But Deliver Us from Evil

We talk about temptation and the fact that God provides a way of escape from it. Evil, however, is an entirely different matter.
I’d be curious to hear from you in regards to what insights you get from a Scriptural study of ‘evil’.
I think most people see evil as an obviously despicable and deplorable thing. An extreme. I see evil simply as a departure from the good order set forth in God and His will toward us. Evil is not always some cringe worthy, overly heinous act; oftentimes it’s subtle, undetectable and even easily disguised as a desirable good.
When you realize what evil really is, you also see your reliance on God to deliver you from it. The children of Israel saw that the other nearby nations had a king. They saw it as something good and wanted it. Even when it was explained that there was more to the story than what they saw, they persisted in their desires. Afterwards, they realized that what they thought was good…was in fact, evil. 1 Samuel 12:19

So as I pray the Disciple’s prayer, this part always makes me think of my natural probability to miss seeing evil for what it is, and my expressed inability to deliver myself from it. Then, an enormous swelling of faith in God’s promises finds reasons to rejoice in the fact that not only is He able, but He wants to. Remember, we were once enemies with God. God didn’t come in one day and catch an attitude with us, WE provoked. WE sought avenues away from His will. WE embraced evil. WE jumped into the middle of quicksand with zero ability to rescue ourselves.

Here’s The Word;

2 Peter 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

Colossians 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Galatians 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

2 Corinthians 1:10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

Our world today is becoming increasingly evil and sadly, our definition blinds us from how pervasive evil’s progression is. We see ISIS as evil and the situation in China of persecuting Christians as evil but hardly ever the more subtle expressions. We’ve become overly comfortable with evil in our midst.
Titus 2 and others give clear direction on how to embrace good and depart from evil.Psalm 119:101 says I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.
Any choice in opposition to God’s word is evil – in speech, action, thought, etc. To not oppose evil is also evil. The Bible says give no place to the devil but I totally understand how we don’t want to be a bother to people, I pray for strength here as well. Yet,see how subtle? See how there’s a clear and present need for us to pray that God would indeed – Deliver us from evil.



In Him,
Cros