Lead Us Not Into Temptation
Why do we pray this?
Whenever you feel tempted to do something bad, you should not say, “God is tempting me.” Evil cannot tempt God, and God himself does not tempt anyone. (James 1:13, ERV)
My dad ordered me, “You are not getting up from the table until you eat all your food!”
I would sit alone nearly every evening, looking at that unappetizing cold food. I would gag and cry and scrape the food to the sides of the plate. In desperation, I would put some food in a napkin to throw it away when Dad was not looking.
I was repulsed and refused to eat that disgusting stuff.
When I was young, most foods looked gross to me. I was skinny and sickly, and Dad was concerned. He should have never worried because something happened.
I grew up.
Food became a pleasure, and even after a full meal, I focused on that delicious-looking sweet. I couldn’t resist. And there it is! It’s called the sin of gluttony.
To sin is not always a blatant act. Sometimes, it’s as simple as being involved in a conversation that ends in gossip, cursing angrily at the driver who cut you off, or bragging about your new gadget.
It’s actually quite easy to fall into these traps of temptation.
Did God put the temptation there? The answer is found in James 1:13.
God, who is pure holiness, cannot be tempted by evil and will not contradict Himself by leading us into temptation. When we pray, “Lead us not into temptation,” we ask God to help us not be swayed by temptation’s snares or to remove the obstacles on our path.
God will never lead us into temptation.
(James I:14, ERV) goes on to say,
You are tempted by the evil things you want. Your own desire leads you away and traps you.
This scripture explains the allurement of our immoral nature. It is our sinful desires that swell to the point that we find it difficult to resist. Once we are in the trap of sin, it grows until it consumes us.
It’s good to define our weaknesses.
Something might lure me but does not affect another person. The bait may be subtle, such as swelling with pride in our accomplishments or becoming apathetic to our spiritual calling. Sometimes, the trap is more visible, such as a website with provocative content. Possibly, our weakness is alcohol or drugs. Whatever the device may be, it is calling our name.
The moment we fall into the trap, we find it difficult to be free from sin’s bondage.
James 1:15, ERV says:
Your desire grows inside you until it results in sin. Then the sin grows bigger and bigger and finally ends in death.
He is a good God who wants our full fellowship. He knows our weaknesses and does not desire rule-keeping because we can become prisoners of following the rules and forgetting the weightier matters like love, kindness, and forgiveness. Sin will, however, fracture our relationship with Him, and anything that harms that fellowship is imprisonment and deadly.
Think about it:
Don’t we hide in shame when we are doing something wrong? As we continue in sin, doesn’t it grow to the point of crowding out God?
That’s why we ask God to lead us, not into temptation. God will not lead us to sin, but He can remove those things that tempt us. He can also give us strength to overcome our evil desires or redirect us so that the temptation is not visible.
He can and will remove our temptation when we ask.
If you find yourself tempted or already in evil’s snare, go ahead and pray (Matthew 6:13, ESV)
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
