As my four daughters were growing up, I would sit on the floor with each of them to prep and plan for mighty battles. We would set up a castle with its king and his blue army of knights and warriors. Out on the battlefield was the opposing army in black armor. The fight seemed fair … until the king of the black army would unleash his dragon … and his ogre.
That’s when we would have the blue army retreat into the safety of the castle. We would pull up the drawbridge. Then they would begin firing their catapults of huge plastic boulders. Those weapons were the equalizer to the dragon and ogre. The king’s army was safe inside the walls of their mighty fortress.
That’s the way my little girls and I would fight an imaginary battle on our living room floor. Martin Luther pictures a very real battle that rages every day of our lives in his battle hymn of the Reformation, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.”
Verse one: “A mighty fortress is our God, a trusty shield and weapon; he helps us free from ev’ry need that has 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.”
Because of our inherent sinful nature, we were not born into God’s mighty fortress. Instead, we were born living in a dilapidated fort where the walls were made with our good works and splendid deeds – which really aren’t good or splendid, at all. This fort is not built by God but owned by the devil.
But across the plain we can see God’s mighty fortress. There is a gate on the side of God’s fortress that is always open. It is inviting us to come in. Above the gate is a sign that reads, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). It is our means of escape out of our fort and away from the old evil foe who enslaves us.
Verse two: “With might of ours can naught be done, soon were our loss effected; but for us fights the valiant one whom God himself elected. You ask, “Who is this?” Jesus Christ it is, the almighty Lord, and there’s no other God; he holds the field forever.”
No truer words do we sing than these from Luther’s hymn: “With might of ours can naught be done, soon were our loss effected.” We cannot escape the old evil foe on our own. We cannot free ourselves from the slavery of our sins. We cannot flee from our derelict forts.
Unless someone greater than us fights for us. And fight he does! From our ramshackle fort, we can look across the horizon. The almighty fortress gate opens and a gloriously brilliant light pours forth. Out steps the Valiant One, whom the Fortress Master himself elected. His path is certain. His glory is unmatched. He charges across the plain on his white horse. It is a battle between the prince of this world and the King of kings. This battle lasts 40 days and 40 nights. In this celestial battle, the Valiant One is wounded – his hands are pierced; his feet are gashed; his side is sliced open. But he strikes the final killing blow – crushing the evil foe’s skull. The Valiant One stands triumphant over the vanquished one.
You come out of your little fort asking, “Who is this?” From across the way, from the other fortress, you can hear the voice of other rescued beggars. They have been gathered from other forts from all nations, tribes, peoples, and languages. They have been made citizens of this almighty fortress. They answer your question by shouting in unison, “Jesus Christ it is. The almighty Lord. And there’s no other God. He holds the field forever.”
Verse three: “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 devil and his demons seem overpowering – like the make-believe dragon and ogre that would attack my daughter’s castles. Though the devil and his demons really do fill this world, we see this world’s prince for who he really is. He is Satan, the liar and deceiver. When he comes at us with his little lies and petty deceptions, we don’t have to fall for them anymore. Now he can harm us none. He’s judged; the deed is done. All we need to do is call out the little word of “Jesus” and we can fell the fallen angel.
Verse four: “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 all may be gone, our victory is won; the kingdom’s ours forever!”
Daily, Jesus removes our filthy fig leaves of our own self-righteousness and dresses us in the regal robes of the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world. He takes us in his nail-pierced hands and ushers us through the door he has opened with his holy life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection. He washes away the filth of our sins in his blessed baptismal waters. He spoon-feeds us the manna of his body and holds to our lips the chalice filled with his blood that flowed from his pierced side. He has painted the doorways of his fortress with Lamb’s blood – his divinely human blood. To prepare us for battle against the devils that fill the world and this world’s scowling prince, he gives us his good gifts and Spirit.
He holds the field forever. Therefore, we will not fear. Though an unmighty fort is our life, a mighty fortress is our God. Though the earth should change; though mountains slip into the sea; though its waters roar and foam; though the mountains quake and break; we will not fear. Take they our life, goods, fame, child, and wife; take they our reputation, dreams, friends, and health; do what they will – hate, steal, hurt, or kill; though all these be gone, our victory has been won. The kingdom’s ours forever.