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“Lead Us Not Into Temptation”
Praying The Lord’s Prayer, Part
8
Matthew 6:13a
Lord, Teach Us to Pray
April 13, 2003
Our goal in this current series of messages has been to learn HOW TO PRAY, so that we will PRAY MORE, and PRAY MORE EFFECTIVELY. But just coming to church and hearing a message will not make us better Christians. James pleads with us,
“Prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”
(James 1:22-25, NAS)
So, the question any good preacher of the Word of God must ask is this: How are you Doing? Not, How are you merely
hearing, but How are you doing? When you leave here on Sunday, do you toss away your message notes that we supply you in the bulletin, never to look at them again? When you leave here, do you feel good merely because you sang some songs and listened to the Bible being preached? OR are you being proactive in taking what you experience and learn on Sunday morning and diligently seeking to apply it immediately—not waiting until Monday, but starting right there and then, on Sunday afternoon?
Are you proving yourself a DOER of the word, and not merely a HEARER, deluding yourself into thinking you’re being a good Christian?
I say this looking at myself squarely in the mirror as well. I want to examine myself and see what needs to change, allowing God’s word to do its effectual work in me as I seek to do what God tells me to do. I want to be blessed in all I do—and that happens not in merely hearing, but in DOING.
We started this series, “Lord, Teach Us to Pray,” on the first Sunday in January. We are now in April. As we draw to the end of this series, each one of us should be able to evaluate how we’ve been doing. Ask yourself a quick question, as a quiz as to whether or not you have been merely a hearer or an effectual doer of the Word:
After over three months of listening to messages on how to better pray, are you better at praying now than you were at the end of last year? You do not need to have had enormous leaps in your prayer life to answer in the affirmative. If you are even slightly better at prayer today than you were before we started this series, if you are seeking to consistently put into practice what you learn on Sunday, then you receive a passing grade!
This morning we will look at a very important part of Jesus’ model prayer. He tells us to pray this:
“And lead us not into temptation…”
(Matthew 6:13a)
1. Temptation and Where It Comes From
A major struggle for any Christian is what we call, “Temptation.” If we could overcome our temptations, we know, we would live happier, fuller, more content Christian lives.
Oh, but those temptations! Each of us has his or her own individual triggers that seem to be our particular Achilles Heal. The Apostle Paul gives a partial list of these in Galatians:
“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin.” (Gal. 5:19-21)
There you have it: He says, “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature…” It’s hard for any of us to admit that our very nature is what causes us so much grief in trying to live a life of joy and freedom in being holy and pleasing to God. Our sinful nature does not go away when we become followers of Christ. It is defeated, and it will be jettisoned before we leave this planet behind and enter into the New Earth of Eternity with God. But until our death and perfection, we have dueling natures—our Fleshly Nature that produces evil results, and New Nature through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. It is our fallen human nature that is so attracted to temptation. We need help to steer clear of the situations and circumstances that have the potential to derail our faith.
We need the power of God in our lives!
And, when we yield to his power, we will see the corresponding results:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love: joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Gal. 5:22-23)
Every minute of every day we have the potential to let one of these two realities to dominate our lives. And it is the old human sinful nature that is so susceptible to temptation. James notes:
“When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:13-14)
Where does temptation come from? James tells us: Sin does not come from GOD, it comes from my own evil desire.
I am called to take responsibility for my own life—and to deal with my sinful motives. There is no room for blaming others or to blame God.
But, some astute student of Scripture will note, Jesus tells us to pray something that seems to contradict this. He tells us to pray to God, “Lead us not into temptation”! Does that not indicate that God does indeed lead us into temptation, if we are praying for him not to do so?
Hmm… Good question!
The first rule of Scripture Interpretation is this: Allow the more clear passages of Scripture to interpret the less clear passages. Most bad interpretation happens when we follow what we
think obscure passages are teaching without allowing the more clear passages to shed light on them. Now, James says that God does not tempt anyone (that is
very clear). And Jesus’ phrase in the Lord’s Prayer is admittedly more difficult to understand (it is
less clear). So, the passage in James must help us interpret Jesus’ words in Matthew. Is there some explanation that would help these two passages both make sense?
Yes. It is what grammarians call litotes—a figure of speech consisting of an understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by negating its opposite. For instance, when you are overwhelmed by the weight of an issue, you might say, “This is no small problem.” When you negate “small problem,” you really mean it is a BIG problem. That is
litotes. Jesus says, “Lead us not into
temptation,” meaning (since God would never really lead us into temptation), lead us into the OPPOSITE direction.
This prayer is answered when, like David, we are able to say, “He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” (Ps. 23:3)
2. What to do with Temptation: Two Paths
from Which to Choose
We receive “trials” in life all the time, but it our choice what we do with those trials. Look at James 1:2-4.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials (temptations) of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
That word for trials there in verse 2 is the same that Jesus uses in The Lord’s Prayer—“trials” are the same as “temptations.” James tells us to consider it pure joy when we are faced with trials or temptations.
Why?
Because it is the unique opportunity to grow spiritually. When we face a temptation, we are given the opportunity to choose between two paths: The path of following the temptation as it leads to sin, or the path that turns the temptation into a testing so that we can persevere and become spiritually mature.
