Today,
I’m going to talk to you about evil. And the reason for that is, I’m sure,
obvious. Jesus teaches us to pray about evil.
…deliver us from evil. Matthew 6.13
Evil
is something that people don’t talk much about, not seriously. I think that it
would be good if that were to change. One result of taking evil more seriously
would be that we would then pray this petition more seriously. I think that
that would be a good thing.
I
usually start out with a definition. But you know the definition of evil. It’s
the opposite of what is holy. But for what I have in mind, more than a
definition is needed. What is needed is sense of the evil that is all around
you. You need to feel it.
So,
let’s look at some Scripture to see how evil touches your life.
Paul
calls where you live ‘the present evil age’ [Galatians 1.4]. John adds to that
when he informs us that ‘the whole world lies in the power of the evil one’. [1
John 5.19] And then, there’s this striking thought about what your life is
like.
For we do not wrestle against flesh
and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic
powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly places. Ephesians 6.12
Your
life is a wrestling match with evil.
Paul
urges us to be careful how we use our time because, as he says, ‘the days are
evil’. [Ephesians 5.15]
All
of that is about looking at the world around you. But how about a look within.
In describing his own experience, Paul also describes yours.
For I do not do the good I want, but
the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Romans 7.19
Let’s
follow that up with this warning.
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any
of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living
God. Hebrews 3.12
Then,
there are those times when evil rachets things up a bit. Listen again to Paul
as he describes one particular time in his life.
For we do not want you to be unaware,
brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly
burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 2 Corinthians
1.8
There
are times when evil comes at you because of what your friends do or fail to do.
Again, Paul.
At my first defense no one came to
stand by me, but all deserted me. 2 Timothy 4.16
Then,
of course, there are those extraordinary experiences of evil that some face.
Here’s some of that from Paul’s life.
Five times I received at the hands of
the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I
was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at
sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger
from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the
wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship,
through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in
cold and exposure. 2 Corinthians 11.24-27
Let’s
pause here. What have I done? I have, more or less, described your life. It’s
filled with evil. In one way or another, evil attacks you every day.
Now,
at least some of you are thinking, ‘Wait a minute! That’s not my life. Sure, I
feel the evil. And there are times when it gets to be a bit much. But you’re
leaving out the rest of the story. There are lots of very good things going on
also.’ And, of course, that’s true.
You
have a Father in heaven who loves to give good gifts to His children, and that
includes you. [See Matthew 7.11] And David gives voice to an attitude that you
will give a hearty ‘Amen!’ to.
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is
good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the LORD, you his
saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The
young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good
thing. Psalm 34.8-10
And
then, of course, there’s all that good stuff in the 23rd Psalm.
So,
yes, there is much good in your life. But that doesn’t change the fact that
there is also much evil in your life. What I told you about how evil attacks
your life is still all true.
That
presents us with a question. How should you relate each of these, the good and
evil you experience, to the other?
Here
are two popular choices. There are those who focus on the good and downplay the
evil. And there are those who do the exact opposite. They focus on the evil and
downplay the good. But neither is a good way to handle good and evil.
Those
who stress the good and neglect the evil, sooner or later, are blindsided by
something awful, and they are completely overwhelmed. Life falls apart. And the
reason for that is that they are unprepared for the terrible evil that just
invaded their lives. The chaos of that situation might not last forever, but
pulling things back together can take a long time.
On
the other hand, those who focus on the evil and downplay the good find that
their hearts become all twisted up. Slowly but surely, they become bitter
people. So, even when they experience some good, they don’t really enjoy it
very much. Even then, they downplay it.
These
two options don’t work. So, what are you supposed to do when it comes to your
experience of good and evil? How are you to understand life knowing that you
will experience both?
You
start by giving thanks for all things, both the good that comes your way as
well as the evil. That, after all, is what the Father has called you to do.
Remember His command.
In all things give thanks. 1
Thessalonians 5.18
So,
the first thing is being grateful for both the evil and the good.
Then,
there’s this.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I
will say, rejoice. Philippians 4.4
You
are to rejoice as you see Him doing so much good, spreading His kingdom as He
spreads His Gospel, even though sometimes He uses evil.
But
at the same time, it is important that you would be aware of the evil that is
all around you. This is some of what Jesus was getting when He said,
Behold, I am sending you out as sheep
in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Matthew
10.16
Jesus
sends His disciples out into an evil world.
And
remember Paul’s comment,
For I do not do the good I want, but
the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Romans 7.19
The
evil isn’t just out there. It’s also in you.
So,
how are you to relate good and evil? You need to see reality clearly. There is
much good that comes your way. And there is much evil that does the same. This
is what life in the here and now is like. Recognize it as such.
Now,
why did I go through all of that? Yes, you enjoy much good from the Father,
something that you need to be sure to give thanks for. But why should I spend
time highlighting the evil that you face? It’s only when you see your life in
this way, when you really do see the evil that is all around and within, that
you will be eager to pray, ‘Father, deliver us from evil’. It is a lively sense
of evil that will motivate you to obey Jesus and pray that petition the way He
intends you to pray it. Don’t try to hide from the evil. Don’t minimize it. See
it for what it is. Acknowledge the pain and the threat. And then, pray.
