An Explanation of Luther's Small Catechism · Martin Luther
THE SIXTH PETITION.
And lead us not into temptation. _What is meant by this Petition?_ God, indeed, tempts no one to sin; but we pray in this petition that God would so guard and preserve us, that the devil, the world, and our own flesh may not deceive us, nor lead us into error and unbelief, despair, and other great and shameful sins; and that, though we may be thus tempted, we may nevertheless finally prevail and gain the victory. As children of God we must not only seek forgiveness for past sins, but be anxious to avoid sin in the future. We therefore pray that, as far as is possible according to His gracious will, God would keep us from being tempted, and would give us strength to overcome when we are tempted. If we are in earnest in praying this Petition, we will not run into temptation ourselves, [Matt. 4:7] nor lead others into it.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.