And Lead Us Not Into Temptation, but Deliver Us from the Evil One

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil!

You do realize, of course, that when you pray “deliver us from evil” (or deliver us from the evil one) you are praying for the overthrow of Satan's kingdom? You are praying that God would hear the groans of those who are suffering. You are praying that God would have mercy on those doomed to die. And you are praying that God would bring judgment on all his and our enemies.

After all, the promise to Abraham included the third part: I will bless all those who bless you; and those who curse you, I will curse.

I know that we don't feel entirely comfortable praying that God would “return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!” But if you ever want to see justice come on the earth, then you will need to learn to pray that God would bring justice: that God would rescue his people from those who would destroy them – AND that God would do away with the destroyers!