“I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one…” – John 17:3-21
Jesus prayed many things for His disciples. Here, Jesus asks the Father to protect them from the wiles and strategies of the devil. The devil is powerful but not all-powerful. He is a brilliant planner, but he is not God. He wants, not only to defeat human beings, but to destroy human beings. Jesus was not asking that the disciples miss the trials or the hardships that the devil would perpetuate on them. He was asking only that they would endure and not give in to the devil’s schemes. Sharing your faith in Jesus attracts the enemy to you. He’s “ok” with us being busy in the Christian life, but he isn’t “ok” with the Gospel being shared. The disciples were about to embark on the task of being witnesses for Jesus that would launch the Gospel into the whole world. You too are His witness. Ask God to protect you and those you influence as you share the Gospel with others in your sphere of influence.
Are you prepared to endure the schemes of the enemy as you live on mission every day?
