Matthew 6:13 NKJV
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Praying for Safety in a Broken World
MY NOTES
“And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”— Matthew 6:13 (NKJV)
Having prayed for daily bread to sustain our bodies and daily pardon to cleanse our consciences, Jesus brings the Lord’s Prayer to its final, essential front line: daily protection.
The Christian walk is not a passive stroll through a peaceful park; it is a trek through hostile territory. The moment you step out your front door—or open your phone in the quiet of the morning—you enter a battlefield where subtle snares, worldly attractions, and direct spiritual assaults wait to derail your soul.
This is not the prayer of a person who thinks they are strong. It is the prayer of someone who knows how quickly the heart can drift. Temptation here can mean a test, not only a push toward sin. God never solicits us to do evil.
James is clear:
“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” (James 1:13)
Why, then, do we pray, “Do not lead us into temptation”?
The word translated “temptation” in Scripture carries a dual meaning: it can mean a solicitation to sin, or it can mean a trial or test that uncovers the true condition of our hearts. God does permit His children to pass through seasons of testing—just as He allowed Job to be tried and Abraham to be tested—to refine our faith and expose our weaknesses.
When we pray this petition, we are not asking God to change His holy nature. We are making a humble confession of our own deep weakness. A wise disciple does not go looking for those seasons. Aware of weakness, we ask to be spared the places where we are most likely to fall.
Paul gives the promise we lean on:
“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13)
So when we pray, “Do not lead us into temptation,” we are not accusing God of setting traps. We are asking Him not to permit what would crush us.
David prayed in the same spirit:
“Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men who work iniquity; and do not let me eat of their delicacies” (Psalm 141:4)
In other words, Lord, do not leave me to myself. Do not let Satan off the chain. Do not put me where my weakness will become my undoing.
To pray “lead us not into temptation” while willingly walking into toxic environments, scrolling through questionable media, or flirting with compromised compromise is shameful hypocrisy. True prayer produces careful, vigilant living:
- We stop bragging about how well we can handle it.
- We stop wishing for trials as if they were trophies.
- We refuse to wander into the snare.
- We refuse to drag anyone else in with us.
Jesus does not leave us in a defensive posture; He commands us to ask for positive rescue: “Deliver us from the evil one.”
The original language uses the definite article—deliver us from the evil—pointing directly to Satan, the arch-enemy of our souls. Satan is not a cartoon caricature; he is a subtle, spiteful adversary who specializes in deceit, accusation, and division.
We pray for deliverance from:
- The Enemy’s Snares: Being kept from his traps, hard thoughts of God, and blasphemous doubts.
- The World’s Corruption: Being spared from the toxic culture of pride, greed, and godlessness that surrounds us.
- Our Own Evil Hearts: Being saved from our own stubborn self-will, which is often our most dangerous enemy.
We cannot defeat the enemy in our own intellect or willpower. We are delivered because our Great High Priest has already conquered him at the cross, and we call upon His mighty name to shield us day by day.
“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart” (Matthew 13:19).
John writes to young believers,
“I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one” (1 John 2:14)
To be delivered from him is to be pulled out of his hands, kept from his snares, and rescued from his accusations.It is rescue from the evil of sin, the evil of the world, the evil of our own hearts, and the sting of death.
“Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression” (Psalm 19:13)
Note: Presumptuous sins are not a slip, but choices we make with our eyes open.
Even Jesus, facing the cup, prayed,
“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42)
It is not wrong to ask to be spared suffering. It is wrong to demand it as if we know better than the Father.
Then the prayer lifts its eyes. “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” We do not ask these things so we can stay comfortable. We ask them so His name is honored. His is the reign. His is the strength to give bread, forgive debts, keep us in the test, and pull us out of the enemy’s grip. His is the glory when any of that happens. We come first for Him, not first for us. Our deliverance is ultimately meant to display His unmatchable goodness, mercy, and holiness to all creation.
“Amen” means so be it; it is true and sure. It is a shout of covenant confidence that the God who reigns above will hear, answer, and hold His children safe until the journey is complete.
“Amen” is faith saying, Yes. Let it be so. I believe You can. I want what You want. I trust You to answer.
