The World

[Jesus said,] “I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.”

John 17:15

HAVE YOU EVER heard the expression “We are to be in the world, but not of it”? The idea is that we as Christians will not subscribe to the temptations, lies, and tricks of the world. Rather, we listen to God and follow his directives, even when the world may laugh at us and scorn us for our obedience.

At the same time, God does not want to take us out of the world, as Jesus prays above. He needs us to remain here to pass along the Good News and to communicate about him to those we know and care about. What we do need while we’re here, though, is precisely what Jesus prays: that God would “keep [us] safe from the evil one.”

Peter wrote that the devil prowls about like a lion looking for people to devour (see 1 Peter 5:8). Clearly, he’s out for blood. If we didn’t have some protection in this world, he would tear us all to pieces. But Jesus prayed precisely that nothing of that sort would happen. And you can bet that what Jesus prays for, he gets.

This world can get you down at times. But Jesus is watching and protecting each of us. His promise is that we will be kept safe from the evil one.