Jesus taught us to pray, “lead us not into temptation” (Matt. 6:13). This is one of the most important things we are to pray for. The word temptation in Greek is peirasmos which means an experiment, trial, attempt, proving, or testing. It comes from a word that means to pierce through with a spear or a spit (which roasts meat over the fire). Tests are hard and often painful.
We know that God leads us. He leads us by his word and he leads us by his Spirit. He can give us leadership through other members in the church. God leads us so that he can bless us. Sometimes he leads us into tests. However, Jesus taught us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer that God will not lead us into tests.
We’re supposed to pray that God would not lead us into testing, as a group. The challenges that one of us face are faced by all of us. We need to bear each other’s burdens and pray for each other. Sometimes the entire church will be tested, and Satan will challenge us all as a unit. God will help us get through these seasons of testing as we remain faithful to God and keep loving and supporting each other.
The Bible says we’re supposed to be happy when we’re tested (James 1:2). It also says that tests do positive things in our lives like purifying our faith, helping us grow spiritually, and preparing us for spiritual responsibility.
But if we’re supposed to be joyful when we’re tested and tests do so many positive things in our lives, why would we pray that God would not lead us into testing?
Testing is something that we all need, but it’s not something that we all should be eager to find. We don’t need to go out looking for tests. Tests are hard. We want to lead a quiet and peaceful life (1 Tim. 2:2), and tests can get in the way of that. We also need to be humble. Let’s not be overconfident in our spiritual abilities, because we know the weakness of our flesh. Tests expose our weaknesses, and we might fail a test. Although we are confident in the Lord, we don’t want to rashly face tests. Students don’t usually rush up to a teacher, eager to take a test. Soldiers don’t run out looking for war, because they know how hard war is.
But once the test comes we can be joyful in the midst of it. God will get us through. We know that God will not let us be tested beyond what we are able to bear, but he will give us a way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13). When tested, we can find a way out and get through. God will be with us in the test, and the test will work good things in our lives.
And so we need to do two things: pray that God doesn’t lead us into testing, and be joyful when we are in testing.
Along with the prayer to not lead us into testing, Jesus told us to pray that God would “deliver us from the evil one.” These two prayers are connected, for Satan is often involved in our testing. The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan (Matt. 4:1). The Holy Spirit was doing the leading, and Satan was doing the testing. Job was tested by God when Satan created all kinds of trouble in his life.
Testing is a time of spiritual warfare. Satan is like a roaring lion seeking to devour us (1 Pet. 5:8). He often creates problems in our lives. Powerful fallen angels seek to harm us (Eph. 6:12). God has given us all the spiritual resources we need to be victorious in these struggles, but these tests are hard. We need to draw on the strength of the Holy Spirit to overcome. Satan tempts us and entices us to sin. However, God can bring good out of all these tests and spiritual struggles, causing them all to turn around for good in our lives (Rom. 8:28).
James tells us that God does not tempt us to evil (James 1:13). This is the same word peirasmos. Let’s not blame God for the problems we face. God never tempts us to moral failure because he is completely holy and good, and he wants only good for us. He never puts evil in front of us in order to entice us. This would be contrary to his nature. God never induces us to sin, entices us to sin, or traps us in sin.
James explains that we are tempted by the lusts within us (James 1:14-15). We are drawn out from our place of moral of safety and enticed by something external to ourselves. Then lust produces evil thoughts and evil desires and creates sinful action. Sin ultimately produces death.
Temptation does not equal sin. We can be tempted without sinning. Jesus was tempted in all points like we are, but he never sinned (Heb. 4:15). Because Jesus was tested in all points like us, he is able to sympathize with us when we are tested. Because Jesus overcame all testing, he can help us. He gives us an example of victory, he intercedes for us, and he gives us strength to overcome by his Spirit.
We must pray that God would not lead us into testing. Testing is hard, and we want to avoid it. But when testing comes, and it will, we can be confident and joyful in God. The joy of the Lord is our strength, and the Holy Spirit will help us overcome. Through the test, we will emerge stronger spiritually, closer to God and to each other.
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