Prayer
Abba, You know the weakness of my heart and the traps that the enemy sets along my path. Lead me far away from temptation today. Keep my feet from walking into places that dishonor You, and guard my mind from entertaining thoughts that pull me into sin. Deliver me from the evil one, Lord. Chain up the adversary, break the power of worldly distractions, and keep me safe under the shadow of Your wings. I place my trust not in my own strength, but in Your everlasting grace. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever. In the victorious name of Jesus, Amen.
Key takeaways
- God does not tempt us to sin, but He may allow tests; wisdom asks not to be put in the path we cannot walk well.
- “Lead us not into temptation” is a lie if we then walk into temptation on purpose.
- The prayer is both negative and positive: spare us the snare, and pull us out of the enemy’s hand.
- Deliverance covers Satan, sin, the world, affliction, and our own hearts.
- We ask because the kingdom, power, and glory belong to God—not because we are the center of the story.
- Amen is confidence, not decoration.
Proverb for Today
Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your heart to my knowledge; For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; Let them all be fixed upon your lips, So that your trust may be in the Lord; I have instructed you today, even you. Have I not written to you excellent things Of counsels and knowledge, That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, That you may answer words of truth To those who send to you? Proverbs 22:17-21 NKJV
Daily Scripture
But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24 NKJV
Closing
“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 NKJV
Grace be with you. Amen.
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Commentaries:
Enduring Word
Temptation literally means a test, not always a solicitation to do evil. God has promised to keep us from any testing that is greater than what we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13). (Guzik)
v. “God, while he does not ‘tempt’ men to do evil (James 1:13), does allow his children to pass through periods of testing. But disciples, aware of their weakness, should not desire such testing, and should pray to be spared exposure to such situations in which they are vulnerable.” (France)
vi. “The man who prays ‘Lead us not into temptation,’ and then goes into it is a liar before God…‘Lead us not into temptation,’ is shameful profanity when it comes from the lips of men who resort to places of amusement whose moral tone is bad.” (Spurgeon)
vii. If we truly pray, lead us not into temptation, it will be lived out in several ways. It will mean:
· Never boast in your own strength.
· Never desire trials.
· Never go into temptation.
· Never lead others into temptation. (Guzik)
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever: The right kind of prayer praises God and credits to Him the kingdom and the power and the glory. (Guzik)
i. There is some dispute as to whether this doxology is in the original manuscript Matthew wrote or was added in later by a scribe. Most modern Biblical scholars believe this line was a later addition. (Guzik)
ii. “It is variously written in several MSS., and omitted by most of the fathers, both Greek and Latin. As the doxology is at least very ancient, and was in use among the Jews, as well as all the other petitions of this excellent prayer, it should not, in my opinion, be left out of the text, merely because some MSS. have omitted it, and it has been variously written in others.” (Clarke)
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Albert Barnes
And lead us not into temptation — A petition similar to this is offered by David, Psalms 141:4; “Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with the workers of iniquity.” God tempts no man. See James 1:13. This phrase, then, must be used in the sense of “permitting.” Do not “suffer” us, or “permit” us, to be tempted to sin. In this it is implied that God has such control over the tempter as to save us from his power if we call upon him. The word “temptation,” however (see the note at Matthew 4:1), means sometimes “trial, affliction,” anything that “tests” our virtue. If this be the meaning here, as it may be, then the import of the prayer is, “Do not afflict or try us.” It is not wrong to pray that we may be saved from suffering if it be the will of God. See Luke 22:42.
Deliver us from evil — The original in this place has the article – deliver us from the evil – that is, as has been supposed, the Evil One, or Satan. He is elsewhere called, by way of eminence, the “Evil One,” Matthew 13:19; 1 John 2:13-14; 1 John 3:12. The meaning here is, “deliver us from his power, his snares, his arts, his temptations.” He is supposed to be the great parent of evil, and to be delivered from him is to be safe. Or it may mean, “deliver us from the various evils and trials which beset us, the heavy and oppressive calamities into which we are continually liable to fall.”
Thine is the kingdom — That is, thine is the reign or dominion. Thou hast control over all these things, and canst so order them as to answer these petitions.
Thine is the power — Thou hast power to accomplish what we ask. We are weak, and cannot do it; but thou art Almighty, and all things are possible with thee.
