Lead Us Not Into Temptation

“And lead us not into temptation” (Matthew 6:13, Luke 11:4). What does this mean? “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man” (James 1:13). If God does not tempt us, then why does Christ instruct us to pray that God “lead us not into temptation”?

Frankly, I must not claim that I have a clear understanding of this teaching from Jesus, and that which I may understand is highly likely incomprehensive. One suggestion that I now offer is that it may be paraphrased somewhat as follows, keeping in mind that this clause comes near the end of a model prayer that Christ is teaching His disciples: “Father in Heaven, above all these petitions I make to you now, ‘thy will be done’ and not mine, especially if the granting of my will and my petitions will probably lead me into situations where I will be tempted to disobey you.” Or in the words of the Proverb writer: “… give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain” (Proverbs 30:8-9). So “don’t answer my prayer and give me such abundance of blessings,” or in short, “please do not give me so much good … that I then become tempted to deny you.”

But then are we to pray for much evil …, that is, that evil come and attack us so that we may prove our love for and faith in God? After all, Christ Himself said, “It must needs be that offences come” (Matthew 18:7). Well, obviously then, we need not pray for it (since it already “must” come); rather, we are to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Since we know that God’s grace abounds and also that “iniquity shall abound” (Matthew 24:12), then we know that temptations will come; but “when they do, let not evil have its way with us. May our enemies fall into their own traps with which they meant to tempt and ensnare us” (Psalm 35:8, Proverbs 28:10).

We pray that we may avoid making “provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Romans 13:14). We pray that we may avoid temptation (Luke 22:40). Yet “every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed;” (James 1:14) … “but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (I Corinthians 10:13). We are thankful that “the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations” (II Peter 2:9) and “deliver us from evil.”