996. Lead Us Not Into Temptation But Deliver Us From Evil

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. Continuing our study series on the Lord's prayer and today will hear from seminary professor Dr. Steven Hankins turned to Matthew chapter 6 is provides a guide for me every day.

As I begin the day I seek the Lord structure to follow this final petition. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, which is addressing our great spiritual need. The single greatest challenge that we face every day as believing people as Matthew six verse 13 says this provides for us really. I think a very powerful exhortation and encouragement today as believing people as it does every day and I'd like to try to capture it in my own sentence if I can.

It just simply is petition him for protection from sin, petition him for protection from sin is a twofold petition we find here in this passage and were just going to follow that structure. This provided for us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil and first were taught to pray lead us not into temptation miss something immediately.

That strikes me about that and I think probably strikes you, it may raise a question, but certainly if we look at it the right way is an acknowledgment of his protective and controlling presence. We are asking him to protect us as he is present with us and of course in answer the question that gets raised in our own thinking here is found for us in James chapter 1 God does not lead us. Of course, into sin or any kind of iniquity, any kind of transgression as the text says there in the latter part of that verse for God cannot be tempted with evil. Neither attempt at the any man we could really preface that first part of this petition with the phrase as you've promised. Lord lead us not into temptation, but then there's the qualifying comet, but deliver us from evil. Do what you've promised the free of us of iniquity, and any solicitation even to evil any drawing to evil that may come our way. God does lead to servants doesn't into testing and sometimes in the testing. There really is potential for sin if there's failure or disobedience. As with Abraham in Genesis 22 one. The text of Scripture reads it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham and some of the him Abraham and he said, behold, here I am and then what follows is that incredible test that experience with his son Isaac that could've gone the wrong way that could have resulted in disobedience. Instead, it resulted in great refinement and a great demonstration of faith in the case of Job in chapter 1 verse eight when the Lord said under Satan, hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that firth God and askew with evil and course of his great trial in great trouble and some failure on Job's part as result of this great difficulty in his responses course the Lord Jesus experienced in the will of the father. A similar experience in Matthew 26 verse 42, my father, if this cup cannot pass away from me, except I drink it by will be done and of course he did the will of the father in that great test as in Paul's case later after the incarnate ministry of the Lord in second Corinthians 12 seven where he describes there was given me a thorn in the flash the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure, and then he explains that he requested three times to be delivered from this thorn in the flesh and the response from the Lord was, my grace is sufficient for the and Paul submitted himself to that and saw that as actually a kind of ministry and mercy from the Lord. He could've responded otherwise. He did not God's intention in his testing of us attempting of us is always good.

Of course, and always right there always has to be a right outcome not sin, but our inclination even in that pathway when God has a good intention is not often this is an admission. This request is an admission of our propensity incredible pets propensity to sin. Why, because of the constancy of sin around us because of the depth and breath of sin in us because of our overall weakness are special inclinations ourselves individually toward sin.

So due to this tremendous protective presence of the Lord again in all temptation of all kinds, and our propensity what we really have in this petition is a cry for no interruption in fellowship with God. No interruption not estimate. Is there anything more troubling. Is there anything more challenging. Is there anything more a threat constantly to you as a believing person that interruption in their fellowship with God because of falling to temptation is grieving is troubling. It is distracting. It is weakening in his faith killing. This is major business. This is critical, and so we cry out to God with great hunger and great thirst every morning and all day through the day.

No interruption Lord lead me not into temptation is our desire today, it'll be your desire, and it should be tomorrow. It should be our hope forever in the future for eternity of this petitioning of the Lord for protection that we offer is this from sin. It is made complete by the next part of the verse of Scripture, but deliver us from evil. This really isn't just simply repetition for emphasis, it does complete the thought without question, we really understand the first part of the verse by having the second part there. The Lord doesn't lead us into iniquity. His promise is to deliver us, but there's a little something more here.

There is an enlargement here as well as a kind of lesser repetitiveness deliverance Lord from all kind of evil. Every kind of evil, and I think also rightly to understand the evil one who strategizes who walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. I watch many specials on the Discovery Channel and National Geographic Channel of lien behavior and their majestic creatures. Their bold their impressive little wonder that there called the king of the jungle or the king of the savanna in Africa. They are fearless. It's astounding though tech animals far far greater in size and weight, but they hunt in groups and they weight their stealthy they go down into the savanna grass and they look for the week. They look for the young and they mercilessly attacked and not just one, and there's no hope of the animal skin the cat stand against the power of that creature. Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world, we can say hallelujah but it is he who is greater than us, who is in us, who was our only hope that we be delivered from evil from the evil one. He is smarter than you are.

He is more powerful than you are. He is more tireless than you are.

He never flags in his determination to get you all the more reason a motivation for this prayer this prayer we cry out to be delivered from all evil in us before us around us while we seek to be in the world to reach the world. We seek to not be of the world, and it sin, we seek to see fulfilled in our lives.