Thine is the glory — That is, thine is the honor or praise. Not for “our honor,” but that thy glory, thy goodness, may be displayed in providing for our wants; thy power exerted in defending us; thy praise be celebrated by causing thy kingdom to spread through the earth.
This “doxology,” or ascription of praise, is connected with the prayer by the word “for,” to signify that all these things – the reign, power, and glory of God – will be manifested by granting these petitions. It is not because we are to be benefited, but that God’s name and perfections may be manifested. His glory is, then, the first and principal thing which we are to seek when we approach him. We are to suffer our concerns to be lost sight of in the superior glory and honor of his name and dominion. We are to seek temporal and eternal life chiefly because the honor of our Maker will be promoted, and his name be more illustriously displayed to his creatures. He is to be “first, last, supremest, best,” in our view; and all selfish and worldly views are to be absorbed in that one great desire of the soul that God may be “all in all.” Approaching him with these feelings, our prayers will be answered; our devotions will ascend like incense, and the lifting up our hands will be like the evening sacrifice.
Amen — This is a word of Hebrew origin, from a verb signifying “to be firm, secure, to be true and faithful.” It is a word expressing consent or strong approbation; a word of strong asseveration. It means “verily, certainly, so be it.” It is probable that this word was used by the people in the synagogue to signify their assent to the prayer that was uttered by the minister, and, to some extent, it was probably so used in the Christian Church. See 1 Corinthians 14:16.
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John Gill
And lead us not into temptation,…. Such a petition as this is often to be observed in the prayers of the Jews, “ynaybt la, “do not lead me” neither into sin, nor into transgression and iniquity, Nwyon ydyl alw, “nor into temptation,” or “into the hands of temptation”;” that is, into the power of it, so as to be overcome by it, and sink under it; in which sense the phrase is to be understood here. We are not here taught to pray against temptations at all, or in any sense, for they are sometimes needful and useful; but that they may not have the power over us, and destroy us. There are various sorts of temptations. There are the temptations of God; who may be said to tempt, not by infusing anything that is sinful, or by soliciting to it; but by enjoining things hard and disagreeable to nature, as in the case of Abraham; by afflicting, either in body or estate, of which Job is an instance; by permitting and letting loose the reins to Satan, and a man’s own corruptions; by withdrawing his presence, and withholding the communications of his grace; and sometimes by suffering false prophets to arise among his people: his ends in them are on his own account, the display of his power; grace, wisdom, and faithfulness; on account of his Son, that his saints might be like him, and he might have an opportunity of exercising his power and pity: and on his people’s account, that they might be humbled; their faith and patience tried; might see their weakness, and need of Christ, and be excited to prayer and watchfulness. There are also the temptations of Satan; which lie in soliciting to evil, suggesting hard and blasphemous thoughts of God, and filling with doubts and fears; which are cunningly formed by him, and are very afflictive. There are moreover the temptations of the world, which arise from poverty and riches, from the men of the world, the lusts of it, and from both its frowns and flatteries: add to all this, that there are temptations arising from a man’s own heart. Now, in this petition, the children of God pray, that they may be kept from every occasion and object of sinning; from those sins they are most inclined to; that God would not leave them to Satan, and their own corrupt hearts; nor suffer them to sink under the weight of temptations of any sort; but that, in the issue, they might have a way to escape, and be victorious over all.
