Prayer and Worship Study Week 7

Deliver Us From Evil

Lead us not into temptation, testing, trials, so we don’t fail You, dishonor You, partner with the enemy for our own gain and will

For we know they are hard, there is an enemy trying to destroy us

We don’t want to fail you Lord

So if these are true, if these are our desires, then we also need deliverance from the presence of evil

When you think of “evil” what do you think of? Most think about all the “evil” things done in our world, but what about...

the evil within, our sin nature. We probably don’t look at or think about ourselves as evil, but evil is a manifestation of a lack of right standing with God, a not submitting to God

the evil out there, society and the satan or the evil one. The more obvious understanding of evil, them and what they do

There will one day be a final deliverance, our glorification, freed from the presence of sin and the evil one, but until then, we must daily, moment to moment, be aware that we are living in a hostile world, with an unseen enemy hell-bent on our destruction, and a degree of evil still inside us.

This portion of the prayer reminds us of what we prayed in the beginning, Your Kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, deliver us from evil and the evil one.

James 4:1-8

James 4:1–8 ESV

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

New Living Translation Chapter 4

Drawing Close to God

What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. 6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say,

“God opposes the proud

but gives grace to the humble.”

7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

How do we know we are still in the presence of evil or evil still lives within us, verse 1 gives us one indicator, “What causes quarrels and fights?” Jesus prayed for all followers of His to be unified, to love each other, Paul also writes of this.

Our passions are at war within us, this is our sinful nature at work

Verses 1-3 are dealing with our sinful nature, our covetousness.

But what is fueling this covetousness? Is it not the desire for pleasure, look at verse 3

Verses 2b-3 shows two ill motives,

Self dependence, I don’t need God, I’m self sufficient

Self gratification, I don’t want God, I only desire pleasure

What is being addressed in verses 4-6? The worldly system, society that is designed to lead us away from submission to God and to grow the desire to be our own God.

James uses the word, “adulterers”, what does he mean by that? Not faithful to God, cheating on Him with the world.

He also says, “friendship” with the world makes you an enemy of God, not total allegiance, or total pursuit. Philia in Greek, friendship love, affectionate regard for.

Again, the Bible is black and white, cut and dry, you are either devoted to God and His ways or you are devoted to the enemy system and his ways, your own ways, there is no middle ground with God.

The desire to determine right from wrong for ourselves, to seek what’s best for us, pleasures and our will

Look at V5-6, what does this tell us about God? He passionately desires through His Spirit to help us to be faithful to Him, not an adulterer. Also, He is filled with grace for the humble, but opposes the proud who don’t need Him and won’t be faithful.

So how do we partner with God to be delivered from evil?

Humble yourself, recognize your sinfulness/evil within

Resist the devil, actively fight

Come near to God, determine in our will to be faithful

Wash our hands and purify our hearts, 1 John 1:9 confess and repent, God is faithful

Cry, be sorrowful, have deep grief, sadness, gloom. The effect of true repentance

Humble yourself, thankfulness for Jesus, submit once again

So what does this tell us about Deliver us from evil? We are active in our deliverance, not passive, we want God to do this for us, when in reality He’s already defeated sin and death, we are to walk and live as freedmen wholly devoted to Him and fight for the deliverance He’s won for us.

Psalm 23:1–6 ESV

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

New Living Translation Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

1 The LORD is my shepherd;

I have all that I need.

2 He lets me rest in green meadows;

he leads me beside peaceful streams.

3 He renews my strength.

He guides me along right paths,

bringing honor to his name.

4 Even when I walk

through the darkest valley,

I will not be afraid,

for you are close beside me.

Your rod and your staff

protect and comfort me.

5 You prepare a feast for me

in the presence of my enemies.

You honor me by anointing my head with oil.

My cup overflows with blessings.

6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me

all the days of my life,

and I will live in the house of the LORD

forever.

If we are willing to receive it from the Lord, He gives us all we need

Look at what God does for us if we allow Him, rest, peace, strength, guidance, presence, protection, provision, anointing, pursuit, and ...

Ultimately the three desires at the soul level are met by God

Acceptance-He is our shepherd and we are His sheep

Significance-all that is listed above

Security-goodness and unfailing love, live in His house forever

So what does this Psalm tell us about “Deliver us from evil”?

He meets our every need and satisfies our every desire properly

We don’t have to look out for ourselves

He protects us from evil

Ephesians 6:10–18 ESV

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

New Living Translation Chapter 6

The Whole Armor of God

10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Ephesians 4, 5 & 6 are about unity of believers, living as children of the light, submission, ultimately to God and then as submitted to God, we can submit in other relationships. To do this we must live by the Spirits power

As we strive to live according to God’s design in these relationships, marriage, family, and work, we will have opposition, from society and the enemy of all things good and of God.

