Deliver us from Evil

We don’t like to think about evil—so we don’t.  Governments are not evil, they are just pragmatic.  Churches aren’t evil, they’re just absorbed with themselves.  Children are not evil, they’re misunderstood. We’re not evil—we’re just weak, forgetful, preoccupied, procrastinating, mistaken, justified, hurt, worldly wise,  concerned, jealous. . . you get the idea.  We can find a thousand excuses for not using the word “evil” or its companion word “sinful.”

Many people think that if you use the word “evil” you are saying that someone is altogether evil. This is not so. No one is purely evil. We are all made in the image of God. Even Hitler was once a cute little baby.   Evil is with us and in us, but it is not in itself not us.  We are made in His image.

The English translations do not do Jesus’ words justice.  Jesus does not say “Evil” but “the Evil One,” meaning Satan. He is pure evil and his job is to bring out the worst in us and by doing so, to destroy God’s image in us. 

The Evil One is incredibly cunning.  He does not tempt fairly.  He seldom attacks from the direction we are expecting or that we have guarded against His attack come on the unguarded flanks.  A man who is struggling with lust may find himself attacked with gluttony. A man on guard against pride may be overtaken with fear.  A man who knows he can be angry may be attacked with cowardice, and so forth. 

There is no way we can guard against all evil everywhere.  So God must defend us.  He protects us. First, he gives us a blanket pardon in advance for all sin, lest we be tempted into thinking that any failure will separate us permanently from God, and not seek forgiveness. Second he gives us the Holy Spirit, the ever vigilant presence of God to watch our backs when we sleep. Even so, we must ask for protection, and seek forgiveness when we fall.  In this way, God will delivers us from the evil one. 

God, thank you that you have forgiven all my sins.  Protect me from the Evil one, so that I can walk before you with a clear conscience in Jesus’ name, amen.