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Deliver Us from the Evil One

by Ray Cleghorn  
2/06/2024 / Christian Apologetics

 

Deliver Us From the Evil One

By Ray Cleghorn

 

In Matthew 6:13, Jesus told his disciples that one of the most important things we should ask God to do is "deliver us from evil." Some manuscripts say, “Deliver us from the evil one.” No matter how you read it, the fact is; that Jesus delivered us from Satan’s grasp at the cross, and his resurrection freed us from any and all power of the devil.

So, why then can he trouble and harass us when he is defeated and we have power over him? (Lk 10:19) Why do we have to deal with his sorry antics? This is due to the fact that there are plenty of people in the world who are willing to do his dirty work for him. It’s their cooperation with his desire to dispense evil to all who dwell on earth, plus our own yielding to the enemy’s temptations, that brings tribulation to our door. 

The devil cannot harm you physically because he no longer has authority on the earth. He can only do his evil deeds through willing humans, or he can try to convince you to do something harmful or destructive to yourself.

On the other hand, Jesus can operate in man’s and earth’s affairs in his own power and authority, but he seldom does because he gave us the authority to do his will as sons and daughters, as ambassadors of his kingdom. He uses people dedicated to him who are willing to do his will and accomplish his purposes on this earth. So, whoever’s will gets done on earth, good or bad, Christ's or Satan’s’ is; whoever’s followers are doing their job.

That’s where the battle is, and it’s always determined by the people who inhabit the earth. It’s that simple. The choice that each person has to make is: Which way do I go? Whose kingdom do I advance?

Literally, all the evil done on this planet is done by and through people who are doing the devil's will instead of God's. Some do it intentionally, but there are many who don’t fully realize that they are helping the enemy accomplish his evil, sinister plan to kill, steal, and destroy peace, prosperity, destinies, and anything else that is good.

It is very important that we understand that when we exercise our own will, it must be in alignment with God’s will; if not, it quickly becomes a blueprint for the evil one to use for his objectives, even if that was not our intention. This is especially true if our will is contrary to God's plan for our generation.

That’s why gossip, slander, and condemning words quickly become weapons in Satan’s arsenal. He uses those types of things, that we don’t think of as being all that bad, to hurt and oppress folks. Hurt and oppressed people seldom pursue or fulfill their destiny; they are effectively neutralized.

All born-again Christians have been delivered from the power of the evil one and his wicked agenda, but we must each individually choose to walk in that deliverance. Walking in that deliverance means we can also help other people understand and receive their deliverance. A delivered person has the ability to heal an un-delivered person.

I believe the Father wants us to do as Acts 10:38 says Jesus did: “go about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.” One of the best ways we can heal anyone oppressed by Satan is to do good to them.

It is imperative that we make sure that we reject any and all impulses inserted into our thinking by the devil to degrade or hurt anyone in any way. That keeps us from being an instrument in his toolkit for evil. As born-again Christians, we cannot act out any cruel or spiteful deed, especially if it is an act of revenge, no matter how appealing it may look to us.

As we continue to travel through our life’s journey on this earth, blessed to be delivered from Satan’s power ourselves, we can help expand His kingdom by praying for deliverance for those who need it and treating each person with respect, love, kindness, and mercy. If we want to do God’s will, we will choose to value everyone and give honor to them as a person created and placed on this earth by God. Freely, you have received; freely give. Matthew 10:8.

 

 

Ray Cleghorn is a retired pastor with several books listed on Amazon.com and elsewhere. His books and articles topics range from theological and eschatological to contemporary issues facing Christians today.

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