A Mighty Fortress is Our God

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 power 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 though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through 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 powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through 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 (Life/Hymns) (1527) transl. from German by Frederick H. Hedge 1853

It is less than fashionable, and even objectionable, to refer to God in militaristic terms today.  The songs of today speak of wonder, love, devotion, praise – of God’s great love, His ability to save, comfort, redeem, cleanse, heal and give life.  We sing of sheltering under His wings, in the shadow of His love and under His mighty hand.  We don’t think of them in military terms – Luther lived at a time when trusting in God, as He reveals Himself in His Word, was a matter of life and death.

For most of us reading this (maybe I flatter myself writing ‘us’!) we live in comfort – fearing at worst scorn or other relatively small emotional losses of relationship – we find little comfort in the battle hardened singing of this song.  But there are many around the world who look to God for victory in the midst of ferocious danger and savage opposition.

This hymn was written in the midst of the social and political upheaval which had arisen out of the European Reformation.  Luther had lost friends to the flames of persecution and suppression and faced the prospect of them for himself.  The words of Ps46 lie at the core of this hymn.

We sit in ease and comfort and think the call to ‘be still and know that I am God’ is somehow at odds with the proclamation that God is a God who leads His people into a battle.  We would do well to listen to the hymns of the past and the voices of God’s people suffering around the world: Our God is a Mighty Refuge because He is the Mighty Warrior who has beaten the Evil One and will one day judge him, subdue him and consign all evil to an eternity of God’s justice.

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.   (Selah)

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.   (Selah)

Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.   (Selah)

Psalm 46