Deliver Us

When we call upon the Lord to lead us not into temptation, we are not asking the Lord to not tempt us, as James says, “ Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. (James 1:13, ESV). We are asking the Lord to give us protection from the evil one, the enemy. On this side of our salvation, we know the enemy cannot take our salvation away, but he can and will fight to take our delight and satisfaction away from the Lord. The things of this world are constantly competing for the throne of our hearts, meaning we must be on guard at all times.

As we await our King to return to this earth to bring us into eternity with Him, we must seek to live in the purity and holiness in which he calls us to (1 Peter 1). This means we must die to our own desires (Luke 9:23), putting on Christ’s righteousness (Colossians 3) and stirring up the Holy Spirit inside of us (1 Timothy 1:6-7), in order that we may walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called (Ephesians 4:1). The world and its desires will always leave you empty and unsatisfied, so ask the Lord to be your one true satisfaction, as Augustine says, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”

Respond with any questions, encouragement, or prayer requests.

In Christ,

Josh Hernandez