At the close of many AA meetings, it is customary for the secretary or chairperson to lead the group in prayer. After praying the Lord’s Prayer one evening, a member asked me to reflect on this verse: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…” Then he asked, “Doesn’t that make it sound like God leads us into temptation?”
Discerning The Struggle: From Temptation to Sin
Interestingly, discernment stands at the center of the answer. The end of the Lord’s Prayer can sound confusing. However, the meaning becomes clearer when we view it through temptation. To understand it better, we can look at the phases of the spiritual struggle:
- Suggestion or desire — temptation often begins with an internal thought.
- Discernment — a spiritual struggle begins. At this point, we choose to accept or reject thoughts.
- Consent — this stage matters. Here, we reject sin or allow it by turning away from God.
- The Act — after consent, temptation can lead to sinful action. It may appear in thought, word, or deed. When we choose evil, we weaken or break our relationship with God.
Struggling In Recovery with Temptation
There is a great story in Chapter Three of Alcoholics Anonymous, telling the story of Jim, a traveling salesman. His experience illustrates these phases clearly. While on the road, Jim stops at a diner. He sits down and orders a sandwich and a glass of milk. At first, he had no intention of drinking. But then the thought comes, and the relapse cycle begins:
First, temptation appears as a suggestion: “Suddenly the thought crossed my mind that if I were to put an ounce of whiskey in my milk, it couldn’t hurt me on a full stomach.”
Next, temptation moves into discernment: “I vaguely sensed I was not being too smart but felt reassured as I was taking the whiskey on a full stomach.”
Then Jim gives his consent. He loses spiritual struggle. He begins drinking—the act. Tragically, he ends up in an asylum.
Most importantly, an earlier line explains the deeper problem: “All went well for a time, but he failed to enlarge his spiritual life.”
In the end, Jim relied on self-knowledge. He did not rely on God.
God Does Not Tempt Us
God does not tempt us to sin; He leads us toward freedom from evil. When we pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” we are asking for the grace to discern good from evil and the strength to resist temptation. Jim’s story reminds us to turn to God before a sudden thought becomes the beginning of relapse.
Reflection: Where have I practiced “pause” today, and asked God to remove the thought?
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