“Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:13)
When I was around 12 years old, I watched a horror movie for the first time: Paranormal Activity. Itwas a movie full of such horrible things that happened to a family by unseen spirit beings at night… I cannot even bear to recount it.
This was the very first time I had ever seen anything supernatural, something involving evil spirits or demons, and it really scared me. It left me so terrified that the same things would happen to me at night that I had to sleep with a light on and with my feet under the covers. Part of me wanted to believe that it was all just fake – it was only acting after all. I so wanted to be like my friends who watched these movies because they wanted this rush of adrenaline.
But I think that deep down, I knew that it was true… that these movies were actually depicting a very real part of this world.
When I became a Christian and I read more of the Bible, it confirmed the unfortunate and terrifying reality that evil is very real, and it can be very dangerous for us.
It is no wonder then that Jesus closes His prayer speaking about our need for protection from the evil one and from his spiritual attacks.
My dear friend, just because our lives may not look exactly like the scary scenes of a horror movie doesn’t mean that evil isn’t real.
The evil one, or Satan, may not do scary things to us, but he is sneaky. He is divisive, and insidious, and a liar. He will tempt us to do evil and unholy things. He will inject fear into us and make us believe things about ourselves, others, and God which aren’t true. He will make us feel overwhelmingly ashamed, guilty, and condemned. And he does all of this so that we will stray from God’s path and become ineffective in our walk as Christians!
We are in a spiritual war – one that we need to fight on a daily basis. And though that may sound scary, we need not be afraid. Psalm 91:9-10 reassures us that when we make God our dwelling place, no evil will be able to harm us. Our God is our refuge and our protection!
This is the reality that we are living in and the reality that we must be aware of. We, in our own strength, do not have power against the enemy. But we do have God’s power, protection and strength. In the face of the enemy’s attacks, we can stand firm knowing that his power is puny compared to God’s!
I once read this and I think it is the most apt thing to leave you with, dear friend. Here it is: “Going into your day without prayer is like going into war without a weapon.” So, let us draw ever closer to God in prayer that we may be able to stand firm and to live the lives that God has for us!
Take a moment, and join us in prayer.
Our Father in heaven, I pray that You lead us not into temptation and that You deliver us from evil today.
I declare Your protection over me today, that I truly am safe in You when You are my dwelling place. Thank You that no harm will overtake me and that I need not be afraid of the enemy and his attacks.
Lord Jesus, I hide myself in You today. Please fill me with Your power.
In Your mighty and powerful name, I pray, amen.
