This was not an unusual event. Wittenberg was a University town, and the door of the church was the town bulletin board. As a professor, Luther was merely posting a notice about a public debate that he wanted to have.
As history unfolded, this simple act set off a chain reaction that would change the world. Ever since, Luther has been known as “the Reformer.” But on that day, he didn’t think of himself as a reformer, but simply as a pastor. He didn’t want to change the world, but just to help clear up some confusion for his students and members of his parish.
That’s the way God works. Usually, our grandiose plans to change the world fizzle. But when we aren’t looking to change the world, just humbly hoping just to change ourselves, God moves mountains. That’s why we should never be frightened at the world’s overwhelming evils.
“We are not fighting against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world” (Ephesians 6:12). True, this is all too powerful for us. But Satan is not too powerful for Jesus.
The blasphemies of our time will not be defeated by stepping up our game to fight them. But neither should they cower us into silence. While we have no power of our own, the simple Word of God can, and will, defeat even the strongest lie.
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, is a hymn that Luther wrote which has become a sort of anthem of the Reformation. The profound words of its third verse teach us a calm resolve, even in the face of the most frightful and satanic opposition.
“Though devils all the world should fill, all eager to devour us. We tremble not. We fear no ill. They shall not overpower 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 last words of this stanza point to the reason we can be so calm. It’s not because we are strong enough to take on Satan. It’s because Jesus is. More than that, it’s because Jesus has put all of His divine power into the simple Word of God.
Since the Word of God is the only effective power against the devil’s lies, Satan can only win if we don’t speak God’s word. That’s why he fights so furiously to silence it.
Sometimes he fights openly by threatening Christians and churches with death, persecution, legal trouble, or unpopularity if they speak it. Other times he fights secretly by tempting Christians and churches to substitute the wisdom of man for the Word of God. In either case, we are quickly overwhelmed.
All this Luther summed up in the second stanza.
“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.”
The Reformation was about Jesus. It was never about personal freedom, or conscience, or political rights, etc., etc. It was about a bold and confident trust in the simple Word of God, who has become a Man for us. It is still about Jesus.
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