20 Days With the Lord’s Prayer Day 13: He can help us overcome temptation.

“In this manner, therefore, pray: 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.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬-‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬

Jesus, having just been baptized by John the Baptist, now had an appointment to keep. Before beginning His public ministry He would face a time of testing by the devil in the wilderness.

“Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Yes, after 40 days of fasting in the severity of the wilderness, the Lord was approached by the devil who put him through three temptations. In each case, the devil‘s motive was to get Jesus to do what h

e said, rather than remaining true to the will of the Father.

If you are familiar with the story, you will know that Jesus countered the devil with the word of God. He did not try to argue with the devil. Rather, He used the word to dispatch him.

Temptation is common to mankind. Jesus, taking on our form, was subjected to all things to which we are subjected. But He did not sin.

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Because Jesus remained steadfast in His obedience to the Father in all His temptations, those of us Who believe that His blood has cleansed us from all unrighteousness, can confidently ask Him to help us when we are facing temptation.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Make no mistake, the Lord is not dangling things in front of us, trying to trip us up.

“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

Now, the Lord may lead us into a time of testing. He does this to help us practice what we have learned, to purify us, and to help us learn to trust Him for strength to endure. Additionally, we can be sure that He will give us a way to escape temptations unscathed.

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

For today we consider the portion of the Lord’s Prayer that says, “Do not lead us into temptation.”

Child of God, the Lord wouldn’t suggest that we pray for something that we didn’t need. We are human beings living in a fallen world. Outside of Christ we have no hope of overcoming the world, the flesh, and the devil with the accompanying temptations. Indeed, the word of God tells us this:

“For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

But thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ, He has provided a way for us to be cleansed from all sin and be led by his Holy Spirit into all righteousness.

Additionally, as we have been discussing, the Lord is able to keep us out of temptation and/or out of sin in the midst of temptation. We need only to ask Him, believe Him, and obey Him.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!