“Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:13)
We pray God for help and strength to resist temptations. These temptations can derive from our own heart, when we are trapped by sinful longings that pull us away from God. At other moments, we are tempted by the outside world, for example if we long to join in with people around us who do not serve the Lord. If we turn away from their sinful ways, these people may even threaten us. How difficult it can be to stand alone or even to suffer for your faith!
Finally, there is the devil who tries to separate us from God. This spiritual battle is very real, even though not always clearly visible. If we belong to Jesus, we are automatically at war with Satan, and he won’t leave us in peace.
All these temptations and threats can be overwhelming. But God assures us that He will not allow us to be tempted above what we are able (1 Corinthians 10:13). This promise gives us the courage to daily fight back in God’s power. He provides spiritual weapons to protect ourselves: the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:6-17).
Do you consider spiritual battles to be a serious problem? How do you deal with this?