Deliver Us From Evil

Order of Service

• Call to Worship — Psalm 95:1-7
• Hymn — Come, Christians, Join to Sing
• Prayer of Invocation
• Confession of Sin
• Assurance of Pardon — Proverbs 28:13
• Confession of Faith — Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 127
• Scripture Reading — Luke 9:1-9
• Hymn — Softly and Tenderly
• Pastoral Prayer
• Offering
• Prayer of Dedication
• Hymn — Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
• Sermon
• Hymn — Onward, Christian Soldiers
• Benediction
• Doxology

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Sermon Title: Deliver Us From Evil

Scripture: James 1:12-18

I. Sanctification Involves the Pursuit of God Who Is Good

• A. The word "evil" is far broader than our culture or the modern church typically acknowledges.

  1. 1 John 5:19 — the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
  2. 2 Corinthians 4:4 — Satan is called the god of this world.
  3. Matthew 7:11 — Jesus calls his own disciples "evil," not just notorious sinners.

• B. We must reckon honestly with our own evil, not merely with the evil "out there."

  1. The hymn God, Be Merciful to Me (based on Psalm 51) forces this confession: "I am evil, born in sin."
  2. Sanitizing this language undercuts the depth of our need for salvation and for sanctification.

• C. Sanctification must begin with the recognition that only God is good.

  1. Jesus to the rich young ruler: only God is good — therefore sell all and follow me (Mark 10:17-22).
  2. The Preacher in Ecclesiastes pursues every pleasure under the sun and concludes it is all vanity; the conclusion is fear God and keep his commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
  3. Herman Bavinck: fallen man is an enigma whose solution can only be found in God — we grope after counterfeits, asking each one, "Are you my salvation?"

• D. Sanctification is therefore not a self-improvement program or mere avoidance of outward evil, but a complete dying of self and conformity to the God who alone is good.

  1. Thomas Chalmers: the greater delights of a new affection implanted by the Spirit make the things of this world look like dung, so that we gladly mortify the old man to pursue God.
  2. The sixth petition — "deliver us from evil" — is a cry to be kept from wandering back to the chains from which we were redeemed.

II. Sanctification Involves the Leading of God Who Is Shepherd

• A. "Lead us not into temptation" does not imply that God ever tempts anyone.

  1. James 1:13-14 — God cannot be tempted with evil and tempts no one; each person is tempted by his own desire.
  2. James warns: "Do not be deceived" — only good and perfect gifts come down from the Father of lights (James 1:16-17).

• B. Yet God may at times withdraw his restraining grace and give fallen man over to his evil desires.

  1. Romans 1 — God's wrath on the reprobate is manifested by handing them over to their debased desires until their conscience calls evil good.
  2. This underscores why we must pray this petition: without God's restraining hand, we are destined for destruction.

• C. The petition asks God as shepherd to lead us away from settings where the flesh will be ensnared.

  1. Psalm 103:13-14 — the Lord shows compassion because he knows our frame and remembers we are dust; he knows our weakness even better than we do.
  2. Illustration: a wise parent removes the distraction (turns off the TV) rather than merely telling a child to ignore it — the sixth petition is children of the dust asking the Father to do the same.
  3. Providence seen retrospectively: God has often led us away from places of temptation entirely unbeknownst to us.

• D. Providential leading alone is not sufficient; the Spirit must also train our desires.

  1. Merely keeping temptation away without inward renewal leaves us vulnerable the moment God's external protection is removed.
  2. By the training of the Spirit we are to cut off the hand, gouge out the eye — to desire the paths that lead to the good life.
  3. A second form of providence: God leading not in spite of us but through us, as the Spirit trains us to long willingly for pleasant places, beside still waters.
  4. Pilgrim's Progress — Prudence asks Christian why he desires Mount Zion; Christian answers that he longs to see alive the one who hung dead on the cross and to be rid of all that burdens him.
  5. Psalm 84:5 — blessed is the man in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

III. Sanctification Involves the Deliverance of God Who Is Savior

• A. The Greek of the petition is better rendered "deliver us from the evil one" — Satan himself, the prince of demons.

• B. We need Christ as savior not only at conversion but throughout the entire process of sanctification.

  1. Jesus to Peter: "Satan demanded to have you … but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail" (Luke 22:31-32) — Christ's intercession guards faith already given, not merely the moment of new birth.
  2. Salvation has both a once-for-all dimension (Ephesians 2:8 — "you have been saved") and a continuing process (1 Corinthians 1:18 — "to us who are being saved").
  3. As once-for-all sacrifice, Christ secures a justification that is righteous and forgiven forever; as continuing high priest, he guards and protects his sheep from the wolves that seek to devour.

• C. We are in constant danger and therefore in constant need of a constant savior.

  1. Illustration: an aerial photograph reveals sharks swimming undetected near bathers — we have no idea how many spiritual dangers surround us at any moment.
  2. In glory we will see how close the devouring lion truly was, and how great our shepherd and savior truly is.
  3. Christ keeps the sharks away so that within the boundaries he has set, we can strive after God with all we have — we can sleep because we have an eternal watchman who never slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:3-4).

• D. As exiles in Satan's land, we are constant prey; therefore we cry without ceasing: lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, in and through Christ our priest-king.