And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:13
The Australian saltwater crocodile is known to be the largest and most aggressive species of crocodilian in the world. According to the director of Wildlife Management International, the chances of surviving a dip in a river infested with these aquatic reptiles is zero:
They're a terrible animal to live with; if you swim down the Adelaide River there's a 100 per cent chance you'll be torn to pieces and killed.
— Grahame Webb
Apart from hunting to sustain themselves, these apex predators are highly territorial and will instinctively kill anything that ventures into their stretch of the river. Knowing that such reptiles lurk beneath the surface, only a fool would wade into such waters. In spite of the fact that many dangerous waterways are signed with conspicuous warnings, people still venture in and perish every year.
Yet there exists a far more formidable dragon than the saltwater crocodile, whose territories are not limited to certain rivers in far north Australia. ‘The prince of the power of the air’ claims control over the atmosphere above every land. As the crocodile assails anything swimming in his body of water, the devil seeks dominion over every man or woman breathing the air of this world. To those that ‘walk naked’ (Revelation 16:15), the chances of being overcome by his temptations are 100%.
As such, Jesus instructs His children to pray the Father, 'lead us not into temptation’. It is not to be understood that God leads men into temptation. James tells us, ‘Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man’ (James 1:14). God may allow Satan to tempt us, but only as much as we are able to bear.
The prayer, ‘lead us not into temptation’, should be ever on our lips. Not only does this request grant us divine aid against temptation, but it serves as a needful acknowledgement to ourselves that we are susceptible to temptation. Like the crocodile warning signs on certain tropical beaches, the utterance of such a prayer reminds us of the hidden dangers of the seemingly tranquil settings of everyday life, that we may walk wisely in a world filled with deadly enemies.
Christopher Sparks