20th February. 2021. Daily Devotion.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:10-18
With the request “Deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13,), we implore God to keep us safe from the powers of evil. Some of our English translations describe this also as protection from “the evil one”—that is, Satan, or the devil.
We should be as horrified, though, by the evil that lurks in our own hearts, twisting us with greed, lust, envy, pride, deceit, and more.
In the face of our adversaries and of the sinfulness deep in our hearts, we can’t help crying out to God, “Deliver us from evil!”
And we can trust in God to help. By his Holy Spirit, we can be strong “in his mighty power” and be equipped with the spiritual battle gear we need to stand firm and to serve God with confidence.
Prayer
Father, on our own we are weak and helpless. Deliver us from evil, we pray, and provide us with the faith and assurance we need to serve you boldly. Amen.
Troubled by Sin
Holy god, Lord most gracious!
Rebuke me not in your anger, nor chasten me in your wrath!
Holy you have called me to come to you.
I feel unworthy, for I have failed you again and again.
I feel like running away, yet you keep calling me.
Have mercy on me, and all of us, O God.
Have mercy!
Holy God, Father most gracious!
Rebuke me not in your anger, nor chasten me in your wrath!
Heal me from my sin, for I am troubled.
Deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love.
My sins trouble me, O God.
I am troubled by how they have hurt others.
I am troubled by how they have hurt myself.
Your ways are right! O righteous God!
And whenever I have failed to follow them
I have found out how right they are.
Have mercy on me, O God.
Holy God, God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
have mercy on me for the sake of your Son,
who died to free us from our sins.
To you be honour and glory! Amen. ~ Hughes Oliphant Old
Prayer to Treat Others with Courage and Grace
Lord, this day and forever, may I have the courage never to be afraid of anyone. May I have the generosity to bear ill-feeling toward no-one. Lead me to live in such a way as to treat others in the same way as I would like to be treated. Inspire me never to be violent in thought, word or action, and lead me to conquer evil with goodness. Amen.
In this time of isolation people need connection more than ever. Thinking through the day ahead, I ask the Lord to put particular people on my heart to call. To give me opportunities to smile and wave to those I might pass in the street. To help me love and listen to those I meet – even if it’s only online. Amen.
