A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 504)
1 A mighty fortress is our God,
a sword and shield victorious;
he breaks the cruel oppressor’s rod
and wins salvation glorious.
The old evil foe, sworn to work us woe,
with dread craft and might
he arms himself to fight.
On earth he has no equal.
2 No strength of ours can match his might!
We would be lost, rejected.
But now a champion comes to fight,
whom God himself elected.
Ask who this may be: Lord of hosts is he!
Christ Jesus our Lord,
God’s only Son, adored.
He holds the field victorious.
3 Though hordes of devils fill the land
all threat’ning to devour us,
we tremble not, unmoved we stand;
they cannot overpow’r us.
This world’s prince may rage, in fierce war engage.
He is doomed to fail
God’s judgment must prevail!
One little word subdues him.
4 God’s Word forever shall abide,
no thanks to foes, who fear it;
for God himself fights by our side
with weapons of the Spirit.
If they take our house, goods, fame, child, or spouse,
wrench our life away,
they cannot win the day.
The kingdom’s ours forever!
Text and Music: Martin Luther; Public Domain
Devotion
Verse 3 of “A Mighty Fortress” describes the specter of a world filled with devils and evil. Yet Martin Luther’s words say confidently that we have power to endure over the devil…one little word will do him in. Would that Word be Jesus, the Word made flesh?
Yes! That Word (v. 4) is above all earthly powers, and in that Word, the Spirit and gifts of God are ours. In the end—even at the end of life—we can let go of goods and kindred and our earthly body and cling to God’s truth. God’s kingdom—beginning now and brought to perfection in the life to come—is forever.
Prayer
Almighty God, may your kingdom come among us. We thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ, to defeat all evil and usher in your kingdom among us. Amen.