John 17:14-17 NIV
[14] “I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. [15] My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. [16] They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. [17] Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”
Jesus’ prayer centred, first, on Himself, not to save Him from His ordeal, but to achieve His purpose.
John 17:1 NLT
[1]” After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you.”
Everything Jesus was and did on earth was designed to shine the light on Himself so that He, in turn, could reveal the true nature of the Father. He was the perfect reflection of the Father in human form.
Hebrews 1:3 NLT
[3]”The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God… “
He expressed His submission to the Father in four little words – “the hour has come.”
Jesus’ second focus was the group of men, excluding Judas Iscariot, who were to continue His mission in earth. He was concerned for their personal protection, not from the “evil one” as most translations interpret, but from the evil within them that posed a far greater danger to them than the devil.
John 17:12 NLT
[12] “During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold…
[14] I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. [15] I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil (one)…
[17] Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.”
Why would Jesus be concerned about the enemy’s efforts to harm His disciples? Would He Himself not defeat and disarm him through His death?
Colossians 2:14-15 NLT
[14] “He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. [15] In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.”
What are the devil’s weapons against God’s people? Lies! Deception! Accusation! Condemnation! All are designed to breed mistrust and fear, to break our unity with God and destroy our fellowship with the Father and the Son through the Holy Spirit.
How did Jesus win the victory?
“He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.”
Jesus paid our debt, forgave our sin, cleared our record of all charges against us, and broke sin’s power over us by giving us a new nature.
Now the devil has nothing to substantiate his accusations. Whatever he uses to accuse us is a lie. He can’t even keep his grip on us through our old evil desires because we have a new nature; we are being transformed into the likeness of Jesus.
Romans 8:28-29 NLT
[28] “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. [29] For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become LIKE HIS SON, so that his Son would be the firstbrevealing His heart attitude to the coming ordeal,
orn among many brothers and sisters.”
God’s people have a powerful weapon to protect them from the devil’s schemes to deceive… the truth!
Ephesians 6:14-17 NLT
[14]”Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. [15] For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. [16] In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. [17] Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
The truth about righteousness, peace,
faith, and salvation are all to be found in the Word of God. It is the truth which cuts through all the devil’s lies, exposes his wiles, and frees us from his efforts to drive a wedge between us and God.
Jesus’ prayer, then, is that the Father would activate His Word in the hearts of His disciples. Protected by the truth from the devil’s lies and the lure of their old nature, they woud be set apart from sin to God, clean vessels to do His will.
So, Jesus did not give much credit to the devil’s attempts to attack His disciples. He was more concerned about His disciples’ ability to defend themselves against Satan’s tricks because there was a traitor within them. They had an old nature that would side with the enemy unless it was brought under control.
The only way to overcome the devil was to discern his lies and neutralise them with the truth.
In a rather blunt way, James put it like this,
James 4:7-8 NLT
[7] “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [8] Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”
As disciples of Jesus we, too, are eligible to be beneficiaries of His prayer. However, we all have the potential to be tricked into condemnation or trapped into sin if we are not committed to walking in the truth of God’s Word.
We have powerful protection if we are armed with truth. We can live daily in security and peace if we take up the shield of faith and buckle on the belt of truth. These are our safeguard against a defeated foe. STAND, therefore!