But deliver us from evil. This petition, with the Jews, is in this form: “er egpm ynlyutw, “but deliver me from an evil accident,” and diseases; and do not trouble me with evil dreams, and evil imaginations.” R. Juda, after his prayer, or at the close of it, as is this petition, used to say; “let it be thy good pleasure, 0 Lord our God, and the God of our fathers, wnlyutv, “that thou wouldst deliver us” from impudent men, and impudence; from an “evil” man, and from an “evil” accident; from the “evil” imagination, i.e. the corruption of nature; from an “evil” companion; from an “evil” neighbor; and from Satan the destroyer; and from hard judgment; and from an hard adversary, whether he is the son of the covenant, or is not the son of the covenant.” And most, if not all of these things, may be very well thought to be comprised in the word “evil” here: particularly Satan may be meant, by “evil,” or “the evil one,” as the word may be rendered; who is eminently, originally, and immutably evil; his whole work and employment is nothing else but evil: and to be delivered from him, is to be rescued out of his hands, preserved from his snares, and delivered from his temptations. Evil men may also be intended: all men are naturally evil, and unalterably so, without the grace of God; and some are notoriously wicked; from whose company, sinful lusts, and pleasures, to which they are addicted, as well as from their rage and persecution, good men cannot but desire deliverance; as also from the evil of afflictions, and especially from the evil of sin; as that they may be kept from the commission of it; have the guilt of it removed; be preserved from its power and dominion; and, at last, be freed from the very being of it.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever, Amen. This conclusion is left out in the Arabic and Vulgate Latin versions, as it is in Luke 11:4. It stands thus in the Jewish prayers, “ayh Klv twklmh yk, “for the kingdom is thine,” and thou shalt reign in glory for ever and ever.” The usual response at the close of prayers, and reading the Shema, instead of “Amen,” was this: “Blessed be the name of the glory of his kingdom, for ever and ever.” Which bears some resemblance to this concluding expression, which ascribes everlasting kingdom, power, and glory, to God: which may be considered either as a doxology, or an ascription of glory to God, which is his due; and ought be given him in all our prayers to him; or as so many reasons strengthening our faith in prayer; or as many arguments with God, with respect to the petitions made; since the kingdom of nature, providence, grace, and glory, is his: he is omnipotent, he has power to give us our daily bread; to forgive our sins; to preserve from, support under, and deliver out of temptation; to keep from all evil, and preserve from a total and final falling away: whose glory is concerned in all, to whom the glory of all is, and to whom it must, and shall be given; and all this for ever: and the whole is concluded with the word “Amen”; which is a note of asseveration, of the truth herein contained; is added by way of assent to every petition made; is expressive of an hearty wish, and desire to have all fulfilled; and also of faith and confidence, that they will be answered. And this word being retained, and kept the same in all languages, signifies the unity of the spirit, and faith in prayer, in all the saints, in all ages. I leave this prayer with one observation, and that is, whereas it has been so long, and so often said, that this is the Lord’s prayer, it can never be proved that he ever made use of it; and it is certain that he did not make it, as appears from what has been cited out of the Jewish records: the several petitions in it were in being and use before he directed to them; and not only the petitions, but even the very preface and conclusion, are manifestly of Jewish original: what our Lord did was, he took the most proper and pertinent petitions, that had been used by good men among that people; which, with some alterations much for the better, he put together in this order, and gave his approbation of; and that with this view, to point out to his disciples some of the best and most suitable petitions to be made; and to give them a pattern of brevity and conciseness in prayer; and teach them to pray after such a manner, or in some such like words and expressions. This I observe, not to lessen the usefulness of this excellent pattern of sound words; the whole, and every part of it, being exceedingly instructive, and worthy of imitation; but to rectify a vulgar mistake, and to abate the formal and superstitious observance of it.
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Matthew Henry
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. This petition is expressed,
(1.) Negatively: Lead us not into temptation. Having prayed that the guilt of sin may be removed, we pray, as it is fit, that we may never return again to folly, that we may not be tempted to it. It is not as if God tempted any to sin; but, “Lord, do not let Satan loose upon us; chain up that roaring lion, for he is subtle and spiteful; Lord, do not leave us to ourselves (Ps. 19:13), for we are very weak; Lord, do not lay stumbling-blocks and snares before us, nor put us into circumstances that may be an occasion of falling.” Temptations are to be prayed against, both because of the discomfort and trouble of them, and because of the danger we are in of being overcome by them, and the guilt and grief that then follow.
(2.) Positively: But deliver us from evil; apo tou poneµrou–from the evil one, the devil, the tempter; “keep us, that either we may not be assaulted by him, or we may not be overcome by those assaults:” Or from the evil thing, sin, the worst of evils; an evil, an only evil; that evil thing which God hates, and which Satan tempts men to and destroys them by. “Lord, deliver us from the evil of the world, the corruption that is in the world through lust; from the evil of every condition in the world; from the evil of death; from the sting of death, which is sin: deliver us from ourselves, from our own evil hearts: deliver us from evil men, that they may not be a snare to us, nor we a prey to them.”
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