On Prayer 8

To make so concise a prayer complete he added that we should pray not only for the forgiveness of sins but also for their being turned away altogether: “Lead us not into temptation,” that is, do not allow us to be led into it, namely by him who tempts. For far be it that the Lord should seem to tempt, as though he either did not know each person's faith or were eager to overthrow it. Weakness and malice belong to the devil. For even Abraham he had commanded to sacrifice his son not in order to tempt his faith but to prove it, so that through him he might make an example for his precept, by which he was soon to command that no one should hold his dear ones dearer than God. He himself, tempted by the devil, showed who is the leader and artificer of temptation. He confirms this passage by later words, saying, “Pray that you may not be tempted.” So they were tempted, by deserting the Lord, because they had given themselves to sleep rather than to prayer. Therefore the closing clause answers, interpreting what “Lead us not into temptation” means; for this is: “But carry us away from evil.”