"And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
Matthew 6:13a (NASB)
Unfortunately, our Western Civilization has a decidedly anti-supernatural bent to it. We are products of a system of thinking that places a high priority on empirical reality - things we can see, touch, taste, feel, and know by experience. We value the "scientific" approach to things, by which we mean that we look with skepticism on anything outside the "natural" order. Because of this kind of thinking, we have factored out the supernatural as a common explanation for why certain things happen as they do.
Many other cultures do not share in this world-view. There are some cultures not so "civilized" as we and they have a stronger view of the supernatural. This, of course, leads them to worship all kinds of false gods, but it also taps them into a very genuine supernatural reality. As a result, when missionaries preach about the true God and the power He has to do mighty things among them, they not only respond in faith, but experience healings, deliverance, and miracles in their lives. They are open to these things.
There is an authentic, spiritual, supernatural reality. Whether we choose to recognize it or not, the unseen realm of the spirit exists. And it is in this spiritual realm that we dwell, even while we are in the seen world of material things.
The Bible teaches that this spiritual dimension is populated by living beings who were created by God. Originally created as angelic beings, they are now divided into spiritual forces aligned with God or Satan. We commonly refer to them as "angels" and "demons." And there is a spiritual warfare raging right now. We dare not ignore it or make light of it.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said, ". . . the fight for our planet, physical and spiritual, a fight of cosmic proportions, is not a vague matter of the future; it has already started. The forces of Evil have begun their decisive offensive. You can feel their pressure, yet your screens and publications are full of prescribed smiles and raised glasses. What is the joy about?" There are forces bent on our destruction and the destruction of our planet. It is very real.
With this spiritual reality in view, Jesus teaches us to pray, "And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil" It is a prayer that implies several important truths.
It implies that we are in danger from both sin and Satan. Temptation is a constant threat. All of us are tempted to indulge in sinful behavior which can destroy us. And Satan is a real entity. Aligning himself against God, he is also against every child of God, which means he is against you. He is out to destroy you. So, spiritual warfare is a reality for you.
The prayer also implies that there is a vulnerability on our part. We are powerless to fight in our own strength. Therefore, we need to reach out beyond ourselves for strength we do not have. We need to pray for power.
The prayer also implies that there is a need for a protector and deliverer. It points us to God as the only hope we have to defeat the enemy of our souls.
How can we defeat the Devil and be victorious over sin in our lives? How can we protect ourselves against the attack of the minions of darkness? Does the Bible hold the key? The answer is yes!
The apostle Paul wrote about the warfare we wage in Ephesians 6:10-18:
Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.
Too many saints fail to understand that as Christians, we are engaged in mortal combat with God's enemy. Our fight is not against humans; for our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Our struggle is against Satan and his demonic hordes.
Did you know that there is a demonic hierarchy, much like a military or governmental organization, even now in place, organized to promote the agenda of Satan himself? It is true! When Ephesians 6 speaks of rulers, powers, and forces it is referring to the organizational structure of Satan's hierarchy. The word which is translated "world forces" is kosmokratoras. A more recognizable anglicized rendering would be cosmocrats. Many, like Professor F. F. Bruce, think that these terms refer to the hierarchy of fallen angels. One cosmocrat could have been the angel-prince of Persia who hindered the angelic messenger sent to Daniel.
The demonic cosmocrats of Satan's army are deployed everywhere in our culture. Infiltrating every segment of society, both secular and ecclesiastical, their one purpose is to destroy God's work. Directly and indirectly, they attack God's work. They are after you and your walk with God. They are after your family and your relationships with others. They attack you through your emotions and your circumstances. And they do not sleep. It is a very real and personal struggle. In our own strength we are over-matched. To attempt to fight in our own strength would be like attacking a forest fire with a squirt gun. It would be like attempting to slay a lion with a fly swatter. To attempt to defeat the devil in our own strength is like attempting to catch an elephant with a butterfly net. So we are exhorted to be strong in the Lord and operate in the strength of his might.
Spiritual warfare needs spiritual weapons. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 says, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses." We must fight spiritual forces with spiritual weapons. We must put on the armor of God and use the weapons of the Spirit.
A Roman soldier's belt was an essential part of his armor. His belt gathered his armor together, secured his sword to his side, and also served to secure long garments so that they would not interfere with fighting. The belt tied it all together. Our belt is truth. It is truth which ties together the believer's armor. In our warfare against Satan and his demonic followers, a warfare in which deception and deceit are commonplace, it is truth which illuminates our way and enables us to be ready to fight.
There are two things which are probably in view here: the objective content of truth and truth lived out in our lives. Truth must not only be possessed, it must be applied to our lives. When we walk in integrity in all of our relationships, we are utilizing the belt of truth. Without it, the other armor will not stay in place.
For the Roman soldier, the breastplate protected the vital organs. The heart, lungs, kidneys, stomach, and other organs were covered by this piece of armor. It is righteousness which protects us in those vital areas of our relationship with God so that the life of Christ within us is not severed.
What is this righteousness? Well, it isn't our own righteousness. Our righteousness was not sufficient to save us, and will never be sufficient to keep us. Isaiah compares our righteousness to "filthy rags." Our righteousness is not in view, rather it is the righteousness of Christ which is in view. In 2 Corinthians 5:21 we read, "He made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in him." Christ is the true righteous one. When you receive Christ, you receive His righteousness. As we live as who we really are, depending on the righteousness of Christ, and walking in that righteousness in our daily lives, the breastplate of righteousness will protect us against the enemy.
