The
months of March through June of 2020 have been quite the spectacle of emotions,
tensions, anxiety and even fear. If a pandemic of COVID-19 were not enough to
challenge us, we found ourselves staring glued to our media devices watching
riots, looting, destruction and protesting take over many of our major cities.
Now, take
all of that and add the political climate in our country with the insipid, vile
and volatile hatred many are expressing towards the President of the United
States, we could be easily conclude that there is a lot of evil and hate in our
Country.
Jesus
comforted us in John 16:33, by saying āā¦In this world you will have
trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.ā I believe this ties in
with the reason Jesus taught us to pray for such troubling times. Jesus teaches
us to pray, in Matthew 6:13 āā¦but deliver us from evil.ā
For many
years, I have always assumed that this part of the prayer was just referring to
Satan and his demons. Although, some justification could support that, I have
found that understanding the full meaning of these words can actually empower
us to live more victoriously against not just Satan, himself, but the entire
realm of all his evil.
Jesus
offers us victory if we are willing to do our part to withstand, fight, and
persevere over the temptations that are about us daily. James 4:7 āSubmit
yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.ā 1
Corinthians 10:13, āThe temptations in your life are no different from
what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation
to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out
so that you can endure.ā
Although
the interpretation of the word āevilā could mean either Satan or evil
individually, it can also mean both at the same time. The bottom line is that
we are sternly warned in 1 Peter 5:8, āBe sober, be vigilant; because
your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may
devourā¦.ā Yes, we must live holy and obedient lives, but we must also add
the word āvigilantā to that list. Satan is out to get us!
We should
live with a sober and cautious heart because we realize that Satan is working
over-time to totally annihilate us. Jesus tells us that Satanās desire is to
use any and every severe testing, circumstance, or issue to his advantage.
Again, remember, his goal is to utterly destroy youā¦to hurt youā¦.to frustrate
youā¦.defeat you in mind, body and spirit.
He wants
you to give up and give in. He wants you to blame God for everything and
denounce your faith. He wants you to fail. He wants you to totally blow it. He
would love to keep driving that wedge in between your marriage, children,
friends, and all healthy relationships. He wonāt stop. He doesnāt play by any
rules. Anything goesā¦.because you need to be defeated. He is that desperate to
get rid of you. We all need to stop and really let that soak in.
Now, donāt
you see why vigilance is so critical to our spiritual health? Now, canāt you
see why it is so important to pray, āLord, deliver us from evil?ā Jesus wants
us to pray not only that we will not be led into a testing of our faith that is
beyond our endurance, but that we would be delivered from Satan and his deadly purposes
of evil against us.
Here
is a bit of a disclaimer: You must choose to live vigilant, holy, and
obedient lives while staying deep and grounded in the Bible. Just because you
accepted Jesus doesnāt mean you are āgood to goā and can go along your merry
way thinking youāre fully covered and protected. No, it doesnāt work that way.
Please
noteā¦.this is not a āprogramā a āprocedureā or āinsurance policyā to prevent
bad things from happening to us. This is a committed lifestyle with a purposed-driven
initiative to live sold-out to Jesus every moment of every day regardless of
what life and this world deals us. John Wesley would call this āgoing on
towards perfectionāā¦.living out our salvation and being committed to holiness. It
takes effortā¦.but it is well worth it.
Like a
well equipped and readied military, let us put on the full armor of God (Ephesians
6:13-18) trained and fully prepared for spiritual battle. Let us expand our
knowledge of Scripture, strengthen our time of prayer and grow our relationship
with Jesus, so that we āā¦will be able to stand firm against all strategies
of the devilā (Ephesians 5:11). So, let us continue to pray, Lordā¦deliver
us from evil!