And
that brings us to the other word in this petition that we also need to do some
meditating on: deliver.
So,
when you pray ‘deliver us from evil’, what exactly do you want the Father to
do? What are the details of this deliverance that you are asking for? I’m
finding that asking this kind of question is important because there is far too
much vague praying these days. There’s too much, ‘Dear God, please bless
George. Amen’. What does that mean? What exactly does that person want the
Father to do for George? Nailing down the details can be so very helpful. This
is another aspect of praying thoughtfully.
So,
what are some things that we might ask the Father for when it comes to praying
for deliverance from evil?
Here’s
one thing. Pray that you would be able to endure to the end. Jesus uses that
kind of language when teaching His disciples how to deal with an evil situation.
You need to pray that as you deal with evil situations. You need to pray that
so that you will make it to the age to come.
It
seems to me that failure to pray something like this, at least from time to
time, is simply presumption. This is someone expecting to coast to the finish
line. Don’t just assume that since you’ve made it this far that you will, in
fact, make it the rest of the way. Jesus knew that some of His followers would
not endure to the end, which is why He spoke that warning. Remember all that
evil, both all around you and within you.
One
of my daily prayers includes this phrase, ‘Preserve me by Your mighty power
that I may not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity’. I pray that because
I know that I can fall into sin to the destruction of my soul, and I can be
overcome by adversity so that I will just quit.
The
evil that is all around us and within us is very real. Take it seriously so
that you will endure to the end and enter the age to come. Pray, ‘Father,
deliver me from all of this evil’.
Now,
that’s what you might call a prayer with the long-term results in view. But
there’s also praying with the short-term in view. So, where is evil attacking
you now? What are the temptations that you are repeatedly facing? Where are you
suffering? Where is the evil?
Food
is a gift of God to be enjoyed. But it wasn’t designed to make up for the
disappointments of life. Using it that way is making it into an idol that you
look to instead of looking to the true and living God. That’s an evil
situation.
What
if your spouse is not following the biblical directives about marriage? A
husband who is not leading in love or a wife who is not submitting in trust.
That’s a recipe for a very bad situation, an evil situation.
What
if you have a rebellious child whom you don’t know what to do with? Or what if
you have an overbearing parent who is making life just awful. More evil.
Then
there are health issues, job problems, social weirdness and lots more. Your
life is filled with evil.
It
is as you understand yourself, your situation and what life is supposed to be
like that you will be able to see exactly where the evil is attacking you. That’s
when you can pray thoughtfully and passionately, ‘Father, deliver me from this
evil.’
So,
I’ve highlighted evil and given you a motivation to pray, ‘…deliver us from
evil’. Is that it? Is it just a matter of praying and then waiting for the
Father to do something? No. The Father will deliver you both long-term and
short-term, but He uses the things that you do as His tools.
The
Scriptures make this clear when they say things like,
Strive for … the holiness without
which no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14
Or
to say that from the other side,
Put to death therefore what is earthly
in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness,
which is idolatry. Colossians 3:5
Or
to look at it from a different perspective,
…take up the whole armor of God, that
you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand
firm. Ephesians 6.12-13
There
are things that you are called to do along with praying about this evil. Prayer
alone is not just fruitless. It is disobedient.
There
is work to be done. You need to work to see the evil for what it is. You need
to work to obey those commands that tell you what to do about it. And you need
to work to pray thoughtfully and passionately. It is as you do these things
that you will conquer the evil that threatens you every day.
Today’s
sermon has been pretty dark. And that’s understandable. I’ve been talking to
you about evil because of this petition that Jesus wants us to include in our
prayers.
But
it’s important that this ends on an optimistic note.
And
that note is Advent. Jesus has come. It’s so important, especially after a
sermon on evil, to keep clearly in mind why He has come.
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and
bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).
Matthew 1:23
Yes,
you are confronted with evil every day. But you do not deal with it alone. Your
God is with you. And He is with you to guide you through each battle and to
give you all that you need to win. So, here is a part of the Gospel for you to
believe as you face evil: Immanuel. God is with you
because Jesus has come.
Then
there is also this. He has come so that you will be freed from all evil. Think
of it: freed from all evil. The day will surely come when there will be no evil
for you to contend with. None.
And
that is something that is held out to us in a Scripture like this one.
And I heard a loud voice from the
throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell
with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as
their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no
more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the
former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said,
“Behold, I am making all things new.” Revelation 21:3-5
It
is Jesus’ goal to make you into a people who are completely free from sorrow
and pain and suffering. It is His goal to free you from all this evil. So, when
you pray to be delivered you are agreeing with Him and working with Him toward
the same goal. Those are prayers that are sure to be granted. Believe the
Gospel and be delivered from evil.