And don’t let us yield to temptation. (Matthew 6:13)
In the most well-known Christian prayer, called The Lord’s Prayer, there is a request for help to stand firm in spiritual battle. While this is outside the main Scriptural text used in this book of meditations, it is highly relevant to our spiritual battle defense-building.
Historically, this line is prayed in a standard way in English as “Lead us not into temptation.” This comes from an established rendering, one that is embedded in centuries of Christian thought and practice, particularly arising from the King James Version. Commonly, Christians have wrestled with the possibility behind this, wondering how God could “lead people into temptation”.
The translators of the New Living Translators footnote the historic approach to the translation of this verse, but they have offered a different rendering of the Greek text as “don’t let us yield to temptation.” As one who works professionally in Bible translation, I am confident that their reason for doing so is not to “change” the text or the meaning, but to render it in a more meaningful and accurate way, despite the English-speaking church tradition which may not allow for easy deviation, especially when it is recited faithfully by individuals and congregations.
The thought is actually similar to the historic reading, but the responsibility for the acting out is placed much more clearly on the praying believer: “I’m the one who can enter into temptation, and Father, I ask that you keep me from going down that path.” Rendering the traditional verbal idea of “lead us not” as “don’t let us go down” OR “keep us from going down the path of temptation [whose end result is sin]” captures well this idea.
So, why did Jesus teach his followers to pray to the Father in this manner?
One is that Jesus knew temptation to sin was real. Before mentioning the temptation of believers, it’s helpful to remember that the Scripture says, “This High Priest of ours [referencing Jesus] understands our weaknesses, for he faced all the same testings we do (Hebrews 4:15).” This word for testings is the same one often translated into English as temptation.
Some may believe, and teach, that followers of Jesus have nothing to worry about in this arena. Temptation is not a worry because I have some kind of spiritual immunity, or inoculation. I follow Jesus, and love him with all my heart, I serve him, attend church, read my Bible, pray regularly, I witness of my faith and of his love to others, and I give tithes and offerings. I’m under the blood of Jesus and I am protected by the whole armor of God. What could possibly go wrong?
What could possibly go wrong is that our element of flesh and self can rise up and bite us. Often this happens when we least expect it. We become insulated from reality and sound thinking, and lax in our spiritual alertness (as we discussed in a previous lesson), and fall into thinking that we are impenetrable. We go to sleep on our watch and don’t realize that the Enemy has been prowling and roaring, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). If we are confident in ourselves, and rely on self, we will miss out and fall into temptation.
We would do well to consider that Jesus never said that those who follow him as his disciples will never be tempted. That’s a man-made, vain imagination. Perhaps best described as a false hope. Jesus was not immune to temptation. Why should we think that we will be?
However, it’s useful to note that temptation in itself is not sin. Temptation around us is reality.
Secondly, aware that temptation is real, Jesus knew that his followers could in fact yield to that temptation.
Temptation is real, and we are vulnerable as long as we inhabit these earth-suits. Temptation knocks on our doors, often quite persistently. The Enemy is looking for not just an opening, but an opportunity which we provide by positioning ourselves as either immune to temptation and any subsequent yielding to it, or by dropping our guard and ignoring the reality of temptation. Both positions are deadly. As C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, “we can’t trust ourselves even in our best moments.” Yielding to sin is a real possibility. We have to stay on guard, and pray that the Father will keep us from self-trust. Jesus taught this in his model prayer.
It’s good to note that in the passage cited from Hebrews 4:15 which identifies the reality of temptation in Jesus’ own life, the Scripture says that even though he was tested, or tempted, “he did not sin.” The temptation came, but he did not yield.
When I think of yielding to temptation, I’m reminded of the story of an American ‘super pastor’ whose marriage failure became public knowledge. He was a leading pastor in his region of the country. Had a great following, and was well-respected. (I remember attending one of his workshops once at a national meeting, in addition to hearing him in a plenary session. He was tops. He was a great speaker and widely-read author from whom I learned so much.)
When his failure became known, he said that he had already been in repentance towards his wife, and was trying to make amends. His church put him on discipline for a year, with no preaching and teaching, but a time of strict accountability and healing. He accepted whatever they asked him to do, and after a long road of counseling and healing, he eventually moved back into productive ministry.
He cited two reasons for his failure, as he reflected on what happened. One is that he said he got tired. Ministry and life were full! No time to rest and recharge. He was always busy, always preparing and moving on to the next opportunity and engagement.
Secondly, he said he had no one in his life (and I take that to mean at least partly that he did not invite anyone in) who was asking him the hard questions: How are you doing? What are you struggling with? Are you being tempted in any area? And so on. After this collapse, and sinful endeavor, and during the healing and restoration process, that wall of separation changed. Others came into his life to help. They entered his life to help bolster the walls against the invasion of subsequent temptation.
His collapse deeply affected me personally. I was stunned that someone who was so spiritually mature and who appeared at least so outwardly “holy” could have done such a thing. I’ve often thought, if it can happen to him, it can happen to me! I know that I’m 15 minutes away from a bad decision and resulting actions that could ruin my marriage, my family, my reputation, my credibility, my ministry, my life! Not to mention the lives of others.
Doesn’t that sound like something our common Enemy would like to see happen to me, to you? In our ongoing spiritual battle to stand firm, let’s pray that we will not yield to temptation. While the brother I just cited certainly learned some deep and life-changing lessons, and seems to have come out good on the other side, let’s be on our guard and avoid that road as the schoolhouse of learning. Let’s pray to learn what God has for us without going through deadly yielding to temptation.
We are in a battle, and it can wear us out. Think of a soldier—not necessarily a busy pastor, but any member of the Body of Christ around us—who fights and struggles and gets attacked from all sides. Eventually, fatigue sets in. He might put down his sword. “It does feel heavy!” And lay down the shield. And take off his helmet. And just kind of zone out. That’s the tired state. And that’s when opportunities arise for vulnerability to yielding to temptation. We cannot trust in our own strength, call on our long track record spiritual activity, nor try to appropriate armor of our own making. Those are not elements of the recipe for standing firm.
The prayer of Jesus comes rolling in with new meaning: “Father, don’t let us yield to temptation.” And I’ll add, “There are lots of opportunities that arise which could cause us to yield. But please give us strength and wisdom and discernment to avoid those paths. Keep us from ourselves!”
Freddy Boswell 