ENTER NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT BE DELIVERED FROM EVIL

Isai 59:19  So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

Exod 14:5-28  And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses [and] chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon. And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. And they said unto Moses, Because [there were] no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? [Is] not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For [it had been] better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry [ground] through the midst of the sea. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness [to them], but it gave light by night [to these]: so that the one came not near the other all the night. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go [back] by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry [land], and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry [ground]: and the waters [were] a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, [even] all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, [and] all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.

Reve 12:3-16  And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and [to] his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred [and] threescore days. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, [ye] heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man [child]. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

We have entitled this sermon so, taken from a phrase in the Lord's prayer, "Lead us not not temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matt 6:13).

• What it means to not enter temptation, is to not fall into the snare of yielding to the temptation we face.
• We may face a temptation to steal.
• But we do not yield to it and we are victorious.
• So we can say we did not ENTER the temptation.
• We were DELIVERED from the evil of committing the temptation.
• This is our subject tonight.

• We read in Revelation where the enemy SENT A FLOOD after the woman.
• And the story in Revelation is a perfect parallel with the Story of the Exodus.
• The dragon is like Pharaoh.
• The Woman is like Israel.
• And when the woman fled into the desert, the dragon followed her like Pharaoh followed the Israelites.
• Israel was trapped by the Red Sea as Pharaoh came close behind.
• But God gave Israel eagle's wings (Ex. 19:4)

Reve 12:14  And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

• The Lord gave the woman eagle's wings and when Pharaoh sent out his army to get her, the earth opened up and helped her by swallowing the flood when the dragon sent it out to drown her.

• Standards are flags that armies used to carry before their marching forces to show what Kingdom they belonged to.
• Satan has an army that would attack God's people.
• But God has a kingdom.
• And God's Standard depicting His Kingdom is raised against any flood of an army the devil's kingdom might launch against us.
• And God never loses.

• But we must understand something about John, also.

Reve 1:9  I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
 

• John was tempted to fall, and threatened with exile, but WOULD NOT ENTER TEMPTATION.

• We read, in the midst of the chapter speaking about the rising of the BEAST, words that tell us THEN is the time we will need the same PATIENCE and FAITH that John held, which kept him standing for God in the midst of TEMPTATION.
• THEN will be a great temptation for the saints.
• THEN they must not enter temptation.

Reve 13:10  He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
 

Reve 14:9-12  And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Notice two parallel scriptures:
 

1. Matt 6:13  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.
2. Reve 3:10  Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

We are KEPT, or PROTECTED (definition of "kept"), from the hour of temptation.

• This does not mean we will be taken FROM the TIME period of temptation.
• The term HOUR in this context has to do with EXPERIENCING a thing.
• The EXPERIENCE of entering TEMPTATION is what is said here.

John 12:27  Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
 

• Jesus did not seek to entirely miss a certain TIME PERIOD, when He said, "Save me from this hour."
• He was saying He did not want to EXPERIENCE the suffering.
• But He knew it was for that experience of suffering that He came to the world.
• So when Rev. 3:10 says we will be kept from the HOUR of temptation, He meant to be protected from the experience of falling into temptation.
• We will always be tempted in this world.
• The Spirit, in fact, led Jesus to be tempted of the devil (Matt 4:1).
• But we are not to fall into the experience of evil and yield to the temptation.

If you KEEP the word and you TRUST, and stand for God when the enemy is coming at you like a flood, God said, "I WILL PROTECT YOU!"
 

God said, "STAND BY ME, AND I WILL STAND BY YOU!"

In Revelation 12 we read of a certain "THEY" who overcame by the blood of the lamb, their word of testimony and their lack of love for their lives to the point of accepting death.

• We read about a woman.
• We read about a manchild borne of the woman.
• And we read about a dragon.
• BUT WHO ARE "THEY"?

• The blood of JESUS was spilled in death instead of the believers having to die because of sin.
• And they apply that experience to themselves and claim it as their deaths by faith, and thus they MAKE IT THEIR TESTIMONY.
• Jesus greatest testimony is His death, burial and resurrection.
• And that was done IN OUR PLACES, so we can make it OUR TESTIMONY.
• He really did die in our places, so we can say that we died.
• But we must BELIEVE THAT.
• We must really believe we are as good as having died and having paid the penalty of sin - death.
• And we must SPEAK THIS WORD OF TESTIMONY, because it is OUR'S!
• My mother believed God for this, but now I must believe it for myself.
• I must make this my testimony.
• And when the devil comes at me like a flood, and tempts me, I must SPEAK THIS WORD OF TESTIMONY THAT I AM DEAD TO SIN, and God has promised to DELIVER me out of temptation so I do not fall to it!!!
• CAN WE SEE THIS?
• THIS IS SO IMPORTANT!

