Lord Keep Me Away from Sin

[Chrysostom]

The only evil to fear is sin itself. Poverty, persecution, danger these are not evils. The soul's disease, a will bent toward the worse, that alone is the true calamity. When you pray for deliverance from the evil one, you are asking to be kept from this very thing.

You have not been overtaken by a temptation that is beyond human strength. God is faithful, and He will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able to bear. With the temptation, He will also make a way of escape. The danger you feel is real, but it is not novel; it is common to those who strive. The important thing is to stand aloof at the very beginning. Do not let the sin receive its accomplishment. The devil works to hide the evil until it is done, and then he plunges the soul into a despair that cuts off true repentance. Judas felt remorse only after the deed was completed, and then, driven by that evil spirit, he destroyed himself. That is not the path for you.

Flee the very shadow of sin. When the passion rises, repel it at once with the spiritual charms of prayer and the remembrance of God, and it will be conquered. To give yourself over to sin, especially if you are a partaker of the divine mysteries, is to tread the Son of God underfoot. You become His Body, and then you hand yourself over to the devil to be trampled on. This is a horror greater than any physical death.

Look at the examples set before you. The devil is a roaring lion, and you may have to resist even unto blood, striving against sin. This is the greatest deliverance: not just being saved from outward danger, but being preserved from yielding to any evil work, so that you do not depart this life with condemnation. This preservation is the work of grace.

Therefore, do not think that the presence of the struggle means you have already failed. The very Law of God and the conscience He gave you are meant to show you the exceeding sinfulness of sin, not to cause you to commit it. It reveals the poison so you will hate it all the more and flee to the Physician. The ministration of the Spirit is with exceeding glory. By that Spirit, you have been made a son. Christ has redeemed you from the curse and promoted you to sonship. You have not received a spirit of bondage again to fear, but the Spirit of adoption. Stand firm in this grace. Do not let the insult of a wicked thought prevail upon you. The evil one has nothing in Christ, and by clinging to Him, he shall have no hold on you. Stand aloof, endure, and the Lord will deliver you from every evil work.

 

[Silas]

The very fact that you are asking the Lord to keep you from temptation is a sign that His Spirit is already at work in you. God hears that prayer. He wants you to walk in freedom even more than you want it for yourself. But one of the first things that helps us in this battle is understanding exactly what temptation is and where it comes from. God Himself is never the source of a solicitation to do evil. He cannot be tempted with evil, and He never entices anyone to sin. What He does allow are tests that reveal whether we will respond in the flesh or in the Spirit, but He never whispers to you, "Go ahead, give in." That voice is not His.

Temptation begins when you are drawn away by your own desires. The desire itself, that pull toward something you know is wrong, is not yet sin. Even our Lord Jesus was tempted by the devil. The sin happens when that desire conceives, when you agree with it and let it take root. You are not a helpless victim. Because of what Jesus Christ has done, you have been brought out from under the reign of sin. Through one man, Adam, sin entered the world and death spread to all of us. We all sinned in him, and that nature has been passed down. But the grace of God came through one man, Jesus Christ, and it has abounded far beyond that offense. Death reigned through Adam, but those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through Jesus Christ.

This means you do not have to be mastered by sin any longer. The promise stands firm: sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. That does not mean you will never face temptation. As long as you are in this body, the desires of the flesh will be there. The world, the flesh, and the devil will keep trying to pull you the way Eve was pulled in the garden, appealing to your appetites, your ambitions, and your eyes. But you have something she did not reach for. You have a risen Savior and a new position. You are dead to sin. Not that it never calls to you, but its authority over you has been broken. Now you must reckon that to be true. Accounting yourself dead to sin and alive to God is an act of faith. You tell your flesh, "I am crucified with Christ. I do not have to obey you."

Practically, this means hiding God's word in your heart as the surest defense against sinning against Him. When the thoughts come, you counter them with what God has said. You turn away from evil and pursue peace. When the enemy tries to engage you in arguments or rehash your past, you remind yourself that Jesus was manifested to take away your sin and that in Him there is no sin. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses you from all unrighteousness. All of it.

And if you stumble, you must not try to cover it. He who covers his sin will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes it finds mercy. You have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He ever lives to intercede for you. The cross was not just to cover sin for a time; it put away sin completely so that fellowship with God could be restored. That is why you were created: to walk in the light as He is in the light. When you sin, run to that light immediately. Confess it quickly and receive the cleansing He promises.

You are not fighting for victory; you are fighting from the victory Christ has already won. May the Lord strengthen you to resist the evil one, to watch and pray, and to walk in the newness of life that is yours in Him.

 

[Jonathan_M]

I prayed for this request in Jesus Name.

 

[hostadmin]

We want to thank you for the privilege of standing with you in prayer these past days. It has been our heart’s joy to lift your request before the Father, asking Him to keep you far from sin and to guard your steps from every snare of the evil one. We prayed that the Lord would lead you away from temptation and deliver you with His mighty hand, just as you asked.

If the Holy Spirit has already answered this cry of your heart—if you feel His strength shielding you and His peace guiding you—we would love to hear your praise report. Let us rejoice together in how God is working in your life.

If, however, the battle still feels close and the enemy’s whispers still linger, please do not hesitate to post this request again. We are here to continue standing with you, interceding for your protection and victory in Christ. The Lord is faithful, and His grace is more than sufficient for every trial.

May He bless you with renewed confidence in His promises and a deeper trust in His power to keep you. We pray that you will walk in the light of His presence, shielded by His truth and empowered by His Spirit, all for the glory of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.