4 - LORD'S PRAYER - the Servant's Petitionsნიმუში

09 – Possible Fall

“And lead us not into temptation…” (Matthew 6:13, NIV)

It’s worth remembering that when Jesus taught this prayer to His disciples, He Himself had already faced severe temptations for forty days. Scripture tells us that after His baptism, Jesus was fiercely tempted by Satan—but He emerged completely victorious. In every trial, Christ gave the enemy no foothold.

Because of His victory in that battle, righteousness is now accessible to His followers—to all who belong to God’s family. Jesus never sinned, and because He understands our weaknesses, He teaches us to ask the Father for strength to resist temptation.

We must keep in mind that temptation toward evil is a spiritual battle that engages our will. It often stirs in the deepest parts of our passions and desires. That’s why Jesus said: “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 14:38, NIV) Our temptations usually spring from selfishness and our craving for comfort—forces that regularly place our will in direct conflict with the will of the Father.

The truth is, we are most strongly tempted in those areas of life where we insist on staying in control instead of surrendering to the Spirit of God. These are our weak spots—and every one of us has them.

In our next reflection, we’ll explore some of the ways temptation seeks to entangle us.