There are two kinds of temptation, temptation for good and temptation for evil. Temptation for good is sent by God; temptation for evil comes from the devil, the world, and our flesh. Temptation for good consists in this, that God tries His children in order to purify and strengthen their faith. Thus God tempted Abraham (Gen. 22:1-19), and thus Jesus tempted the Syrophenician woman (Mark 7:25-30) Temptation for evil consists in this, that the devil, the world, and our flesh would deceive or seduce us into misbelief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Thus the devil tempted Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:1-6), our Saviour (Matt. 4:1-11), and Judas Iscariot (John 13:2) Through such temptation Cain and Judas fell into despair (Gen. 4:13; Matt. 27:4,5), and Peter into the grievous sin of denying his Lord (Luke 22:54-60) What, now, should be our meaning when we say to our heavenly Father: "Lead us not into temptation"? We should then mean and pray that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our flesh may not deceive us, nor seduce us into false faith, or into despair, or into great shame and vice, and that, though we be sorely tempted, we may finally overcome and obtain the victory. And if we pray thus, we shall surely be heard. Hence this petition is for us a powerful and victorious shield and weapon in this poor life, which is so full of temptation.