So, the key to the whole passage is V10, why? If we decide to battle the enemy in our own strength we will fail, we are actually consenting to eventually fail, a veiled desire to sin.

The strength to fight, to stand firm is to employ Jesus’ strength

What is verse 11 assuming? That we want to resist the devil and to stand firm live godly.

What else is V11 telling us? The enemy has schemes, plots to overthrow godliness. Do we recognize them?

But what is V 12 telling us? That it is he and his that we are dealing with, fighting against if we are willing. The fight may appear as if it’s against people, flesh and blood, but there is a satanic force behind all that is ungodly.

Understanding this, how should we approach these difficult people who seem to be opposing us?

Our temptations to do what is wrong/evil are not entirely on us, yes we have a sinful nature, but also an active enemy

How many of us go about our day oblivious to this fact? Not actively engaged in the fight?

Look how Paul describes them, evil rulers and authorities, mighty powers, evil spirits in the NLT, in the ESV they are;

rulers—can be seen as human authorities, but in reality the supernatural force behind them

authorities—ruler and power that seeks to control

cosmic powers—supernatural power and world ruler

spiritual forces—not physical but spiritual forces/powers

Where are these enemy forces?

Unseen world—not in the dimensions we see, not the people but the power and force behind them

Dark world—occult and demonic practices, but also this fallen world, where things may not seem evil to us, but are not godly either

Heavenly places—spiritual dimensions where God has also blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3).

So what has God given us in defense of these forces?

What is the whole armor of God? A metaphor, Paul was chained to a Roman guard, it’s what each symbolizes.

Belt of truth—it all starts with the truth, the enemy is the father of lies, we must be anchored in God’s truth, not letting society shape how we view the Word of God, but letting the Word of God shape how we view society. Some translations have “gird up loins”, some commentators talk of how sex and sexuality are always an attack point of the enemy.

Breastplate of righteousness—when anchored in truth, righteous behavior follows. The guarding of our heart, God has given us the righteousness of Christ, we must guard it and also it’s His righteousness like a breastplate that guards us and our life.

Shoes of the gospel of peace—the gospel brings us peace with God and peace with our fellow man. But who is willing to go and share, we’ve been given the shoes to go and tell. See Romans 10:15 and Isaiah 52:7

Shield of faith—to extinguish the flaming darts. Roman soldiers would carry shields covered with animal hide which they would wet so the arrows on fire would extinguish. The enemies constant barrage of lies and accusations can chip away at our faith, cause us to doubt and not trust. We must continuously wet our shields in the Word of God and increase our faith. See Romans 10:17

Helmet of salvation—salvation comes in 3 parts, justification-the legal transaction where our sins are forgiven, we are not guilty, just as if I’d never sinned and we are free from the penalty of sin. Part 2, sanctification-us working out our salvation in partnership with the Holy Spirit to become the holy and righteous individual God has already declared us to be, being freed from the power of sin. Glorification—our once and for all-time departure from this world to move into eternity with God and Jesus, we receive our crown of righteousness as we are now freed from the presence of sin. The battle ground of all sin begins in the mind, see Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, Jesus in Matthew 4, and also 2 Cor. 10:5, take every thought captive.

Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, Jesus in the wilderness, truth against the lies—the only offensive weapon, sort of, the only one used in counter attack against the enemy. We must know the Word, have it handy to counter-attack when the thoughts come or the Potiphars wife comes.

Prayer, the forgotten offensive and defensive weapon—praying at all times in the Spirit. Partnering with the Spirit in constant communication with the Lord. Totally dependent on Him, needing Him for everything, like a pilot flying with no equipment and in the dark.

So, these items are all given to us by God, but they are the truthful reality we fail to live in nor access. Meaning,

We have truth we just have to know it and access it.

We are righteous we just need to remind ourselves daily that we are and need to act like it.

We should know the Gospel and that we’ve been give the privilege to share it.

We have faith, it’s a gift from God and we need to use it remembering that it’s the object of our faith, Jesus, that makes our faith strong.

We have salvation/justification, we are growing in our salvation/sanctification, and we look forward in eager anticipation for our full salvation/glorification, these are promised to us, guaranteed by the sealing of the Spirit (Eph. 1:13, 4:30).

We have the Word, need to know the Word in order to use the Word when we need it.

We have direct access to the Father in prayer because of Jesus, we can talk with Him whenever and always, we can ask Him to help us, to call on Jesus’ strength to empower us.

So what does this passage tell us about “Deliver us from evil”?