Reflections on the Lord's Prayer, Part 8: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

The last words of this prayer address our spiritual needs. We have begged for God's name to be made holy, for his kingdom to reign, for his will to be done, and we have pledged to be a part of making “on earth as it is in heaven” a reality. We have confessed a struggle with greed by asking for just enough, and we have recognized our need to give and receive forgiveness. Before we get off our knees and live out all that we have said, we seek protection from the temptation not to do any of it.

Of course, we know that God won't lead us into temptation (see James 1:13-14), and this petition isn't suggesting anything of the sort. Instead, we can think of it as asking God to lead us in the opposite direction from temptation. It's like saying, “Lord, don't even let me go near it.” Sometimes, we want to know exactly where the line is just to get as close as we can without crossing it. We say things like “well, it wasn't technically a lie,” or “I'm just spending time with him as a friend. I'm not cheating on my husband.” Instead, we should pray not to go down that path.

Finally, notice that Jesus says “deliver us from the evil one” and not, “from evil.”* When Jesus teaches us this prayer, it is clear that he does not intend for us to expect God to always protect us from every bad thing in life. Sometimes God knows that we need these experiences to grow as Christians and be drawn nearer to him. But God does save us from the power of Satan and his temptations. Paul explains the promise that “when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). God does not spare us from all evil, but does guard us against specific attacks from Satan. He is there for us in evil times, and that is a comforting thought! Our response to this petition is trust in the faithful Father who is stronger than our enemy. We can turn away from all fear and anxiety because of his care (1 Peter 5:7). The prayer ends on this note, so that as we leave the serenity of prayer and face the world again, we know that the Father goes with us.

*Note: Some translations (such as the KJV and ESV) actually do translate this “from evil” but because the Greek adjective “evil” is preceded by a definite article, it should be read as “evil one.”