In our Savior’s prayer recorded in Luke 11:2-4, we find the five petitions that disciples of Jesus are to lift to the Father. The fifth one is perhaps the most misunderstood of all. Jesus tells us that when we pray we should say, “And lead us not into temptation” (v. 4).

At first glance this request would appear to imply that our Father does, in fact, “lead” us “into temptation.” But we also know that our Savior’s own brother, James, has also written these words in his inspired Epistle:

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one (James 1:13).
How do we understand these apparently contradictory statements?

Question 127 in the Heidelberg Catechism provides much needed clarity on the meaning of this petition. When we pray, “And lead us not into temptation,” we are confessing that . . .
“By ourselves we are too weak to hold our own even for a moment. And our sworn enemies—the devil, the world, and our own flesh—never stop attacking us. And so, Lord, uphold us and make us strong with the strength of your Holy Spirit, so that we may not go down to defeat in this spiritual struggle, but may firmly resist our enemies until we finally win the complete victory.”

This Lord’s Day morning we will consider this final request from Luke 11. And I know that we will be nourished and strengthened by our Savior’s Word as we let Jesus teach us to pray.