The Lord's Prayer

When we say: “Lead us not into temptation,”we admonish ourselves to seek that we may not, through being deprived of God’s help, be either ensnared to consent or compelled to yield to temptation.

46. The sixth petition corresponds (as we have observed) to the promise218 of writing the law upon our hearts; but because we do not obey God without a continual warfare, without sharp and arduous contests, we here pray that he would furnish us with armour, and defend us by his protection, that we may be able to obtain the victory. By this we are reminded that we not only have need of the gift of the Spirit inwardly to soften our hearts, and turn and direct them to the obedience of God, but also of his assistance, to render us invincible by all the wiles and violent assaults of Satan. The forms of temptation are many and various. The depraved conceptions of our minds provoking us to transgress the law—conceptions which our concupiscence suggests or the devil excites, are temptations; and things which in their own nature are not evil, become temptations by the wiles of the devil, when they are presented to our eyes in such a way that the view of them makes us withdraw or decline from God.219 These temptations are both on the right hand and on the left. On the right, when riches, power, and honours, which by their glare, and the semblance of good which they present, generally dazzle the eyes of men, and so entice by their blandishments, that, caught by their snares, and intoxicated by their sweetness, they forget their God: on the left, when offended by the hardship and bitterness of poverty, disgrace, contempt, afflictions, and other things of that description, they despond, cast away their confidence and hope, and are at length totally estranged from God….

Here, however, we do not ask to be altogether exempted from temptation, which is very necessary to excite, stimulate, and urge us on, that we may not become too lethargic. It was not without reason that David wished to be tried, nor is it without cause that the Lord daily tries his elect, chastising them by disgrace, poverty, tribulation, and other kinds of cross.220 But the temptations of God and Satan are very different: Satan tempts, that he may destroy, condemn, confound, throw headlong; God, that by proving his people he may make trial of their sin- cerity, and by exercising their strength confirm it; may mortify, tame, and cauterize their flesh, which, if not curbed in this manner, would wanton and exult above measure.

Here He teaches us plainly our own vileness, and quells our pride, instructing us to deprecate all conflicts, instead of rushing into them. For by so doing our victory will be more glorious, and the devil's overthrow will be more derided. So when we are dragged forth into conflict, we must stand nobly. When we are not summoned into conflict, we should be quiet, and wait for the time of conflict; in order to show that we are both free from pride and noble in spirit.

With the words “And suffer us not to be led into temptation” Jesus shows us that the adversary can do nothing against us without God permitting it. And since no temptation is permitted to do us evil unless God allows it, all our fear, devotion, and obedience may be turned towards God. God only allows evil to have power over us either for punishment when we sin, or for glory when we are proved. 

Furthermore, when we ask that we may not come into temptation, we are reminded of our weakness. We are reminded not to proudly and arrogantly take the glory for either our confession or our suffering. So that by first humbly and submissively confessing, and then by attributing everything to God, whatever we ask for may be granted by his own loving-kindness.

100] We have now heard enough what toil and labor is required to retain all that for which we pray, and to persevere therein, which, however, is not achieved without infirmities and stumbling. Besides, although we have received forgiveness and a good conscience and are entirely acquitted, yet is our life of such a nature that one stands to-day and to-morrow falls. Therefore, even though we be godly now and stand before God with a good conscience, we must pray again that He would not suffer us to relapse and yield to trials and temptations….

109] Therefore we Christians must be armed and daily expect to be incessantly attacked, in order that no one may go on in security and heedlessly, as though the devil were far from us, but at all times expect and parry his blows. For though I am now chaste, patient, kind, and in firm faith, the devil will this very hour send such an arrow into my heart that I can scarcely stand. For he is an enemy that never desists nor becomes tired, so that when one temptation ceases, there always arise others and fresh ones.

110] Accordingly, there is no help or comfort except to run hither and to take hold of the Lord's Prayer, and thus speak to God from the heart: Dear Father, Thou hast bidden me pray; let me not relapse because of temptations. Then you will see that they must desist, and finally acknowledge themselves conquered. 111] Else if you venture to help yourself by your own thoughts and counsel, you will only make the matter worse and give the devil more space. For he has a serpent's head, which if it gain an opening into which he can slip, the whole body will follow without check. But prayer can prevent him and drive him back.

The Sixth Petition. And lead us not into temptation. What does this mean?--Answer. God, indeed, tempts no one; but we pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us, so that the devil, the world, and our flesh may not deceive us, nor seduce us into misbelief, despair, and other great shame and vice; and though we be assailed by them, that still we may finally overcome and gain the victory.

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." The word translated “temptation” means any kind of trial, not just temptation to sin. St. James uses the word in both these senses. In the first sense he says, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; For when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life" (James 1:12-13.) He then immediately uses the word in the second sense when he adds, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither does he tempt any man. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust." 

A person is only properly enticed by sin when he is drawn “out of God,” in whom alone he is safe. Then temptation covers him like a cloud. It spreads over his whole soul. Then it is very hard to escape out of the snare! Therefore, we beseech God "not to lead us into temptation," that is. not to allow us to be led into temptation, since God himself does not tempt anyone.