Matthew 6:13 Meaning and Explanation
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →We ask God to keep us from the testing that would undo us, and we end by handing everything back to Him.
The Context of Matthew 6:13
The closing line of the Lord's Prayer in the Sermon on the Mount. After asking for bread and forgiveness, Jesus teaches us to pray about the unseen battle, and then to rest the whole prayer on God's everlasting reign.
What Does Matthew 6:13 Mean?
The prayer ends by reaching for protection. 'Lead us not into temptation' is a humble admission that we are weaker than we like to think, and that some testing would break us if we faced it alone. 'Deliver us from evil' asks God to pull us out of the grip of the evil one and the harm he intends. Then the prayer lifts its eyes and closes with worship: the kingdom, the power, and the glory all belong to God, for ever. We start by asking, and we end by remembering whose hands hold everything.
Jesus knew this ground. He was led into the wilderness and tested, and He answered every temptation and came through (Matthew 4:1-11). Because He overcame, He can deliver us. The prayer leaves us not staring at our own weakness but resting in His strength, ending on the sure ground that the kingdom and the power and the glory are His, now and always. We close where we are safest, in the hands of the One to whom it all belongs.
Matthew 6:13 in the Original Language
peirasmos (πειρασμός), 'temptation' -- a testing or trial, the kind of pressure that proves or threatens to break us.
How to Apply Matthew 6:13 Today
This closing line lets us be honest about our own frailty and ask God to guard us before the test ever comes. And it teaches us to end prayer not in worry but in worship, handing the kingdom, the power, and the glory back to the One they have always belonged to. We are safest resting in His strength.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 6:13
What does Matthew 6:13 mean?
We ask God to keep us from the testing that would undo us, and we end by handing everything back to Him.
What is the context of Matthew 6:13?
The closing line of the Lord's Prayer in the Sermon on the Mount. After asking for bread and forgiveness, Jesus teaches us to pray about the unseen battle, and then to rest the whole prayer on God's everlasting reign.
How can I apply Matthew 6:13 today?
This closing line lets us be honest about our own frailty and ask God to guard us before the test ever comes. And it teaches us to end prayer not in worry but in worship, handing the kingdom, the power, and the glory back to the One they have always belonged to. We are safest resting in His strength.