Prayer as Spiritual Warfare

Every day we are tempted by the evil one, and every day we can find deliverance or victory. Jesus knew this, and that’s why He included a reminder to remain vigilant, on watch, alert, and engaged in the prayer He taught His disciples.

Transcript

What tempts you to do what you know you should not do? What are you vulnerable to?

For me, it’s gotta be desserts! I am tempted daily by desserts! All my sweet teeth just want to have sweets! You know how you can remember the spelling of desert and dessert? There are 2 s’s in dessert because you can never have just one! So for me, it would be a great test of my strength and resolve to be at a dessert buffet—especially when I’m hungry!

You see, temptations come when we are presented with something that we desire, but we know is not good or even destructive to us. These desires can be seen as faulty and distorted versions of true desires. A true and good desire is for food to fuel my body. A distorted desire for food to bring emotional comfort or to fill my self-indulgence. The trial or testing is in the struggle to NOT give in to the temptation.

Temptations are not wrong or sinful; giving in to them is what is wrong or sinful. That second piece of scrumptious Bundt cake is perfectly innocent and good just sitting there on the platter. My desire for comfort and indulgence, my taking that second piece of cake and putting into my mouth—that’s what’s wrong and hurtful to my body!

This fifth week of the 40 Days of Prayer we focus on “Prayer as Spiritual Warfare.”

Jesus teaches his disciples and us in Matthew 6:13 to pray: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

Both the Hebrew word and the Greek word for “temptation” is a morally neutral word that simply describes putting a person to the test and can mean presenting a trial to the person (testing) or giving them an inducement to sin (temptation). In the book of James, the brother of Jesus uses this word numerous times with both meanings.

James 1:12-17
12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

I find two very important points to notice here:

1. God does not tempt us to sin. While it is true that God allows us to be tested and will even put us under a test, God does not entice us to do what is wrong and evil. He allows tests for many reasons, such as to reveal to us what is in our hearts, to shape our character, to make us stronger through the enduring, to help us to see our need for Him, to show his power and glory through us.

2. Our distorted desires drag us into sin. James says that we are deceived into thinking that our evil desires are good, so we give in to them. But the consequence of giving into the temptation is very destructive:

Evil Desires → Temptation → Sin → Death

We often do not take seriously enough how vulnerable we are and how strong our distorted desires can be. Nor do we understand the nature of temptation.

Let’s take a look at what happened to the Apostle Peter when he didn’t recognize his vulnerability to sin. Reading from Luke 22:31-34, 54-62

31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
54 Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55 And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”
57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.
58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”
“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.
59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”
60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.

While Peter may not have appreciated his failure, you and I can appreciate it for what we learn about the nature of temptation and testing.

1. First, notice that Jesus already knew what was going to happen—before it happened! Both Peter’s betrayal and his restoration. That should be an encouragement to us when we fail and fall.

2. Second, there is an unseen player in this story. Jesus tells Peter that there is an enemy who wants him to fail and fall. This enemy is not just an evil energy or force. No, Satan, whose name means Adversary or Accuser, is a very real entity who is bent on Peter’s harm and destruction.

It is true that Peter did have a tendency to speak without thinking first, and, yes, he may have been susceptible to thinking too highly of himself. But he was not aware that a very real and very evil being was going to use his weaknesses to lure him to sin.

While Peter is boasting about how strong his faith is and how fearless he is, Jesus knew him better and recognized the limitations and frailty that were still a part of Peter. Jesus knew Peter’s fear of persecution and the strategy of the Evil One to lure him into sin.

3. Third, Jesus’ counterattack against Satan’s evil plot is prayer! Jesus is not afraid of the Enemy. Jesus knows what’s about to take place. Instead of worrying and fretting (Jesus has never worried or fretted), Jesus has battled the Enemy through prayers being prayed over Peter.

I can hear the gentleness and compassion in Jesus’ voice as he says to Peter, “I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. I have prayed that when you have turned back to me that you will strengthen the other believers. I have prayed about this.”

My dear brothers and sisters, prayer is spiritual warfare, a battle “not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms,” as Paul illuminates for us in Ephesians 6:12. Too often you and I can only see our weaknesses, and we do not see with spiritual eyes the attack of the evil one and his legions of evil spirits. We need to counterattack with prayer!

Let’s go back to Matthew 6:13: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. This part of the Lord’s Prayer might not have been surprising to the disciples. The Jewish prayer book contains a similar petition to God:

“Do not let us be overcome by sin, disobedience, or iniquity, not by trials, nor by disgrace; and do not let the evil inclination rule us. Distance us from harmful people and harmful friends … rescue me today and every day … from my evil inclination, from an evil friend, from an evil neighbor, from an evil incident … and from the destructive adversary (satan).” (Siddur, Morning Prayers)

Do not let us be overcome by sin…and rescue us! This is both an honest confession of our frailty and vulnerability to sin and a declaration of reliance on God as our deliverer.

Where I have distorted desires and loves, I can be tempted into sin. For example, I am weak when it comes to taking care of my body and putting in the right nutrients; I very much enjoy the taste of good food, which is not wrong at all, but I don’t have the self-control to limit the quantity of food, and I am too prone to self-indulgence. I think it’s just about the yumminess of desserts, but the evil one is stronger and craftier than I am. He doesn’t just tempt me with desserts, he tempts me to reward myself and to do what will make me feel happy in the moment. But the truth is that God is way, way, and so much stronger than the evil one! He alone can deliver me from Satan’s lies--and my own distorted, but that’s for another sermon.

I need to pray, “Deliver me from the evil one” because Satan is real, he tries to tempt me to sin, and only God can deliver me from Satan.

4. The final takeaway from Peter’s denial of Jesus and from this portion of the Lord’s prayer is that the best time to deal with a temptation is BEFORE it shows up. Jesus teaches us to pray for protection from temptation and for deliverance from Satan as a regular practice. Jesus prayed for Peter before his denial of Jesus takes place.

Prayer: Evil Desires → Temptation → Deliverance

For example, when I am thinking about dinner, my mind already goes to the dessert. I fantasize about the yummy taste and how I will feel once I eat it. That’s when I need to pray for strength to resist temptation and for deliverance from the evil one. If I wait until the desserts are gleaming up at me, it’s basically a lost battle, and I will hardly want to resist—let alone pray that I will be able to resist the temptation.

• Before you hang out with your drinking buddies, cussing or gossiping friends, or amorous boyfriend/girlfriend, pray for deliverance from the evil one.

• Before you open up that email, text, website, or social media of that someone who isn’t your spouse, pray for deliverance from the evil one.

• Before you open your mouth, purse, or door, pray for deliverance from the evil one.

• Before you go on that date, pray for deliverance from the evil one.

The preparation for battle comes before the battle. Before you meet your temptation head on, pray for deliverance from the evil one!

“Our Father in Heaven, lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from the evil one.”

I don’t know what your particular temptations and struggles are, but God knows them even better than you do. And He has made a way for you to get free from the temptation, so you do not have to cave and give in to the temptation.

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

And draw strength from what the writer of Hebrews says: Jesus is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Jesus is always praying and interceding for you.

Let us pray.