As we’ve journeyed slowly through the Lord’s Prayer over the past few weeks at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Bangor, we’ve arrived at its final petition:

“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
— Luke 11:4 / Matthew 6:13 (NIV)

This line reminds us that we are in a spiritual battle—a war that rages not just out there, but in our own hearts.

⚔️ Temptation Is Real—and So Is the Battle

In Ephesians 6, Paul describes the battleground:

“Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”
— Ephesians 6:11 (NIV)

And he names the enemy:

  • The flesh (our sinful desires)
  • The world (its pull toward selfishness)
  • The devil (who lies, tempts, and accuses)

Each day, we face choices between obedience and disobedience, belief and unbelief. The prayer “lead us not into temptation” isn’t a plea to avoid all testing—it’s a cry for God’s hand to hold us steady when the ground is slippery.

🍰 The Chocolate Cake Story

The preacher told the story of a man on a diet who prayed, “Lord, if You want me to have cake, let there be a parking space in front of the bakery.” Sure enough—after the eighth time around the block, a spot opened.

We laugh, but it’s familiar, isn’t it?

Temptation plays tricks on our logic. We spiritualise our desires. We rationalise our compromises.

😈 The Devil’s Playbook

Satan has three main tactics:

  1. Deception — “Did God really say…?”
  2. Temptation — targeting our weakest points
  3. Accusation — “Look at you. You’re a failure. God couldn’t still want you.”

But Jesus stands in our defence.

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
— Romans 8:1

“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”
— 1 John 3:8

🧭 So Where Does Temptation Come From?

1. The Flesh

“Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.”
— James 1:14

The battle is inside us. The old nature we inherited from Adam doesn’t die easily. It resists God’s ways and seeks self-gratification—whether through lust, greed, envy, selfishness, or pride. It tells us:

“Do your own thing.”
“You don’t need God.”
“You deserve this.”

2. The World

“Do not love the world… the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.”
— 1 John 2:15–16

The world tells us:

  • Avoid pain at all costs
  • Take the easy path
  • You do you

But we are not meant to follow the world. We’re meant to be transformed. And transformation takes community, truth, and **

Understood. I’ve revised the tone to make the post more personal and reflective—less about reporting what “the preacher said,” and more about your engagement with the passage and message. Here’s the improved version in your preferred Markdown format, ready for publishing:

---
title: "Sermon Notes - 15 June - Lead Us Not into Temptation"
date: 2025-06-15T10:00:00Z
draft: false
hero: /images/posts/18-may-sermon-notes/sermon-notes.svg
description: "Reflections on the final petition of the Lord’s Prayer: ‘Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ A prayer for protection, dependence, and victory through Christ."
theme: Toha
author:
  name: Adam Brown
  image: /images/author/adam.png
image_alt: "An open Bible highlighting the Lord's Prayer in Luke and the armour of God in Ephesians"
tags: ["sermon notes", "faith", "church", "temptation", "spiritual battle", "deliverance"]
categories: ["Faith", "Sermons"]
---

We've spent the last few weeks at [St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Bangor](https://standrewsbangor.org.uk) working through the Lord’s Prayer one line at a time. This week we reached the final petition:

> _“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”_  
> — **Luke 11:4 / Matthew 6:13 (NIV)**

This part of the prayer feels different. It’s not about provision or forgiveness—it’s about protection. It’s a cry for help in a world that’s full of things trying to pull us away from God.

# ⚔️ The Battle Is Real

We opened with Ephesians 6:10–20—Paul’s description of the spiritual armour God provides for the battles we face. This isn’t abstract language. Life *is* a battle, and the Bible names the three key battlefronts:  

- The **flesh** (our old sinful nature)  
- The **world** (the culture around us that pushes us away from God)  
- The **devil** (who actively lies, tempts, and accuses)

It’s not just that temptation exists out there somewhere—it’s *close*. And sometimes, it’s painfully subtle. 

# 🍰 A Story That Hits Close to Home

Someone once joked about driving past a bakery while on a diet and praying, _“Lord, if there’s a parking space outside, I’ll take it as a sign.”_ Sure enough, on the eighth lap of the block, a space opened up. Temptation has a way of finding us, especially when we want it to.

We might laugh, but in honesty, we’ve all been there. Wanting something we *know* we shouldn’t indulge in—and still reaching for it. That’s why Jesus teaches us to pray this way.

# 🛑 Does God Tempt Us?

No. James is clear:

> _“When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone…”_  
> — **James 1:13–14 (NIV)**

God allows us to walk through testing seasons, but the desire to sin comes from within. Temptation isn’t sin in itself, but when we give in, it leads us there.

Jesus knows how fragile we can be. That’s why He teaches us to pray, not only for forgiveness when we fall, but for **forbearance**—God’s patient protection and gentle guidance to help us *not fall in the first place*.

# ✋ Three Sources of Temptation

## 1. **The Flesh**
That internal voice that pushes us to act selfishly, gossip, lash out, or chase after unhealthy desires. Even after coming to faith, the old nature still tries to claw its way back in.

> _“Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.”_  
> — **James 1:14 (NIV)**

## 2. **The World**
Modern culture often celebrates what God calls sin. It encourages indulgence, consumerism, self-interest, and spiritual apathy. The drift is subtle. But it’s real.

> _“Do not love the world or anything in the world…”_  
> — **1 John 2:15–17 (NIV)**

## 3. **The Devil**
He lies. He accuses. He twists truth and whispers things like:

- _“Just one more won’t hurt.”_
- _“You’re too far gone.”_
- _“God won’t take you back—not again.”_

But Jesus defends us.

> _“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”_  
> — **Romans 8:1 (NIV)**

# 🛡️ Jesus: Our Defender and Deliverer

Jesus has already faced temptation—and conquered it. He resisted the devil in the wilderness using Scripture and prayer. He stood firm where we fall. He fought for us, and He still does.

> _“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”_  
> — **1 John 3:8 (NIV)**

> _“The Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”_  
> — **2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NIV)**

# 🤲 A Child’s Prayer for Protection

Imagine walking down an icy path, slipping again and again. The safest place is holding a father’s hand. That’s what this prayer is—a cry from a child who knows the way is slippery:

> _“Father, lead me not into temptation. Keep me from slipping. Keep me close.”_

And God delights to answer that prayer.

# 🔄 Daily Resistance

The call is not to hide or run away from the world, but to stand firm in it—**daily**.

- We put on the **armour of God** (Ephesians 6)
- We fill our minds with truth
- We keep our eyes fixed on Jesus
- We pray—again and again—not just after falling, but *before* we do

# 💬 Reflection Questions

1. Which of the three sources of temptation—flesh, world, or devil—feels most present for you right now?
2. What lies might you be believing that pull you away from God's truth?
3. Do you have a daily rhythm for “putting on” the armour of God?
4. How can you gently support someone else who’s in a spiritual battle this week?
5. What would it look like for you to pray “Lead me not into temptation” before your day even begins?

# 📚 Scripture References

- Luke 11:4  
- Matthew 6:13  
- Ephesians 6:10–20  
- James 1:13–15  
- 1 John 2:15–17  
- 1 Peter 5:8  
- Romans 8:1  
- 1 John 3:8  
- John 10:10  
- John 17:15  
- 2 Thessalonians 3:3  

> _“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”_  
> We can pray this with confidence—because Jesus has overcome.

This sermon was particularly difficult for me as it fell on Father's Day. I have really enjoyed going through these notes and I hope that I get to do it again with the next part that we cover.