July 28, 2021
Martin Luther has always been one of my heroes. He was one of the great Christian apologetics, a proclaimer of salvation by grace alone, plus a prolific and eloquent writer. He won amazing victories in both the legal and spiritual realms, in spite of enormous opposition, and is widely remembered as a man of God.
Today, I was listening to his hymn “A Mighty Fortress,” and it deeply spoke to me. From the first words, the message is clear and full of bold faith.
A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
A fortress is a symbol of strength, and a bulwark protects against external danger or injury. The truth proclaimed is that—amid all the floods of mortal ills and troubles in the world—God is always there to help us and protect us. I’ve found this to be a fact many, many times, and I’ve seen the Lord keep me and mine from all kinds of troubles that, by rights, we should have been caught in. He really is an unbreachable fortress.
Our foe, Satan, seeks to work evil and harm in our lives. Sometimes it’s a straight-out attack: a powerful affront on our health or safety, or that of our loved ones. Yet often it’s a more subtle, though equally dangerous assault—a stirring up of carnal desires, or fueling feelings of discouragement, envy, loneliness, and jealousy. I’ve tried so many times to battle Satan’s influences in my own way, and always failed. The hymn rightly states that we cannot strive in our own strength, or we strive in vain. We need Jesus Christ, the Rock of Ages, cornerstone of the fortress, to win the battle for us.
Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side,
The Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His name,
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.
While I should make an effort to overcome bad habits and resist temptation—to strive to “put off the old man”1 and to “conform to the mind of Christ”2—I know I am not equal to the tasks. No matter how good I feel, I’m not good enough on my own. Conversely, no matter how insufficient I feel, through Christ and His Word I can obtain victory. Martin Luther himself found this out more than once—as he fought depression and affliction—that the only lasting deliverance comes from above.3
You know the best part? I’ve found more and more over the years that Jesus has already won the battle. What remains for us to do then? Well, victory is ours, truly. But Jesus told us, as His disciples, that “in this world you will have tribulation.”4 That means we don’t always see the victory in the situations we face immediately. First, we have to stand strong through the tribulations and trials. The hymn boldly instructs us not to tremble at the prince of darkness. It promises that one little word will defeat him.
And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim,
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.
In spite of the challenges and tests we face, we find our peace when we rest in the power of our Lord. A fortress stands as a beacon of strength, a point to rally to, an assured safety. And that’s what Jesus is to me. Sometimes when I’ve been discouraged, a stranger has approached me with a kind word, a hot drink, or a prayer. Or a friend calls at just the right time, making me laugh by their gentle humor, or the Lord brings an answer to prayer—day-by-day happenings that build me up when I feel weak, and bring me back into fellowship with my Savior. He has provided for the desires of my heart; so many I couldn’t even begin to list them all. I’ve already been given more than I deserve, and heaven still awaits. What I can do right now is fly the flag of hope from my tower, calling all to find their safety in Jesus, our strong tower.5
As Christians, we can expect to face resistance to our faith and endure a portion of rage from an unbelieving world. But let us fix our eyes firmly on our Lord and that eternal kingdom, showing love in response to hate, and shining the light of truth brightly into the dark domain. As we endure to the end, we shall be called good and faithful servants.6 Our labors of love are not in vain, and His Word shared never returns void!7 As far as those who do not like us or our message, the Bible calls us the temple of God, so let us live with reverence and be examples of His holy love, even in the face of ungodly anger, slander, or antagonistic actions.8
And most of all, let’s speak out that one word at every opportunity, encouraging ourselves, ministering to others, and defeating the evil one. JESUS, the name above all names, our hope of glory, the magnificent and mighty fortress.
That word above all earthly powers,
No thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through Him who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also;
The body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.
1 Ephesians 4:22.
2 Romans 12:2.
3 Psalm 121:1–2.
4 John 16:33.
5 Proverbs 18:10, Psalm 61:3.
6 Matthew 25:21.
7 Isaiah 55:11.
8 1 Thessalonians 5:15.
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