When my sinful nature entices me with a temptation—I have two paths to choose from. It looks like this:
It is our choice! We can allow the temptation to remain as it is, and to let it drag us away into sin. As one person said, “Playing with forbidden fruits gets you into bad jams.”
OR! Or we can turn the temptation into what the Bible calls a “testing.” When we persevere the testing, we grow in spiritual maturity.
So, Jesus tells us to pray, “Lead us not into
temptation.” In other words, lead us on the other path—the one of righteousness that flows into becoming spiritually mature!
But what if I succumb to the temptation? Am I going to die? That is what the diagram and the verses in James seem to say! It seems that if I follow the path of temptation, I will sin, which will inevitably lead to spiritual death.
Not necessarily. There is good news—there is a way to stop that from happening.
If you are in the mud hole of your sin, there is an intervention that you can do that will halt your decline into spiritual death. Those who are saved cannot die a spiritual death and be separate from God—instead, they do not have the desire to follow their temptations all the way down to death. Instead, they have the inner-desire to confess their sins and to be placed back on the path of righteousness. And so they follow the way of 1 John 1:9.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
(1 John 1:9)
Now, avoiding the mud hole is easier than scraping off the mud! But if you have to scrape off the mud, God gives you that grace as well.
It is best not to succumb to the temptation in the first place. It is best to overcome it at that first place of CHOICE.
3. How to Overcome Temptation
A simple country doctor sees a patient who says he broke his arm in two places. The doc replies “Well, then stay out of them places.”
He may have something there. We cannot regularly put ourselves in the face of temptation and not be affected. The first method to overcome temptation is this:
a. Stay away from that which tempts you.
Paul gives his protégé Timothy some good advice: “Flee the evil desires of youth” (2 Tim. 2:22). If you know that watching certain TV shows flairs up in you evil desires, the most logical thing to do is to STOP watching! If you cannot help but spend money you do not have, tear up your credit cards!
Find where each temptation gets its nourishment, and deprive yourself of the food that your mind uses to feed your temptations. One wise Christian said, “If there is nothing in your life that you are saying ‘no’ to, you are not living the Christian life.”
Thomas A Kempis, in his classic devotional work, The Imitation of Christ, wrote,
“We need especially to be on guard at the very onset of temptation, for then the enemy may be more easily overcome, if he is not allowed to enter the gates of the mind: he must be repulsed at the threshold, as soon as he knocks...For first there comes into the mind an evil thought; next, a vivid picture; then delight, and urge to evil, and finally consent. In this way the enemy gradually gains complete mastery, when he is not resisted at first. And the longer a slothful man delays resistance, the weaker he becomes, and the stronger his enemy grows against him.”
The “enemy” that can enslave us, according to Scripture as I understand it, is not just Satan (though he certainly is our enemy). The “enemy” is our own sinful nature—that if we do not cut off its tendency to tempt us toward sin, can enslave us in all sorts of addictions of sinful behavior.
So, as author Louis L'Amour wrote, “Avoid trouble when possible, face it when necessary.”
How do we face it? One way is this:
b. Overcome temptation with Scripture.
When Jesus was in the wilderness and faced his temptation, his number one defense was to say what?
“It is written!” (See Matthew 4.) He quoted Scripture and exposed the lies of Satan and obeyed the Word of God.
In the same way, when we so immerse ourselves in Scripture that it oozes from our pores, and we can quote it because we are deliberately memorizing that which we are studying, we will honestly be able to repeat what Psalmist says to God:
“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm
119:11)
c. Find God’s way out of the temptation.
Look at this amazing promise from the Bible:
“But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13, NLT)
We simply need to be on the lookout for the way out that God will always supply.
One time, several years ago, I admit that I was steadfast in trying to sin. I got into my car and started to drive to where I know I should not go. As I drove, I came to a literal detour in the road. I followed it, which coincidently took me right back near my home. That was not going to stop me, however. I kept going. By the time I headed toward my destination, my car’s “Fuel Low” light started flashing at me, with that irritating bell ringing at me. I had to stop and get gas. After putting a few gallons in my tank, I continued on my journey, only to get stuck behind not just one, but TWO salt trucks on the highway. We moved along at a snail’s pace, salt bouncing up and pummeling the front of my car. But I was not to be deterred! I got off the exit of my sinful destination—only to slide off the road and get stuck in the ditch.
God provided not just one, but FOUR ways out. The grace of God would not let me go. For weeks, I had a sign on my bedroom’s closet door, reminding me of God’s grace. It simply said, “Detour. Gas. Salt Trucks. Icy Road.” Nobody else knew what that meant, but I did—God had provided my way out, and then some!
d. Be spiritually prepared for battle against coming temptation.
That is what Ephesians 6:13-17 teaches us.
“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
(Eph. 6:13-18)
This links directly back to The Lord’s Prayer. Our prayer time becomes like a spiritual dressing room in which we “dress for success” in order to be prepared to resist temptation in our lives.
The U.S. forces in Iraq would have been in sorry shape if they had gone into that desert terrain unprepared for the battle to come. If you have not prayed BEFORE the temptation comes, your probability for success declines enormously. You need to put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand your ground.
Now here the challenge. Are we going to be mere hearers of the Word, or are we going to be DOERS of the Word? Will you purposefully, proactively, with bold determination, seek to put into practice these strategies to overcome temptation? How will your prayers change for the rest of your life due to this proclamation of God’s Word to you this day?
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