Reformation 2015
A Mighty Fortress is our God
John 8:31-36
25 October 2015
A mighty fortress is our God, A trusty shield and weapon;
He helps us free from ev’ry need That hath us now o’ertaken.
The old evil foe Now means deadly woe;
Deep guile and great might Are his dread arms in fight;
On earth is not his equal.
The fortress is God’s. If you want to be safe and sound from your sin, your death, and Satan it will only be in the fortress that God builds with His bricks and mortar, upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, that bastion whose cornerstone is Jesus Christ. There you will have a shield to defend you from Satan’s attacks – God’s Word which called you as God’s own child in baptism. God’s Word which delivers to you the forgiveness Christ won on the cross. There you have a weapon which will stand against every attack – when temptation charges, when death calls you to battle, when Satan fires his darts – you counter with God’s Word – the Word of Jesus who never sinned, the Word of Jesus who rose from the dead, the Word of Jesus who forgives your sins.
Where is this fortress? Where is God present and mighty and on your side? Wherever Jesus is preached in the purity of God’s Word. Wherever Jesus is delivered to you according to His Word in water, in bread and in wine? If you abide in my word you are truly my disciples. By His Word of Jesus every need you have is met. Every fear removed. By His Word God has delivered us from the battle, brought us bloodied and beaten and dying soldiers into His fortress. He has saved us. He has healed us. He has raised us to life in Jesus. We have gone from scraping together some garbage to eat on the battlefied to to the feast of the Lord’s Supper.
Don’t be misled by my words. Outside the fortress of the God, outside of His holy Christian Church, lies a battlefield, whose commander is the old evil Foe. You know what’s out there – you’ll face it this week. Deep guile – the Devil is filled with cunning and evil. He doesn’t fight fair. He’s a terrorist at heart. He camouflages evil to appear good. If he can’t beat you with tempation to sin he batter you into believing God has left you alone in this fight. Nothing you face should surprise you this week – not churches being burned, not police officers being shot, not abortion being called health services, not lust being called marriage, not your family suffering. Don’t be surprised at our foe’s work, because outside of God’s Fortress – on earth is not his equal.
With might of ours can naught be done, Soon were our loss effected;
But for us fights the valiant One, Whom God Himself elected.
Ask ye, Who is this?
Jesus Christ it is, Of Sabaoth Lord,
And there’s none other God; He holds the field forever.
Sometimes we try to fight this battle with our own efforts. But our weapons are useless. We try to undo death by spending billions on health care – we have yet to win a single victory – everyone dies. We try to stop evil by making more laws – yet we cannot even change our own hearts. We try to cover our lives with good works as a defense against sin and that’s about as effective as tissue paper against a bullet. And then, sadly, when we can’t win the battle against our sin or evil or despair, we ty to justify ourselves – well, this is just the way it is – I sin, evil wins, and there is no hope or future, better make the most of it – and all of that is in reality surrendering to Satan. With might of ours cannot be done, soon were our loss effected.
But all is not lost, because out of heaven God sends the Warrior whom He elected, the Valiant One of His choosing. His path is strange and His warfare unique for He travels into the very middle of our battle to die for us and then raises His cross as the battle standard calling us to share in His death and thereby share in His victory. He stands as the Lord of Sabaoth – the Head of the heavenly host of Saints and Angels gathered round His throne. He is man and He is God and where His flag is unfurled, His victory is delivered, when His cross is preached, your sins are forgiven, your death is dead. Against Jesus the gates of hell shall not prevail. He holds the field forever.
Though devils all the world should fill, All eager to devour us,
We tremble not, we fear no ill; They shall not overpow’r us.
This world’s prince may still Scowl fierce as he will,
He can harm us none. He’s judged; the deed is done;
One little word can fell him.
The old evil Foe sends forth his own host against us. Though devils all the world should fill – and fill the world they do and their one mission, their prime directive is to devour you, to feast and consume any who are secure in Christ. So they try to swallow you up with greed and coveting and back biting. They spread confusion and division in the rank and file. They lead your children astray. They want you to see all their work with your eyes, and close your ears to the truth of God’s Word. They want you to think they are winning. They hold up your sins. They parade you by the cemetery. They advertize their evil with boldness. Their propoganda is legion.
But fear not. We tremble not, we fear no ill. You wear the impenetrable armor of God’s Word. Your mind is guarded with the helmet of salvation. You’re more than ready for the battle – wrapped with the belt of truth. Every arrow of the enemy is either extinguished by the shield of faith or bounces off the breastplate of Christ’s righteousness. He can harm you none.
Why? Because you have one little word which fells him. Do you know what the one word is? We Lutherans would probably answer “Jesus” but Martin Luther himself said the little word that undoes the Devil is “Liar.” You know the truth. You have the truth. The devil says God cannot love you because you’re a sinner, but you say, “Liar. Christ died for my sins. He forgives me.” The Devil says, “You’d better be afraid. You’re going to die and then who knows what will happen?” And you say, “Liar. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me will live even if he dies.” The Devil says, “I’m winning. God is losing. Look around you – I’ve killed 50 million babies in the US in the last 32 years. I destroy half of all marriages. I’ve even convinced the supreme court to call lust and perversion marriage.” And to that we say, “Liar. Jesus declared on the cross, “It is finished.” and that’s you Satan, that’s sin, that’s evil, that’s death. Oh, you may have a little fight in you, but He won. You lost. I’m with Jesus and Jesus is with me – so I win. You lose. Liar.
The Word they still shall let remain Nor any thanks have for it;
He’s by our side upon the plain With His good gifts and Spirit.
And take they our life,Goods, fame, child, and wife,
Though these all be gone, Our vict’ry has been won;
The Kingdom ours remaineth.
The Word they still shall let remain. That’s God’s Word in the flesh – that’s Jesus. Satan and his soldiers have no power to stop Jesus. He remains and they have no thanks for it. He remains where His Word is preached and His sacraments are given according to His Word. That is how Jesus is with us – as the battle on this plain still rages. The old evil Foe cannot stand the death and resurrection of Holy Baptism, the cleansing Word of absolution, the strengthening and filling food of the Lord’s Supper, for by these things our Valiant Jesus is by our side.
On this plain the Devil still rules – He is the prince of this world. And Dr. Luther teaches us that in losing battle he tries to grab and claw and scrape and gnaw anything he can to separate us from the Church militant. Oh, whenever the market dips, whenever our reputation suffers, whenever a child or spouse dies, he’s there, shouting, “See, I told you. I’m in control. I’ve got you right where I want you. Your’e mine.” He hammers away and remember, one word and one word only will stop him. “Liar.” Our vict’ry has been won. The Kingdom ours remaineth. We know the truth and its the truth that sets us free from sin, from death, and most of all from that sore loser Satan. A mighty fortress is our God. In the name of Jesus. Amen.