Second Corinthians 71, which is such a phenomenal and sweeping statement by Paul having therefore these promises, dearly beloved promises where God says in chapter 6, I will dwell among you, I will be with you. You will be my sons and daughters and I will be a father unto you, if you are determined to pursue purity and to pursue my way and my commandments, let us cleanse ourselves. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. This prayer is about that this prayer is about having leached out of us. The inclinations to evil, having washed out and dampened down in us the desires that ride rise up that are prompted times of what we see what we buy what we hereby people that we interacted with, interact with, or just out of our own hearts from which proceed as the Lord Jesus himself said adultery is in fornication and covetousness in all sort and manner of evil and this this text implies something else sort of obvious, but worth mentioning. We cry out not only be delivered from all evil, but we cry out to be delivered from all evil through prayer is Throop. It's here it's in this model prayer.

Prayer is key to this, it is enough that we just think this way, day-to-day, hour by hour. I hope that I don't fall are adults in. I really don't plan on sending I'm I'm really strategizing to not give in to iniquity know when there's great intentionality. There's great purposefulness. There, right in our normal structured praying. We focus on things that we know are particularly temptations for us inclinations to Ron for us and we seek the grace from God to resist those things is that because he is mentioned from the garden of Gethsemane.

In Matthew 26 verse 41 as the disciples kept falling asleep while he went alone to pray fervently before his arrest and subsequent trials and crucifixion.

He said to them, watch and pray that you are not into temptation for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. A connection made directly with the strengthening of our souls and our lives in order to actually endure. Think about what was coming to the disciples think about what they faced and think about how they reacted when they face those challenges.

They got very fearful. They were afraid they abandoned the Lord all but Peter and John Peter partially and that ultimately Peter denying the Lord there is terrific failure. They were weak because they had not any said can you not even a door for an hour hour with me in prayer watch. Be alert and pray because challenges are coming and you will strengthen your soul by those challenges and can I suggest to that when we pray their specific guidance given to us by the spirit of God about what to pray. This is what Romans 826 tells us likewise the Spirit also help with our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And yes it times the Holy Spirit is assisting us to express our thoughts, our hearts to God in ways that we can even put in words, but let me suggest to you that you will go to God in seeking God in prayer in this matter of being delivered from evil and the Lord will bring to mind the Lord will assist you by the spirit of God to express to him your great burden and your particular concern. Oftentimes what you were even thinking about when you set down right you weren't even planning to bring up what you experience in illumination from the spirit of God about a weakness in your soul about an area of danger that you can come to him and pray to him about, you know, I've often sat down to pray coldhearted stable confesses the coldhearted sometimes. Have you ever decide down really grief stricken over your own failure your own sin and you certainly didn't feel like praying, but then you cry out to God and the melting comes as the fire of mercy and long-suffering begins to warm your heart toward communion with God and fellowship with him as you confess, explicitly confess desperately confess contrite, like, confess what is deeply troubling you.

What is afflicted you in terms of sin and how how desperately you need God's help in that matter, every failure in sin every time of desperation and great grief before the throne of God in confession is also a step forward in seeking God for special strengthening in that area where your crying out to him for the future.

Leave me not into temptation God and deliver me from evil.

I don't want to be in this place again. I don't want to experience this again I don't have to be saying these words to you again Lord, please help me break this pattern help me break this sin in my life and in my experience, prayer is a special environment a special God intended environment by which watchfulness and strength of quote, soul and spirit are gained to resist temptation. We cry out also not to be delivered from all evil and not especially in the environment and by the means of prayer but we cry out to be delivered from all evil as they claim through the word through the word. There is of vital interconnection between our effectiveness in seeking God about temptation and evil and our knowledge and understanding of the revelation of God. Remember Hebrews chapter 5 verse 13 and 14 with the Scripture say in that wonderful tax for everyone that use of milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness for his of a but strongly along with the handedness of full age, Scripture say, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. The strong meat of the word taken and does what heightens your ability to discern between good and evil heightens your ability to be specific and knowledgeable and sensitive when you are before God in prayer praying about your own needs and weaknesses.

I think to be said.

True truly and accurately, that the effectiveness of our prayers for ourselves in this regard are in direct proportion to the specific knowledge we have of virtue and sin as the revelation of God presents it. If I don't have specific knowledge of virtue and sin. I'm not alerted and stimulated to pray about things in my own life and experience that have been temptations may take this a little further down the road and say that the word specifically helps us understand the primary channels of the world's allure for us and then therefore leads us to the right kind of praying about ourselves. You know that well known and famous text of Scripture in first John chapter 2 verse 15 to 17th classic passage on love not the world, neither the things that are in the world will verse 16 says for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the last of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father but is the world okay categories do you think and meditate about yourself categorically in order to understand sin and understand the primary channels of allurement that the world has for you. Of course, it all rises up out of your desires, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life. What I desire.

In terms of physical comfort and ease and satisfaction.

