John 17:15-16 "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”

  As we face the daily battles of life in this world that is so hostile to Jesus Christ and His followers, it is so very great that we have an ally who will never leave us, never betray us. That ally is our Wonderful Savior, the Divine Son of God. He could save us from the conflict by taking us out of this world, but He has chosen not to do that. Instead He has chosen to leave us on the front lines of the battle while He, seated at the right hand of God, prays for us. Here is what we read in the Bible about Jesus actively praying for us: “It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:34b).

  In today’s text Jesus prayed that His apostles would be kept “from the evil one.”  That is Satan, their and our worst enemy. What a joy to know that He still prays that we be protected from Satan, that old tempter and accuser of the saints.  In Revelation 12:10 we are told, “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.’”  There the guile of the devil is seen. First he tempts us into sin, and then as soon as we fall he runs to the throne room of God to accuse us of that very sin.  Thank God for another verse found in 1John 2:1: “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”  In other words, when Satan, the prosecutor, stands to accuse us, Jesus Christ, our defense attorney, stands to protect us.  Have you noted in the four gospels that every time Jesus and Satan come into conflict, Jesus wins?  Hallelujah! That is still true today so when Jesus stands to be our advocate, He wins!

  Friends, if you today are being plowed under by this world and all its negative influence and hurtful