By Shephard Victor
Most of us recognize this phrase as part of what is commonly known as The Lord’s Prayer. You might even know the entire prayer by heart. But have you ever paused to ask: Why would Jesus instruct us to pray that God not lead us into temptation? After all, doesn’t the book of James clearly state that “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone” (James 1:13)? So why would we need to ask God not to do something He would never do in the first place?
To understand this, consider the broader biblical context. In Romans 1, we learn that when people persist in willful disobedience, God may give them over to their desires. This is not the same as God tempting them, but rather allowing them to follow the path they have chosen; one that leads away from Him. So, when we pray “lead us not into temptation,” we are essentially asking, “Lord, don’t let me go my own way. Don’t hand me over to my stubbornness and keep me close.”
This part of the prayer is a two-fold declaration: not only are we asking not to be led into temptation, but we are also pleading to be delivered from evil. We are saying, in essence, “I don’t want to go back to who I was – stubborn, self-willed, and trapped in sin. I want to move forward, toward holiness. I don’t want anything to derail that journey.”
Sin has two devastating consequences. First, it separates us from God, cutting us off from the One who created and loves us. Second, it enslaves us.
A person who has been given over to pornography, adultery, or any form of habitual sin becomes a slave to that sin.
Over time, it no longer feels like something they do, it becomes part of who they are.
But there is hope. As the psalmist writes, “Your word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). When we internalize God’s Word, by reading it, praying it, confessing it, believing it, and living by it, we are actively declaring that we are no longer slaves to sin. We are sons and daughters of God.
So the prayer “lead us not into temptation” is not about mistrusting God’s character, it’s about acknowledging our own weakness, recognizing our need for divine help, and expressing our desire to stay aligned with His will. It’s a cry for guidance, protection, and transformation.
We are not meant to be slaves. We are meant to be sons.