Sermon by Ps Gaius on 20 November 2022
Introduction
Jesus taught the people to pray.
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. – Matthew 6:9-13
Message
This is the Lord’s prayer. Jesus prayed to ‘our Father’ – His Father is also our Father. Whatever we do, only we know what is in our hearts. We may fool men, but God knows what is in our hearts. We have our daily needs. God knows our needs – we can submit them all to our Lord. We have to first forgive our debtors, and reconcile our differences with others, so that we will have peace within our hearts.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one – Matthew 6:13
Who is the evil one? We know who the devil is, but there is more. The world is also an evil – it encompasses egoism and self-centredness. The third evil is the flesh.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. – 1 Peter 5:8
If we are watchful, His protection will be on us. But if we let our guard down, we forgo the Lord’s protection.
The devil has no power over us, as Jesus has already triumphed over him. The only way he can affect us is if we allow him to. He knows our weaknesses – what we see, think and feel. We know from Genesis that Eve was tempted and tricked by the devil into eating the fruit of knowledge and evil, even though God had already commanded her not to. Adam and Eve fell into temptation because they did not obey God.
When we argue with someone, it stems from our pride – we want others to be convinced by us. Jesus never quarrelled with anyone – He was always gentle and meek. The food for our spirit is the word of God. Do we read the bible every day? Do we pray every day?
Temptation is like a hole in the ground. If we can see the hole, we will avoid it. But some of us are curious and go closer to the hole to see what is in it. Let us do whatever it takes not to fall into temptation.
1. Resist and Flee
Our enemies are not the people around us, but the power behind them. The devil is working behind the scenes.
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. – Ephesians 6:11-13
Therefore, put on the armour of God – the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the feet of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:14-17). And let us continue to stand firm in our faith.
Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. – 1 Peter 5:9
God will fight the battle for us. We just have to submit to Him.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. – James 4:7
Let us learn from the example of Joseph. His master’s wife tempted him multiple times. Joseph fled from her. When Joseph faced temptation, he fled from it. Although he was later accused of wrongdoing and put into prison, he maintained righteousness and was shown favour by the Lord.
The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. – Proverbs 22:3
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. – 1 Corinthians 6:18
So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. – 2 Timothy 2:22
2. Watch and Pray
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” – Matthew 26:41
Jesus was tempted thrice in the wilderness by the devil. How did Jesus defend Himself against the devil? He relied on the word of God – “It is written” (Matthew 4:4-11). The word of God will let us know the devil is deceiving us. Jesus has already achieved victory over the devil. We know His promises are ‘yes’ and ‘amen’.
Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. – Proverbs 30:5
Pray unceasingly. Temptations will come many times, so let us have perseverance is staying alert. Be watchful with thanksgiving. God wants all of us to draw closer to Him.
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, - Ephesians 6:18
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. – Colossians 4:2
Closing
To overcome temptation, resist and flee, and also watch and pray. The one who will deliver us from evil is our Father. It is not through our might. This is Jesus’ prayer – ‘deliver us from the evil one’ (Matthew 6:13). If we allow Him, He will enter our hearts.
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