• AND WE ARE RISEN WITH HIM!

• IT IS OUR TESTIMONY that we are risen, because Jesus is ascended and we ascended with Him!
• Without knowing this truth, you will not speak the testimony that defeats the devil and keeps you standing in front of an approaching army of temptation, so that God can deliver you as He promised.
• When the flood comes, the Lord lifts up a standard against it, and defeats its purposes by delivering us from temptation ONLY IF WE STAND IN FAITH.

• THAT TAKES FAITH!
• You must truly believe God will deliver you when the trial approaches you and you feel tempted to give in.
• You must truly believe that God will deliver you, when you face a terrible crisis and you know you are finished unless a miracle happens!
• It takes FAITH to stand still.
• It takes a faith in the testimony that you are ascended above all powers with Jesus, and therefore THEY CANNOT DEFEAT YOU, so you STAND STILL, expecting your enemies to be made your footstool!

1Pet 5:8-11  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle [you]. To him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

• He failed because the manchild ascended.
• That was Jesus Christ.
• And he seeks to devour us, too, as with Jesus, and he fails with us, too, because we have the testimony that we are ascended with Jesus, and have the same deliverance Jesus had!!
• What is Jesus' victory is out victory!
• That is what Revelation 12 is trying to tell us in picture form.

Ezek 22:25  [There is] a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.

• The devil seeks to devour your soul.
• Your emotions and trust and faith.

• But in the midst of temptation to abandon hope for life, DANIEL STOOD.
• And He was not swallowed or devoured!
• AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD CAME TO BABYLON!!!

Dani 6:26  I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he [is] the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion [shall be even] unto the end.
 

Reve 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
 

• Just as in Daniel's experience, THE KINGDOM OF GOD COMES WHEN YOU STAND AND DO NOT ENTER TEMPTATION.

• The answer is the very next line in the PRAYER!:
• FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM....
• We pray to not be led into temptation, because IF WE STAND BY FAITH, AND GOD DELIVERS US FROM EVIL, THEN GOD'S KINGDOM COMES TO THAT PLACE!
• After Daniel stood by faith and was delivered, GOD'S KINGDOM CAME and the King of Babylon ANNOUNCED THAT DANIEL'S GOD MUST BE FEARED BY ALL.

Satan's headquarters was always BABYLON, while God's was JERUSALEM.

• The ULTIMATE INSULT TO SATAN, AND THE ULTIMATE DEFEAT OF THE DEVIL WAS FOR THE KING OF HIS HEADQUARTERS ON EARTH TO CONFESS THAT THE ONE TRUE GOD IS GOD!

• But it takes people who will overcome and stand by faith before temptation and see the Kingdom COME!

• But they stood by faith and would not bow.
• They were thrown into a furnace.
• But they were DELIVERED BY GOD!
• And once again, the KING OF BABYLON CONFESSED GOD AS THE TRUCE GOD!
• ONCE AGAIN, THE KINGDOM OF GOD CAME!

Dani 3:29  Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
 

Dani 4:1-2  Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me....

The devil sends out a flood of lies from his mouth.
 

Reve 12:15  And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

• The only thing that can stand against a flood from the enemy is GOD'S STANDARD.
• STANDARDS DEPICT KINGDOMS.
• THIS IMPLIES THAT GOD'S KINGDOM MUST COME!
• And the reason we see the flood defeated by the earth openings and swallowing it, helping the woman, is found in the hint that the opening of the earth by the RED SEA opening up, speaks to us of BAPTISM INTO JESUS' DEATH.
• They were BAPTIZED to Moses in the Sea that opened up and swallowed the Egyptians (1 Cor 10:1-2).
• The devil sends HIS LIES to us from HIS MOUTH, like a flood, and we CONFESS and TESTIFY that we are dead with Jesus Christ and were buried with Him, thus removing any right the devil-Pharaoh has over us, and THE FLOOD FALLS RIGHT DOWN INTO THAT GRAVE OF BAPTISM.
• All that the devil has power over is our old man, and the old man was crucified and BURIED with CHRIST!
• So al it can do is be swallowed up by that grave.

1Cor 15:54  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

The saint of God sings, "I  believe Jesus saves, and his blood washes whiter than snow."

• And the devil is defeated.

Reve 12:11  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Use this testimony of Jesus as YOUR OWN!

• FOR YOU DIED, TOO!
• YOU TOO WERE BURIED!
• AND BEST OF ALL, YOU TOO ARE ASCENDED ABOVE ALL SPIRITS OF HELL.
• LET THE KINGDOM COME BY STANDING BY FAITH THAT GOD WILL DELIVER.

• He ACCUSES with a flood of LIES from his mouth.
• But he is CAST DOWN and his LIES are not accepted by us!