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 pow’r are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
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.
And tho’ this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph thro’ 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.
That word above all earthly pow’rs,
No thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Thro’ 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.
Martin Luther, 1529, translator Frederick Hedge, 1852
Read Psalm 31:1-8
(This can be a tricky hymn due to the inverted sentence structure. The second verse may be my favorite. The battles we fight in our own strength end in loss and failure. The battles Christ fights on our behalf are another story. Lord Sabaoth is His name. God chose Him as the victor. He willed it. It’s a done deal. And it’s not cowardly shirking to let Him take on our enemies – our Enemy – while we remain in the fortress. God’s word stands above the decrees of kings, prime ministers, and presidents and Congresses. It is as everlasting as the kingdom it proclaims. A kingdom we can enter into. Amen.)
