Week 6, day 6: Making choices in a battle

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

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

Liz Nixon writes:

This verse reminds me that we are in a battle – whilst the war has been won and the victory belongs to Jesus, the devil is still fighting with dirty tactics for every scrap of land he can hold onto. The Bible says the devil is the father of all lies and that he comes to steal, kill and destroy. Asking God to deliver us from the evil one is about the moments of making choices that turn me towards life in all its fullness, or away from God and towards the destruction that is wreaked by the devil.

Galatians 6 says exactly this “The one who sows to please his sinful nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit , from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” We clearly have to take responsibility for the choices we make and the direction it results in.

By asking God to keep us safe or deliver us from the evil one, we acknowledge our dependence on God and His protection whilst also playing our part with what we do. From now on when I pray, I will hold at the front of my mind that this is an active battle and ask Him to keep me safe and give me wisdom to make lifegiving choices.