Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory Forever.

…deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Many versions of the Lord’s Prayer end with the words, “deliver us from evil.” But some manuscripts continue with the words, “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” I’m not certain which version is the historically accurate version; I don’t know what Jesus actually said when he was on the mount explaining how to pray. Yet, even though we may never know for certain given the manuscript evidence we have, I am inclined to think that Jesus included the words “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”.

I believe this not just because it sounds better when the Lord’s Prayer is sung or even because it ends in “amen,” the universal conclusion word for all prayers. But I believe this because it makes more sense with it than without it; it adds important layers of meaning that don’t exist if the words were absent.

The phrase found in the Lord’s Prayer prior to these words is “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” In these words, Jesus coupled a prayer that we wouldn’t walk paths leading near temptation with a prayer that we would be protected from any evil that has come looking for us. But it is interesting to note that a number of translations actually say, “but deliver us from the evil one.” Evil, in this instance, is not merely a disembodied force lurking about the universe waylaying people like some tornado of wickedness. No. Evil in this sense is actually the devil. Satan. Lucifer. Peter describes Satan by saying, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (I Peter 5:8).

I’ve heard a lion roar…once. In person. And were it not for the cavernous moat and sturdy fence standing between the lion and me I might have soiled myself. A lion’s roar is awesome, unless, of course, it is attached to an animal seeking to consume you for breakfast; then it is terrible. If you can imagine that just for a moment, then you can understand why Jesus prayed for us to be delivered from evil.

But evil doesn’t only run rampant in the wild parts of the earth, he sneaks around the back doors and alleyways surrounding our homes, schools, and businesses. God told Cain, “Sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:7). Sin, evil, the devil lays in wait for us every day when we wake up, when we walk out of our door, and when we turn every corner. He is a roaring lion seeking to consume as well as a sneaky snake trying to poison us. And let’s be honest here—we often let evil have his way—we embrace the lion and dance with the snake—we often find living under the rule of sin a comfortable place to be.

And this is exactly why I think the Lord’s Prayer doesn’t end here.

I don’t think Jesus would end his example of how to pray on such a contentious note. If “deliver us from evil” were the last words, our prayer ends in the midst of a battle with no conclusion in sight. But if we append to the prayer, “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever” we now have a proper conclusion.

The rule of sin is temporary, but should we maintain our citizenship in sin’s kingdom we must realize there will come a day when evil’s country finally vanishes. But there is another kingdom, one that is eternal in its reign, its power, and its glory. And it is this kingdom to which the last words of the Lord’s Prayer points.

The first petition in the Lord’s Prayer is that the Father’s kingdom will come. For us, at this time, that petition is more about our citizenship in the Father’s kingdom than it is about the coming of the Father’s future kingdom. Even so, that petition does include both aspects of the Father’s kingdom; that which is found within us now and that which is coming later. In the words laying between that petition and the concluding words, we offer petitions to God for daily sustenance, for his forgiveness, and for his protection from temptation and the devil. These petitions are the meat and bones of our present citizenship—they are what the Christian life is about. We wake each morning knowing that we exist and thrive by the Father’s will; we live each day seeking forgiveness for the stupid things we do and offering forgiveness for the stupid things others do; and we pray that the Father would keep us from temptations and evil, both of which can consume us. And then, at the end of the day, we thank the Father that he has done those things for us and ask that he will do them again tomorrow.

But when our life concludes—and it will conclude—our prayer is that we would be delivered from evil’s domain and granted entrance into the Father’s eternal kingdom—the kingdom about which Jesus says it is THE kingdom, THE power, and THE glory.

Do you remember when Jesus went into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan? Do you remember the three ways in which he was tempted? Do you remember how those temptations mirrored those to which Eve succumbed in the garden? Do you remember how they are the same to which John referred in his letter I John? Do you remember that Jesus was tempted in the following ways:
The desires of the flesh: to use his power to turn the stones into bread.
The desires of the eyes: to receive all the kingdoms of the earth quickly by bowing to Satan.
The pride of life: to jump from the peak of the temple and reveal his glory.

Of course, you remember all of that. But now that you have that in your mind, let’s look at the final words of the Lord’s Prayer again. Jesus tells us to pray,
Yours is the kingdom: The Father’s kingdom is greater than all the kingdoms of the earth;
and the power: The Father’s power is the only true power, it can even turn stones into bread;
and the glory: The Father’s glory is the only true and lasting glory; the glory Jesus could have had by jumping from the temple roof would have only been temporary.

By concluding the Lord’s Prayer with “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” Jesus affirms the Father’s eternal kingdom is far better than all the kingdoms seen by the desire of the eyes; he affirms the Father’s eternal power over every desire of the flesh; he declares the Father’s eternal glory is better than any temporary glory attained in our pursuit of the pride of life.

Evil will not overcome us; we will be delivered from it and into the Father’s eternal kingdom filled with his infinite power and glory.

I hope you now see why I think these last words are a natural fit for the Lord’s Prayer. It is not just because they sound good floating down from the choir loft, nor is it because they tie up the ending with the universal prayer conclusion word, but it is because these words pray for the coming kingdom of the true king, the Father, and of how his kingdom conquers every sin ever known to mankind. And so we pray,

…deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.

Read the Next Post: For if You Forgive Others