of His
Spirit. He permits us to encounter obstacles, persecution, and hardships,
not as a curse, but as the greatest blessing of our lives. Every temptation
resisted, every trial bravely borne, gives us a new experience and advances
us in the work of character building. The soul that through divine power
resists temptation reveals to the world
and to the heavenly universe the efficiency of the grace of Christ.
But while we are not to be dismayed by trial, bitter though it be, we should
pray that God will not permit us to be brought where we shall be drawn away
by the desires of our own evil hearts. In offering the prayer that Christ
has given, we surrender ourselves to the guidance of God, asking Him to lead
us in safe paths. We cannot offer this prayer in sincerity, and yet decide
to walk in any way of our own choosing. We shall wait for His hand to lead
us; we shall listen to His voice, saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it."
Isaiah 30:21.
It is not safe for us to linger to contemplate the advantages to be reaped
through yielding to Satan's suggestions. Sin means dishonor and disaster to
every soul that indulges in it; but it is blinding and deceiving in its
nature, and it will entice us with flattering presentations. If we venture
on Satan's ground we have no assurance of protection from his power. So far
as in us lies, we should close every avenue by which the tempter may find
access to us.
The prayer, "Bring us not into temptation," is itself a promise. If we
commit ourselves to God we have the assurance, He "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.
The only safeguard against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart
through faith in His righteousness. It is because selfishness exists in our
hearts that temptation has power over us. But when we behold the great love
of God, selfishness appears to us in its hideous and repulsive character,
and we desire to have it expelled from the soul. As the Holy Spirit
glorifies Christ, our hearts are softened and subdued, the temptation loses
its power, and the grace of Christ transforms the character.
Christ will never abandon the soul for whom He has died. The soul may leave
Him and be overwhelmed with temptation, but Christ can never turn from one
for whom He has paid the ransom of His own life. Could our spiritual vision
be quickened, we should see souls bowed under oppression and burdened with
grief, pressed as a cart beneath sheaves and ready to die in discouragement.
We should see angels flying swiftly to aid these tempted ones, who are standing as on the
brink of a precipice. The angels from heaven force back the hosts of evil
that encompass these souls, and guide them to plant their feet on the sure
foundation. The battles waging between the two armies are as real as those
fought by the armies of this world, and on the issue of the spiritual
conflict eternal destinies depend.
To us, as to Peter, the word is spoken, "Satan hath desired to have you,
that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith
fail not." Luke 22:31, 32. Thank God, we are not left alone. He who "so
loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16),
will not desert us in the battle with the adversary of God and man.
"Behold," He says, "I give unto you power to tread on serpents and
scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any
means hurt you." Luke 10:19.
Live in contact with the living Christ, and He will hold you firmly by a
hand that will never let go. Know and believe the love that God has to us,
and you are secure; that love is a fortress impregnable to all the delusions
and assaults of Satan. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the
righteous runneth into it, and is safe." Proverbs 18:10.
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