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What is the significance of praying, "lead us not into temptation" (Matthew 6:13)?

What is the significance of praying,
Redemption The Bible New Testament

TL;DR:

When Jesus taught us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation,” He wasn’t saying God tempts us—He was teaching us to depend on God instead of our own willpower. It's a prayer for God to limit what temptations we face and to provide the strength and means to overcome them when they come.

what does the bible say?

In Matthew 6:8–13, Jesus helps the disciples learn how to pray with a helpful outline, called the Lord's Prayer. Curiously, though, it ends with “lead us not into temptation,” which sounds like it’s asking God not to tempt us. However, from other passages, we know this cannot mean that. For example, James 1:13 explicitly teaches that we should never blame God for temptation but rather blame our own sinful hearts. What then does Jesus mean? God doesn’t tempt us to sin, but He does offer protection from temptation. That may be in the form of Him not allowing us to experience a particular temptation or by giving us the strength to overcome it, but He always makes a way out (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:13). Thus, this passage is a rhetorical plea for God’s help not to sin.

The word translated as “temptation” can also be translated “test.” Thus, some believe that Jesus is asking not to be led into testing. Additionally, a minority believes this is an eschatological prayer, asking not to be led into the final temptation/test on the world. This understanding is difficult to support contextually, though since Matthew 6:10 may refer to God’s eschatological kingdom, it could be possible.

God does not tempt us to sin and wants us to live pure and holy lives. Through this example prayer, Jesus teaches us that the path to that is by realizing we can’t make it alone and humbly praying that God will help us through.

from the old testament

  • Praying "lead us not into temptation" is not found in the Old Testament.

from the new testament

  • In Matthew 6:8–13, Jesus outlined a prayer to help His disciples. It’s not intended to be repeated by rote. Rather, it provides key ideas found within prayers, such as praising God (Matthew 6:8), requests for daily needs (Matthew 6:11), and the need for ongoing forgiveness (Matthew 6:12).
  • It ends with the following petition: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13). Note that “from evil” is literally “from the evil” in Greek and is more likely to mean “from the evil one” (e.g., Matthew 13:19). Whether its delivery from Satan’s attacks or the general evil state of the world, the question is what it means for us to ask God to not lead us into temptation.
  • James 1:13 helps to guard our interpretation of Matthew 6:13. It reads, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.’” God is perfectly good, and thus neither does anything evil nor tempts us to commit evil. Thus, Jesus cannot mean for us to pray that God doesn’t tempt us, because He never does.
  • Instead, using rhetorical language, Jesus speaks about God’s protection over us, specifically regarding temptations. Paul said, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). He was saying that God protects us by not letting us be tempted by something that we are unable to stand against and that He protects us by giving us a way out from the temptation. Thus, this prayer asks God for help in overcoming temptation.
  • Note that the Greek word translated as “temptation” can also be translated as “test.” Because of this, some argue that Jesus is saying to pray that God would not test us. However, we learn that God does test us to mature us (cf. James 1:2–4). So, understanding this as “test” is true, it’s not to pray for no testing, but to pray like Jesus did when He didn’t want to die: “not my will, but yours, be done” (cf. Luke 22:42).
  • Also note that a small minority of scholars believe this is an eschatological prayer, in which Jesus teaches us to pray that God would not lead us into the final test at the end of the world. However, that is difficult to support contextually. That said, Matthew 6:10 refers to God’s kingdom coming; thus, it's reasonable to conclude that Matthew 6:13 may also be eschatological.

implications for today

This world is full of temptations. Worse still, the sinful world has an ally inside of us: our hearts. Its desires are what give birth to sin (James 1:14–15). Given the wickedness of the heart (Jeremiah 17:9), the strength of sin (Romans 7:18–20), and our bondage to it before we are saved (John 8:34), we would be incapable of not sinning if God did not intervene.

But He has. In mercy, He sent His Son to die for the penalty our sin has earned (Romans 5:8). All who believe in Him, they have sin’s bonds removed (Romans 6:6–7) and can now, through faith, please God (Hebrews 11:6). However, though believers aren’t enslaved to sin any longer (Romans 6:18), we are still incapable of living perfectly (cf. 1 John 1:8–10). This is why praying "lead us not into temptation" is so important: We must stop relying on our abilities to get through temptations. Instead, we must humbly ask the Father to help us.

While God does not remove every temptation, He gives us a way through them (1 Corinthians 10:13). As we pray, He teaches us to walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16), follow His Word, which is like a lamp to our lives (Psalm 119:105), and helps us to crucify our passions (Galatians 5:25).

Are you struggling with a particular temptation, one that seems always to win? Stop now and ask God to help you. Ask Him to show you a way through and for wisdom about how to avoid the temptation in the future. As you pray, be sure to continue keeping your mind transformed by Scripture (Romans 12:2) and to work to avoid the sin. It may take time, but with God’s help, you can conquer it!

understand

  • Praying "lead us not into temptation" is not a request for God to not cause us to sin, since James 1:13 makes clear that God never tempts anyone to sin.
  • Praying "lead us not into temptation" is asking for God's protective provision in temptation.
  • The Greek word translated "temptation" can also mean "test," reminding us that we need God's help in both trials and temptations.

reflect

  • How does understanding "lead us not into temptation" as a request for God's protective provision change the way you actually pray when you are facing temptation?
  • How would asking God to limit what comes against you or to provide a way of escape help you in time of trial or temptation?
  • What does it practically look like for you to depend on God's strength in trial or temptation?

engage

  • How does the pairing of "lead us not into temptation" with "deliver us from evil" shape a fuller understanding of what Jesus intends believers to ask for in this petition?
  • What does it reveal about the nature of prayer that Jesus would teach His disciples to ask God for protection from temptation rather than only commanding them to resist it?
  • How does the connection between temptation, testing, and God’s faithfulness help you understand the difference between trials God uses to mature you and temptations meant to pull you away from Him?

More Resources

Christian Life What is the Lord's Prayer? How is the Lord's Prayer a model for our prayers?

What is the Lord's Prayer? How is the Lord's Prayer a model for our prayers?

The Lord's Prayer is a model provided by Jesus for how to pray. The Lord’s Prayer was not designed to be a repetitious, rote prayer, but rather a way for us to come to the Lord with praises and requests.
Life What does the Bible teach about temptation?

What does the Bible teach about temptation?

Temptation is a natural part of being human, but God always provides a way out. Instead of giving into temptation, we must resist it, knowing that it leads to destruction, and choose righteousness instead.
New Testament If God does not tempt us, why did Jesus instruct us to pray 'Lead us not into temptation'?

If God does not tempt us, why did Jesus instruct us to pray 'Lead us not into temptation'?

God does not tempt us to sin. Praying, “lead us not into temptation” is a plea for God to guide and protect us from situations and circumstances that may lure us into ungodly action.
Life How can I overcome temptation instead of giving in?

How can I overcome temptation instead of giving in?

We don’t have to give in to temptation—we can fight it with God’s Word, the Spirit’s strength, and the support of others. God always makes the way of escape out of temptation, giving us the way to overcome.