I think flesh is referring to bodily interest and concerns in this passage of Scripture not just her general ethical sinful nature unethical nature, the lust of the eyes, the satisfaction gain from seeing the beautiful seeing the forbidden. What I should not see it how it stimulates the imagination. What I see that I want. I cut it that I don't need that someone else has and then the pride of life that desire that rises up that we we can we can know the satisfaction of achieving in life and being highly regarded in life by others, no matter what dimension or the domain of achievement you're talking about. I'm proud about my life.

What I am accomplishing what I'm doing, where I'm going. It's really important that you think clearly about things. These things notes men and women. These categories are not really all completely mutually exclusive. They tend to overlap one another but it helps to have a specific idea based on God's inspired instruction about the major channels in this life. In this age how Satan tempts us. This is helping us understand strategies of the this is helping us understand how to pray. We pray against the desires that would rise up in our physical person beings we pray against the desires that rise up through her eyes and through pride in this life or the Scriptures help us even more specifically, in this because we are taught through the word understand the primary ministry temptations that are facing us, not just normal temptations as human beings been temptations will face as those planning to enter into ministry and the quintessential example and instruction of this is the Lord Jesus himself. As we look to Matthew chapter 4 and I invite you to turn there just for a moment to Matthew four and look at this in your New Testament in verses one through 10. Jesus was let out of the wilderness to be tested to be tempted and Satan was the Bible tells us in this passage and parallel passages, testing him continually during the whole 40 days and it was the climax of the 40 days which are presented in these 10 verses in chapter 4 of Matthew the crescendo.

The ultimate final temptations that the evil one. The present before what before Christ began his incarnate ministry before he was baptized he began to preach and teach and heal. So this is right at the outset of his ministry, catching in a parallel here. Right before heading out into work and what did Satan do with the first thing Satan did in verses three and four was say if you're the son of God turn the stones into bread you been fasting for 40 days just go ahead and do a miracle and satisfy your physical need in the Lord Jesus responded to him from Deuteronomy chapter 8 verse three is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God. What is this temptation, this special ministry temptation that you will face now and in the future.

It is the evil of elevating physical and material necessities and concerns above the spiritual standard classic attack, everybody's gotta eat. I gotta provide for myself, I gotta provide for my family.

Anybody denying those realities. No, but the temptation is at any given moment in any point in time to deny the primary importance of the spiritual he comes at them again in verses five through seven, and he takes them to the high point of pinnacle of the temple, and he says to Jesus, quoting Psalm 91 and by the way quartz, of course, not in the proper context away, but he quotes it accurately and he says, throw yourself down from the pinnacle of the temple and God will send his angels to encourage you and deliver you. What a magnificent miraculous display of God's special attention and interest. You will experience how to Jesus respond from Deuteronomy 616.

He says it is written, thou shalt not tempt the Lord by God. What was this temptation Satan was offering. He was presenting the evil of seeking super natural affirmation to prove divine blessing that was unwarranted. We don't demand miracles of God to prove that he loves us. We don't demand miracles of God that he will favor us and help us and assist us in ministry.

He's promised. The gospel is powerful. The gospel will save he's promised us that sustaining grace is the spirit ministers to us. He's promised abundant blessing. I mean, what is Romans eight say he that hath given his own son Housley not also freely give us all things, I go climbing up on the bed of illimitable and jumping off and asking. Gotta perform miracles at a circus act terrible temptation determine perversion of true ministry will then the final temptation was. He takes them up into a high mountain, and he shows him all the kingdoms of the world.

That's an interesting and interesting reality as it about Satan's power and he says all you have to do is bow down and worship me and I will give you all of these kingdoms. This prince of the power of the air.

This prince of this world just found out and how did the Lord Jesus respond get the hand. Satan, for it is written down so worship the Lord by God and him only shalt thou serve. What was the temptation. The temptation was the evil of achieving influence through disobedient compromise. Just bow the knee to the culture that is sinful, just a little just bow the knee to a slightly unethical approach annual gain or cure influence and just be selfishly ambitious just maneuver to advance yourself and become more well-known in the Lord says no and you know as I look in the word and consider the word and think about you.

I think too that you can learn through the word in your own meditation and it some very helpful information.

Some very helpful encouragements to understand current seminary temptations. Primary ones that you face. One is the evil I'm offering these to you in a very fatherly way, not in the rebuke, but as a warning to you the evil of being so close in with things of the word and of a spiritual and ministry nature that they become routine to you and your an information gatherer rather than someone seeking transformation in your life or someone who comes to know the commands of God.

But is it really hungering and thirsting after God for you. It's not loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself. It's just learning ideas, concepts, theological, biblical, and getting knowledge of the commands of God.

There's also the evil I would say of partial integrity. Romans 1211 says, not slothful in business fervent in spirit, serving the Lord in verse 17 just on the way in that passage says provide things honest in the sight of all men listen to Luke 962 no man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back is spent for the kingdom of God take care of himself back to the moment of that fresh vision about what God wanted you to do with your life you been listening to Bob Jones seminary professor Dr. Steven Hankins. We hope you'll join us next time. As we study God's word together on The Daily Platform