III. D'oraison — Le 43e dimanche
The Sixth Petition
The catechist introduces the sixth petition of the Lord's Prayer, explaining the request for protection against temptation and evil.
The sixth petition. Minister: What comes next? Student: “Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” 288. M: Are you only asking for one thing there? E: No, for the second clause is an explanation of the first.1 289. Minister: What is the substance of it? Student: That God wouldn't let us stumble into evil and wouldn't allow us to be overcome by the devil or the evil desires of our flesh, which wage war against us (Romans 7:23); rather, that He would give us the strength to resist, supporting us with His hand and keeping us under His protection to defend and guide us.
Victory Through the Spirit
The catechist explains that victory over temptation is achieved through the Holy Spirit's governance and God's strengthening grace.
290. M: How does that happen? E: When, by his Spirit, he governs us so that we love the good and hate the evil, follow his righteousness and flee from sin. For by the power of the Holy Spirit, we overcome the devil, sin, and the flesh.2 291. M: Is this necessary for everyone? E: Yes. The devil is always watching us like a roaring lion ready to devour us (1 Peter 5:8), and we are so weak and fragile that he would have struck us down at once if God didn't strengthen us so that we might win the victory over him.✦3
Understanding Temptation and Divine Abandonment
The catechist defines temptation as the devil's deceit and clarifies why we ask God not to lead us into evil, noting the danger of divine abandonment.
Temptation 292. Master: What does the word “temptation” mean? Student: The tricks and deceits the devil uses to catch us off guard and mislead us, since our natural mind is inclined to be deceived, and our will is more ready to give itself over to evil than to good. 293. Minister: But why do you ask God not to lead you into evil, when that is the devil's own work? E: Just as God, by his mercy, keeps his faithful people and does not allow the devil to seduce them or sin to overcome them, so also those he wants to punish he not only abandons and withdraws his grace from them, but also hands them over to the devil to be subject to his tyranny, blinds them, and puts them in a reprobate mind.4
The Doxology of Prayer
The catechist explains the closing doxology as a reminder to ground our prayers in God's power rather than our own worthiness.
294. M: What is the meaning of this addition: “For yours is the kingdom, the glory, and the power, forever and ever”? E: To bring us back again to the thought that our prayers rest more on God and on his power and goodness than on us, who are not worthy even to open our mouths to ask him. It also teaches us to conclude all our prayers with his praise.
Read the original Latin
La sixième requête 287. M : Qu'est-ce qui s'ensuit? E : « Ne nous induis pas en tentation, mais délivre-nous du mal ».
288. M : Ne fais-tu qu'une requête de cela? E : Non, car le second membre est exposition du premier.
289. M : Quel est la substance d'icelle? E : Que Dieu ne nous laisse point trébucher au mal et ne permette que nous soyons vaincus du diable et des mauvaises concupiscences de notre chair, lesquelles bataillent contre nous (Romains 7:23), mais qu'il nous donne la force de résister, nous soutenant de sa main et nous ayant en sa sauvegarde pour nous défendre et conduire.
290. M : Comment cela se fait-il? E : Quand par son Esprit il nous gouverne pour nous faire aimer le bien et haïr le mal, suivre sa justice et fuir le péché. Car par la vertu du Saint-Esprit nous surmontons le diable, le péché et la chair.
291. M : Cela est-il nécessaire à tous? E : Oui. Car le diable veille toujours sur nous, comme un lion rugissant, prêt à nous dévorer (1 Pierre 5:8), et nous sommes si faibles et fragiles qu'il nous aurait incontinent abattus si Dieu ne nous fortifiait pour en avoir la victoire.
Tentation 292. M : Que signifie le mot de « tentation »? E : Les astuces et tromperies du diable dont il use pour nous surprendre, selon que notre sens naturel est enclin à être déçu, et nous décevoir, et notre volonté est plutôt prête de s'adonner au mal qu'au bien.
293. M : Mais pourquoi demandes-tu à Dieu qu'il ne t'induise point au mal, vu que cela est le propre office du diable? E : Comme Dieu, par sa miséricorde, conserve ses fidèles, et ne permet que le diable les séduise, ni que le péché les surmonte, aussi ceux qu'il veut punir, non seulement il les abandonne et retire sa grâce d'eux, mais aussi les livre au diable pour être sujets à sa tyrannie, les aveugle et les met en sens réprouvé.
294. M : Que veut dire cette addition : « car à toi est le Règne, la gloire et la puissance, aux siècles des siècles »? E : Pour nous réduire derechef en mémoire que nos oraisons sont plutôt fondées en Dieu et en sa puissance et bonté que non pas en nous, qui ne sommes pas dignes d'ouvrir la bouche pour le requérir. Et aussi pour nous apprendre de clore toutes nos prières par sa louange.
Scripture echoes
- ↩1Pet.5.8 — Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Notes
- 1 ↩French « membre » here means a clause or member of a compound petition, not a body part; rendered as « clause ».
- 2 ↩French 'vertu' here means operative power/efficacy (virtus), not moral virtue; rendered 'power'.
- 3 ↩Older French incontinent means 'immediately/at once,' not the modern medical sense.
- 4 ↩« met en sens réprouvé » echoes the Pauline « reprobate / debased mind » (Rom 1:28). Rendered as « reprobate mind » to keep the Reformed technical force of the source rather than a softer modern paraphrase.
Catechism of the Church of Geneva (Le catéchisme de l'Église de Genève) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit