“I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” – John 17:15
When the troubles of the world become overwhelming, it’s helpful to remember what Jesus prayed for you. Jesus didn’t pray for any of His followers to be immune from the difficulties of life in a fallen world. He didn’t pray for you to be blissfully ignorant of the evil and sin running rampant in the world. He didn’t pray for you to live in safe and comfortable isolation away from the pain and suffering that marks life on earth. He didn’t pray for you to lock yourself away in a tower, fortress, or church to avoid interacting with the evil or foolish philosophies and fads of the world.
No, Jesus prayed for your spiritual protection as you navigate a world of challenges, setbacks, temptations, trials, and darkness. Jesus never prayed for His people to separate themselves from this world. To the contrary, He commanded us to go out and be salt and light, giving flavor, preservation, renewal, and the knowledge of the truth to a darkened, decaying world opposed to those values. Jesus commanded us to be witnesses to a hostile, watching world through our words, actions, and love. He commanded us to make disciples.
Obeying the commands of Jesus requires us to live in the world. We must experience the challenges of life that He Himself willingly stepped into. We must mix, mingle, and love those far from God. Long-term withdrawal from the world isn’t an option for Christ-followers, we must be out and about in the world. However, we do so confident that Jesus prayed for our spiritual protection.
As followers of Christ, we must never blindly go along with the sins of the world. We must never participate in the ungodly behaviors, attitudes, philosophies, and fads that may prevail. We must devote our lives to growing in holiness and growing closer and closer to Jesus even as we walk out in the world introducing people to Him.
What did Jesus pray for you? The protection of your soul from Satan’s influence. That’s far more important than the protection of your body from harm or your sensibilities from the evils present in the world. Go! Make disciples, while guarding your spirit in Christ as you do!