The Prayer of Jesus (part 6)

And Lead Us Not Into Temptation, But Deliver Us From The Evil One.




Memo


From: Lord Lucifer


To: All Minions-of-Evil


Subject: Performance Review



Get with it, guys! Our objective of world domination- while making major advances- has not yet been met!!!


Yes, we have pulled off some good ones- my performance in the Garden of Eden was especially brilliant-and much remains to be done. Never forget: Mankind has a great Champion...and a powerful Secret Weapon. I remind you again: Beware of the Armor of God!




Preparing for Battle



Okay, maybe it's not polite to read other people's mail (even the fictional letter mentioned above). On the other hand, it is an excellent idea to remind ourselves- often!- that we are targets of a great plot. And the stakes are nothing less than our immortal souls!


We live in the middle of the greatest war of all times...Good vs. Evil. God the all-powerful Creator, on one side. Satan on the other side. And us in the middle...with an obligation to choose sides, and join in the battle.


However, God has not left us unprotected. He sent His Son to weight the balance in our favor. And He has given us powerful weapons to use everyday of our lives, to defeat the powers of darkness.


When we pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one," you should immediately remember to "put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against he devil's schemes."That of course, means you are not only intimately acquainted with each piece of the armor described by Paul in Ephesians 6, but you understand what each piece represents:


"So stand strong, with the belt of truth tied around your waist. And on your chest wear protection of right living. And on your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong. And also use the shield of faith. With that you can stop all the burning arrows of the Evil One. Accept God's salvation to be your helmet. And take the sword of the Spirit -that is the teaching of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this you must be always ready. Never give up. Always pray for all God's people" (Eph. 6:14-18 ICB).


When we put on God's armor we are ready to face Evil...and win. We have God's word on it. Without God's full armor of protection from evil, "You are a Guaranteed Casualty" in the invisible war, but with God's armor you are "invincible."


In the context of spiritual warfare, we must neither overestimate nor underestimate the power and province of our adversary. No doubt to his delight, we often depict the Devil as the author of darkness in much the same way that God is described as the Author of Light. That, however, is far from true. God is the sovereign Author of all creation; Satan is but an angel that He has created. Satan is not the opposite of the Creator. Rather, as a fallen angel, he is the counterpart to the archangel Michael.


While it is fashionable to credit the Devil with every temptation we face, we must be ever mindful that spiritual warfare involves the world and the flesh as well. As Jesus makes clear in the parable of the Sower, we are often fruitless because of "the worries of this life, and the deceitfulness of wealth" (Matt. 13:22).


Just as we should never overestimate the Devil, we would also err greatly in underestimating his cunning craftiness. He is a malevolent being, the vastness of whose intellect exceeds that of any human who has ever lived from Solomon to Socrates.



Continued....