The Roman soldier wore a certain kind of shoe. It was an open-toed spiked shoe which laced up past his ankles. It served much the same purpose as a football player's spiked shoe. It was made to help the soldier stand his ground and advance. He needed traction. Most of the combat was hand-to-hand. Armies would surge toward one another. Locked in mortal combat, a soldier could not afford to be pushed backwards or slip down. And neither can we. We must put on the boots of peace. Part of your being equipped for battle is having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. It is the gospel of peace which enables us to stand firm.
There are two qualities of peace that we experience. The first is peace with God. Paul says in Romans 5:1, "Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Because of the good news of the Gospel, we can now experience harmony and peace with God. Our struggle with Him is over. We have surrendered.
The second aspect of this peace is the peace of God. Philippians 4:7 reads, "And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Peace with God means that our struggle with Him is over. The peace of God means that we experience His peace even in the most trying circumstances. It is the peace of God which causes us to have that calm, assured confidence that enables us to handle the situation.
The shield for a Roman soldier was a large shield approximately two and one-half feet wide and four and one-half feet high. It was made of a solid piece of wood and covered with metal or leather. In battle, the soldiers used these shields to stand behind. Often they would stand side-by-side with their shields together, forming a long protective wall against the barrage of enemy arrows. Many of these arrows were wrapped in pieces of cloth, soaked in pitch set ablaze. Such flaming missiles could inflict serious damage on unprotected troops. Well equipped troops, however, with leather-coated shields soaked in water, had a good defense. When the arrows would strike such shields, the wet leather would extinguish them.
Our shield is a shield of faith. This faith is a simple trust in God. In the book of Habakkuk, the prophet makes a declaration that is the basis for our walk with God. He says, "The righteous will live by his faith" (Habakkuk 2:4). Three times is this statement quoted in the New Testament. Paul quotes it in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11, and the writer of Hebrews quotes it in Hebrews 10:38.
By faith we are enabled to see the unseen. We are told to walk by faith, not by sight. Faith liberates us from trusting in what appears to be true and frees us to trust in what God says is true. Faith is not a step in the dark, as some like to say. It is a step based on childlike trust in what God has said. It means we choose to believe Him.
No Roman soldier would consider going into battle without his helmet. A blow to the head could easily be fatal. With his helmet, however, the solider could fight with a certain amount of confidence. And this is what the helmet does for us. It gives us confidence. The assurance of salvation gives us confidence in God. And we will need this confidence in the midst of the satanic attack, which comes primarily to our minds. Because of that, we see the significance of having a helmet of salvation.
Our enemy seeks to strike us with the double-edged sword of discouragement and doubt. He points out all of our failures and faults, and anything else which seems negative. He wants us to doubt our salvation, to doubt God's goodness, to doubt God's Word, and to be just generally depressed. The helmet of salvation gives you the confidence you need to face the enemy. You can withstand the attack because you know that if God did not spare His own Son, but gave Him for you, He will surely stand by you, even in your darkest hour.
The Roman soldier carried a short sword strapped to his side. It was the most common weapon used in hand-to-hand combat, and was used both offensively and defensively. Our sword is of the Spirit. It is a spiritual sword which can be used to defend ourselves against the blows of the enemy and to strike a blow ourselves. This sword of the Spirit is our Bible, the Word of God. It is abundantly clear that the Word of God is "divinely powerful to the pulling down of strongholds." It is a spiritual weapon. We must learn to use it effectively to defeat the enemy.
Jesus used this spiritual weapon against Satan in the wilderness. You recall how He was tempted by Satan after His baptism. Satan was attempting to get Jesus to doubt God. In each instance Jesus blocked the blow with the Word of God. He wielded the sword of the Spirit to effectively destroy the arguments of the enemy. There is no greater weapon in our arsenal then the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
Wearing the full armor of God is essential, but to stand in the battlefield with nothing but this armor will not be enough. We must have the full armor of God, but we must have something more. We must have an additional weapon. This is the weapon of prayer. By it we put on the spiritual armor and defeat the enemy.
We must not forget that the context of our message is prayer. Jesus teaches us to pray for protection and deliverance. The apostle Paul exhorts us to pray. He says, "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints." Prayer is an effective and powerful weapon against the enemy. Indeed, the realm in which this warfare is waged is the spiritual realm of prayer.
If the weapon of prayer is to be used effectively, it must be used persistently. We are in a continual warfare, and we cannot afford to let up. We must always be on the alert. We must continually pray, pray, and pray again. We must ask God to enable us to be clothed in His armor and take up the sword of the Spirit. We must ask Him to bind the enemy and his power. By this weapon of prayer, we can do battle in the heavenly realm.
This weapon of prayer can be effective, so use it, not only for yourself, but also for others. We are called to pray for all the saints. Just think of it. Your prayers can have a direct effect on others. Your prayers can bless them. Your prayers can lift them up. Your prayers can impact their lives for Christ. Your prayers can encourage them. Your prayers can keep them from falling. Your prayers can fend off the attack of the enemy. Your prayers can impact situations on a global scale. There is no place in this world where your prayers cannot touch lives.
Of course, the obvious reason we are to pray for all the saints is that they, like us,
are engaged in combat. Praying for one another is helping one another fight. As we
intercede for one another, we engage in the very ministry which Jesus is performing even
now. He is at the right hand of God interceding for the saints. The devil, on the other
hand, is accusing the saints before God. We should not imitate the devil, we should follow
the Lord and become intercessors on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Remember, the emphasis in the Lord's Prayer is plural: "And do not lead us into
temptation, but deliver us from evil."
God give us grace to fight on our knees!
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