And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the
evil one.. (Matthew 6:13)
For me, this portion of this prayer which we call “The Lord’s
Prayer” always was a little weird to me. I wondered how it would be possible
for a benevolent God to actually lead us into temptation. Not that He couldn’t,
I mean He is omnipotent. But because of His character and because of scripture
that seems to contradict this, it was a mystery.
In studying it though, I learned the following from Matthew
Henry. I know that in the past I have shared his commentary, but I felt led to
revisit it. I pray you will be encouraged.
Regarding Matt 6:13:
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
This petition is expressed, (1.) Negatively: Lead us not into temptation.
Having prayed that the guilt of sin may be removed, we pray, as it is fit, that
we may never return again to folly, that we may not be tempted to it. It is not
as if God tempted any to sin; but, "Lord, do not let Satan loose upon us;
chain up that roaring lion, for he is subtle and spiteful; Lord, do not leave
us to ourselves (Ps. 19:13 ), for we are very weak; Lord, do not lay
stumbling-blocks and snares before us, nor put us into circumstances that may
be an occasion of falling.’’ Temptations are to be prayed against, both because
of the discomfort and trouble of them, and because of the danger we are in of
being overcome by them, and the guilt and grief that then follow. (2.)
Positively: But deliver us from evil; apo tou ponerou —from the evil one, the
devil, the tempter; "keep us, that either we may not be assaulted by him,
or we may not be overcome by those assaults:’’ Or from the evil thing, sin, the
worst of evils; an evil, an only evil; that evil thing which God hates, and
which Satan tempts men to and destroys them by. "Lord, deliver us from the
evil of the world, the corruption that is in the world through lust; from the evil
of every condition in the world; from the evil of death; from the sting of
death, which is sin: deliver us from ourselves, from our own evil hearts:
deliver us from evil men, that they may not be a snare to us, nor we a prey to
them.’’
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