Rev. Cyril A. Stevens – Sermon 1090A recorded on June 1, 1986 teaching from Matthew 6:5-14 – Deliver Us from the Evil One.
Pastor Cyril A. Stevens centers on the final petition of the prayer often miscalled “The Lord’s Prayer,” emphatically correcting that it is the prayer of the disciples as instruction from Jesus, not a prayer for Himself. The central theme is the plea, “deliver us from the evil one,” which Pastor Stevens argues is frequently neglected, causing believers to overlook the malicious source of their spiritual trouble, identified as Satan or Lucifer. Stevens explores how the evil one seeks to destroy Christian hope by leveraging life’s disappointments and attempts to snatch, erode, and choke the Word of God planted in believers’ hearts through temptation, persecution, and the cares of the world. Ultimately, Pastor Stevens calls for a vigilant, daily prayer for deliverance, emphasizing that while the evil one is at work, Jesus is greater and provides the grace and power necessary to maintain hope in the risen Lord Jesus Christ.