God Does Not Entrap Us – He Empowers Us (Our Father #5)

God Does Not Entrap Us – He Empowers Us (Our Father #5) | Dr. Troy Doucet | May 25, 2025

In this powerful message, Dr. Troy Doucet continues the church’s series on the Lord’s Prayer by unpacking one of its most misunderstood and deeply convicting lines: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” With clarity, humor, and spiritual insight, Dr. Doucet helps the congregation understand that this portion of the prayer isn’t about fear of failure—it’s about formation through faith.

He emphasizes three key truths:

1. God Does Not Entrap Us—He Empowers Us

Temptation doesn’t come from God; rather, God walks with us through life’s tests. The Greek word peirasmos reveals a broader understanding: not just enticement to sin, but testing of faith and character. When we pray “lead us not into temptation,” we’re really asking God to keep us aware of our limits and close to His guidance—especially in moments when life’s pressures might cause us to veer off course. God doesn’t bait us to fall—He builds us to stand.

2. Temptation Is a Threat We Often Underestimate

Dr. Doucet challenges the audience to stop treating temptation like it’s a joke or just a matter of momentary indulgence. Temptation is how evil gains ground in subtle ways, often appealing to our desire to belong, to retaliate, or to stay safe and hidden. He reminds us that temptation isn’t always about rebellion—it’s often about fear, shame, or compromise. It invites us to forget who we are in Christ. To give in is to cooperate with the wrong kingdom. But to resist is to reclaim our spiritual identity.

3. God Doesn’t Just Deliver Us from Evil—He Uses Us to Defeat It

Drawing on Jesus’ wilderness experience, Dr. Doucet illustrates how Christ faced three major temptations—provision without dependence, identity through performance, and power without integrity. These same temptations confront us all. Yet Jesus overcame them not with supernatural might, but with unshakable trust in God’s Word and God’s ways. In the same way, we are called not only to pray for deliverance but to live as those who overcome evil with good—daily, intentionally, and faithfully.

Conclusion

Dr. Doucet closes with a heartfelt reminder: The Lord’s Prayer is not just a string of sacred words—it’s an invitation to a transformed way of living. Much like a child learning to tie their shoes, the discipline of daily prayer and spiritual vigilance may feel daunting, but it’s the path to maturity, trust, and spiritual resilience.