Lord’s Prayer Pt. 6 – Lead Us Not Into Temptation

I love my big Airedale, Zeke, and he absolutely loves giving hugs. Unfortunately, he also loves to eat my kids’ pencils… and their homework.

My wife and I tell our kids to keep these items off the floor and out of his reach. They are just too big of a temptation for him. Sometimes they listen, and sometimes they come home to find their favorite pencils in pieces.

The last two phrases of the Lord’s Prayer deal with temptation, and like other lines in the prayer, can seem a bit strange. In Matthew 6:13, Jesus commands us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Before we discuss this beautiful sentence further, let’s see what the early Christians thought about it.

“Lead us not into temptation.” This means, do not allow us to be led into it by him who tempts. For far be the thought that the Lord should seem to tempt us. – Tertullian 198CE Volume 3, p. 684

“And allow us not to be led into temptation.” … When we ask that we may not come into temptation, we are reminded of our infirmity and weakness in that we thus ask, lest any should insolently vaunt himself, lest any should proudly and arrogantly assume anything to himself … when the Lord Himself, teaching humility, said, “Watch and pray, so that you will not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak;” …

We conclude by saying, “But deliver us from evil,” comprehending all adverse things which the enemy attempts against us in this world, from which there may be a faithful and sure protection if God deliver us, if He affords His help to us who pray for and implore it. … For what fear is there in this life, to the man whose guardian in this life is God? – Cyprian 250CE Volume 5, p. 795 [CD-ROM]

One immediate observation one can make is that the early Christians believed the wording of the Lord’s Prayer could better be written, “Do not allow us to be led into temptation.” They observed that since God does not tempt anyone, the prayer is a plea for divine help to not be dragged away from simple devotion to the Father, and thus fall into sin through the devil’s temptations.

Walter Liefeld echoes this thought in the Expositor’s Bible Commentary on Luke, “The request is clearly for the Father to keep His children from falling away in the hour of trial.” It would make sense for Jesus to call us to pray this way, since He says in the parable of the soils, “Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away (Luke 8:13).”

Also, the early Christians remind us that like Peter, James and John in the Garden of Gethsemane, God’s Spirit is willing to help, but our flesh is weak. And if we are not actively making use of God's help by keeping watch with prayer against temptation, any of us can fall into egregious temptation.

I remember as a teenager when I brashly declared I would never get drunk. I remember when I confidently proclaimed I would never do drugs. I remember when I made a promise to wait until I was married to have sex. I also remember falling in each of those three areas.

Like Peter on Jesus' last night, I was so sure of myself. Like Peter, I trusted in myself so much I didn’t depend on God and the power of prayer. I should’ve listened to Paul’s counsel in 1 Corinthians 10:12, "Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall." 

I wish I had been exposed to the early Christians much sooner in my life, for they lived with a confident humility. They possessed an immense confidence in the power of prayer. As Cyprian stated, if we are willing to earnestly and faithfully cry out to God for deliverance from evil, we can walk without fear through any situation in life, knowing our great and mighty God is with us.

We don’t have to be like Zeke and feel helpless to give into certain temptations whenever they come our way. So may we take the approach of the early Christians, and three times daily call on our God with confident humility. And may we see and testify of Him coming through over and over as our ever-present help in times of trouble.

Irenaeus on the Importance of Obedience to Christ in 180CE

We ought not … to be puffed up, nor be severe upon those of old time, but ought ourselves to fear, lest perchance, after [we have come to] the knowledge of Christ, if we do things displeasing to God, we obtain no further forgiveness of sins, but be shut out from His kingdom. And therefore it was Paul that said, “For if [God] did not spare the natural branches, [take heed] lest He also not spare you, who, when you were a wild olive tree, were grafted into the fatness of the olive tree, and were made a partaker of its fatness.”

You will notice, too, that the transgressions of the common people have been described in like manner, not for the sake of those who did then transgress, but as a means of instruction unto us, and that we should understand that it is one and the same God against whom these men sinned, and against whom certain persons do now transgress from among those who profess to have believed in Him. But this also … has Paul declared most plainly in the Epistle to the Corinthians, when he says, “Brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and were all baptized unto Moses in the sea, and did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them; and the rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

These things were for our example, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted; neither be idolaters, as were some of them, as it is written: The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them also did, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur, as some of them murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer. But all these things happened to them as an example, and were written for our admonition, upon whom the end of the world has come. Therefore let him that thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall.” …

"Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, not effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” And as it was not to those who are without that he said these things, but to us, lest we should be cast forth from the kingdom of God, by doing any such thing, he proceeds to say, “And such indeed were you; but you are washed, but you are sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God.” …

And again does the apostle say, “Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things comes the wrath of God upon the sons of mistrust. Do not therefore partakers with hem.” And as then the condemnation of sinners extended to others who approved of them, and joined in their society; so also is it the case at present, that “a little leaven leavens the whole lump.” And as the wrath of God did then descend upon the unrighteous, here also does the apostle likewise say: “For the wrath of God shall be revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of those men who hold back the truth in unrighteousness.” 

Justin Martyr on Christians and Pre-Marital Sex in 160CE

We ought not, therefore, as that presbyter remarks, to be puffed up, nor be severe upon those of old time, but ought ourselves to fear, lest perchance, after [we have come to] the knowledge of Christ, if we do things displeasing to God, we obtain no further forgiveness of sins, but be shut out from His kingdom. And therefore it was that Paul said, “For if [God] did not spare the natural branches, [take heed] lest He also not spare you, who, when you were a wild olive tree, were grafted into the fatness of the olive tree, and were made a partaker of its fatness.”

You will notice, too, that the transgressions of the common people have been described in like manner, not for the sake of those who did then transgress, but as a means of instruction for us, and that we should understand that it is one and the same God against whom these men sinned, and against whom certain persons do now transgress from among those who profess to have believed in Him. But this also, [as the presbyter states,] has Paul declared most plainly in the Epistle to the Corinthians, when he says, “Brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant, how all our fathers were under the cloud, and were all baptized unto Moses in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual meat, and all drank the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them; and the rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

These things were for our example, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted; do not be idolaters, as were some of them, as it is written: The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them also did, and twenty three thousand fell in one day. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents. Neither murmur, as some of them murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer. But all these things happened to them in a figure, and were written for our admonition, upon whom the end of the world is come. Therefore, let him that thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall.”

As then the unrighteous, the idolaters, and fornicators perished, so also is it now: for both the Lord declares, that such persons are sent into eternal fire; and the apostle says, “Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, not effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” And as it was not to those who are without that he said these things, but to us, lest we should be cast forth from the kingdom of God, by doing any such thing, he proceeds to say, “And such were you; but you are washed, but you are sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God.” …

And as then the condemnation of sinners extended to others who approved of them, and joined in their society; so also is it the case at present, that “a little leaven leavens the whole lump.” And as the wrath of God did then descend upon the unrighteous, here also does the apostle likewise say: “For the wrath of God shall be revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of those men who hold back the truth in unrighteousness.” …

So says the apostle, in like manner, in the Epistle to the Thessalonians: “Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled rest with us, at the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ from heaven with His mighty angels, and in a flame of fire, to take vengeance upon those who do not know God, and upon those that do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power; when He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them who have believed in Him.”