II Thessalonians 3:3 “But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.”
Evil people have been doing “evil” things to the Children of God ever since Cain slew his brother Abel (Genesis 4:8). However, “evil” has never defeated God, has never stollen a Child of God from God, and has never taken Spiritual Birth from a Child of God because our “Lord is faithful” to “keep” us “from” the “evil” that is thrust upon us by “unreasonable and wicked men” who “have not faith” (II Thessalonians 3:2)! The phrase “keep you from evil” is not the same as keeping evil things from happening to you (although our Lord is perfectly able to and does in many cases), it literally means to “keep you from” being utterly defeated by sin’s “evil”. Sin’s “evil” could defeat us if it could take away our Eternal Salvation, remove our faith in Christ Jesus our Lord, or destroy our ability to worshipfully praise our God. But, not a single one of God’s Children will be lost to “evil” (John 6:39) neither will we be separated from His providential care in this present life! “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego” told king “Nebuchadnezzar”, “our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king” (Daniel 3;16-17); that is, you intend to do “evil” to us; but God will “keep” us “from” your “evil”; He will either keep the fire from harming us or He will take us to Heaven to be with Him; either way “Nebuchadnezzar” you loose and God wins and we are kept from your “evil”! Our “Lord” put it this way, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)! No matter how severe the “evil” may become, we are highly blessed to take “the shield of faith, wherewith” we “shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked” (Ephesians 6:16) always knowing that “the Lord shall deliver” us “from every evil work, and will preserve” us “unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (II Timothy 4:18).