Week 2, day 6: Trusting God in a battle

“but deliver us from the evil one.” (NIV)

“but keep us safe from the Evil One.” (Good News)

Andrew Kerr writes:

Have you ever been somewhere and it just didn't feel right? Not that it smelt funny or you didn't like the curtains but that deep down your "Spidey sense" (perhaps better called your spiritual discernment) was tingling and you just had to leave? I've had that feeling couple of times before and it's on those occasions that I have been most aware of the spiritual battle that rages.

Thankfully we know what the outcome of the battle is. Jesus died, defeated death, and rose again.

And we know that we have a loving Father who protects us. As Laura reflected, God is a loving Shepherd who protects us like sheep in His fold.

But He's no snoozing shepherd. As Joanna reminded us as we discussed this section, the phrase "deliver" is often used when talking about being rescued in a battle. Being delivered from the enemy when caught in the midst of the chaos. Jesus is a warrior king fighting for us each day. He's the one dangling from a spiritual helicopter (metaphor gone too far?!), jumping down, saving us, and taking our place in the fight.

The battle is won but each day we remain dependent on God to deliver us. Sometimes it's a nudge to save us from ourselves. Sometimes it's a giant swipe at forces unseen. But it's not something we can do without Him. We need to trust God in the fight.

And that is what has struck all of us from the Lord’s Prayer: in order to honestly pray the Lord's Prayer you need to trust God. We need to trust that He will reveal his character more and more. Trust that He will bring creation to look ever more like His kingdom. Trust that He will provide for us. Trust that He has forgiven. Trust that He will guide us and fight for us. Because that's what we're asking Him to do. And by asking we are acknowledging that we can’t do those things and need Him for everything.

Where am I not trusting God and still trying to fight in my own strength?

For those of you who read the Lectio365 app devotionals, last Thursday's words summed it up well with the chorus of Van DeVenter's hymn:

All to Jesus I surrender
All to him I freely give
I will ever love and trust him
In his presence daily live
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to thee, my blessed Saviour
I surrender all