And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. (Matt 6:13 NKJV)
THE LORD’S PRAYER – PART 8
The focus of this verse is not on “the evil one.” Satan, the Devil, Lucifer – he exists, and he’s at hard work on our demise. Evil has seeped into this world through him and finds its way into all sorts of people, situations, activities… It works its way into our hearts through sin, and like a disease or infection, it grows within us making our spirits sick. The word evil used in this verse means “anything in active opposition to good and that which corrupts and causes deterioration in our character, implying a loss of soundness, purity and/or integrity”.
The hero and the whole focus of this verse, however, is the word “deliver.” There are evils and sins and influences in us and around us that are inescapable to some point. I think all of us can say that we have experienced sin in many ways.
BUT there is a cure. There is a way out. A deliverer. Someone who can snatch us away from the clutches of corruptibility and into grace. A Saviour who rescues our souls from the demise of evil and erases that black festering wound sin implants into our hearts.
It can be easy to go looking for sin and evil in every nook and cranny… but instead we should pray and make Jesus, our deliverer, our focus. He will rescue us and lead us into grace and hope and away from the domination of sin into the wide open spaces of His love where we’re from free from the corruption of evil externally and internally. Prayer keeps our heart pointed in the right direction.
And don’t worry, we all need Jesus – no one is immune. Which fills me with great hope – we are all in this together and Jesus is here to rescue us all.
Deliverance could mean a number of different things to you today… maybe you need deliverance, guidance, through a certain decision and situation you’re in. Or maybe you need deliverance, forgiveness, from a decision you made that’s eating you away… or maybe you need deliverance, healing, from something that's happened to you – something out of your control. Whichever way evilness and sin are trying to creep into your heart, look to Jesus. He will DELIVER us.
