When willpower is not enough

“…but deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6.13 

This final phrase in the Lord’s Prayer acknowledges our total dependence upon God; it recognises that we are not able to deliver ourselves from evil but need the constant help and intervention of God.

The Bible does speak of the battle in which God is involved against the devil, a battle in which we, too, are included. It can be easy to look at events or at other people and see how their lives or situations have been influenced by forces opposed to God, but it can be far harder to face up bravely to where the devil has his foothold and activity in our own life.

What can you do about this? It is very tempting to try using willpower or self-control to break out from negative influences upon you, but this phrase of the prayer reveals that willpower is often not the solution; you need the intervention of God.

A common prayer in some parts of the church is the very simple phrase, ‘Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.’ This can be used on all manner of occasions, and certainly when you need his help. It acknowledges your need of Jesus and invites him to step into your life with the mercy that brought him into this world in the first place. It is a form of shorthand for saying, “Jesus, there are things going on over which I have no control, things that seek to pull me away from you. Step into my life with your inexhaustible mercy, and bring the change that only you can.”

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