Lead Us Not...

Q 127: What does the sixth petition mean? A: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” means: By ourselves we are too weak to hold our own even for a moment. And our sworn enemies—the devil, the world, and our own flesh—never stop attacking us. And so, Lord, uphold us and make us strong with the strength of your Holy Spirit, so that we may not go down to defeat in this spiritual struggle, but may firmly resist our enemies until we finally win the complete victory.

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Temptation is like a battering ram. It hammers – BANG! BANG! BANG! – against us, tirelessly trying to break down our defense. I’m struck by the the reminder that the attacks never stop. We are bombarded by temptation, and our defenses, if left alone, are like thin cardboard walls. It won’t take much to break through. Much of our problem is that temptation doesn’t just arise outside the walls of our hearts, but even from within!

What are we to do? Certainly, Christians are called to flee from sin and resist temptation. We would do well, then, to take heed of those places our defenses are weakest. What are we most tempted by? When are we most tempted? Where are we most tempted? Andrew Kuyvenhoven makes an observation that resonated with me:

“We know that having much leisure time and having ‘nothing to do’ are open invitations for a visit from the tempter… [but] any healthful and worthy interest helps us to overcome temptation to sin.”

For many of us, idle hands truly will find trouble. There is something problematic about having ‘too much time on our hands.’ We are susceptible to grumble and complain; to scroll through social media, discontent with our lives; to covet what others have; to wander to inappropriate websites; to simply waste that time. Kuyvenhoven’s reminder is helpful. Fill your life with healthful and worthy interests. Avoid those times and locations when temptation is strongest. What sorts of healthful and worthy interests do you have in your life? How do you fill your time? Idly, waiting for whatever comes along to occupy you? That’s a recipe for disaster. Scrolling through social media until something catches your eye (or anger)? That situation is ripe for hatred and slander. Sitting around with friends, but no meaningful conversation and relationship building? It’s likely to wind up in grumbling and complaining. 

So let us be purposeful with our time, building healthy rhythms. Jesus told his disciples twice in Luke 22:39-46 to pray so that they would not fall into temptation. He said this while he prayed on the Mount of Olives that God’s will would be done and not his own. It makes sense, though, doesn’t it? The crux of temptation is that some other will be done rather than God’s. Our will, the devil’s will, or the world’s will. When we are tempted, we are asked to live out someone’s will for our lives, other than God. Prayer and Scripture reading are two of the foundational disciplines for the Christian life. Largely, because they remind us of what the catechism teaches – we rely on the strength of the Holy Spirit to defend us and strengthen us against temptation. We cannot fight temptation alone. Our strategies can only do so much. We need the Spirit. May we continually pray and offer ourselves to his defense, “deliver us from the evil one!” ~ Pastor Tim