July 18
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
(Matthew 6:13)
It is also true that the Bible is never in any doubt that there is a power of evil in the world. The Bible does not discuss the origin of evil, but it knows it is there. This petition of the Lord’s Prayer should be translated not as “Deliver us from evil” but as “Deliver us from the evil one.” An evil is not an abstract
principle or force, but an active, personal power in opposition to God. The Bible wastes no time in speculations about the origin of evil. It equips us to fight the battle against evil which according to the Scripture is reality.
The temptations come not only from outside us but from the inside too. We are all vulnerable to temptations. We should realize it and be on the watch. One of the defenses against temptation is simply the courage to be good and be on the watch.
Prophet Jeremiah says this: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:19). The presence of Jesus Christ in our hearts is the best defense. Jesus is not a figure in a book, but He is a living presence. The whole point of the Christian faith is that Jesus is whenever we receive Him in Holy Communion. We must make all life fit for him. He is continually with us as the best defense against temptation.
Fr. Joachim