“Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are” (John 17:11).
Just after Jesus offered this prayer He crossed the brook Kidron and entered the Garden of Gethsemane (John 18:1). It was to be in that place that He would be arrested and eventually taken to Golgotha to be crucified (John 12:32-34). As far as Jesus was concerned, His earthly ministry had ended so He provided comfort to His disciples who would carry His message of salvation into a hostile world.
In a short time Jesus knew He would no longer be on earth to protect His followers from trouble as He had been doing (John 17:12). Nevertheless, even under the duress of imminent torture and death He continued to pray for protection and He even intervened to protect His disciples. When Judas led the detachment of troops and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, Jesus asked them who they were seeking. When they replied Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus then said that if they wanted Him they should let His followers go.
I wonder if you noticed from this short passage in John that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit have total oversight of you staying faithful to Jesus? It has nothing to do with your miserable efforts to stay faithful. You are saved because of what Jesus did, not what you do. Charles Spurgeon put it this way, "It's not so much the perseverance of the saints that is prominent as it is the preservation of the saints by God."*
Salvation is by grace through faith, and we are absolutely secure because of Christ's work. Once you grasp this you will have peace in your soul. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.” (John 10:27-29).
We are kept loyal and secure by the power in the name of God. It is not what we have done, but it is by the actions of Jesus that we have been made righteous. Jesus became sin so that we would become righteous. All of our righteousness comes only from the obedience of Jesus. We contribute nothing to our salvation.
It is the power in the name of God, the absolute sovereignty of God, that assures us of our salvation. No one can change His will. No one can change His mind. No one can make God’s power of none effect. We are the sheep that Jesus died for when we believe in the Son and we will never perish.
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*All quotes from NLT.