The Struggle for Faith
THE STRUGGLE FOR FAITH
Five hundred years ago this Halloween marks the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. In honor of that historic period in church history I plan to devote some of my time this year to reading books about that revolutionary time period. The first one I have read so far is Roland Bainton’s classic biography about the chief instigator of the Reformation, Martin Luther, titled Here I Stand. I thought I would share one tiny portion of what I gleaned from that book because I believe you may find it helpful in your Christian walk.
Bainton highlights in chapter 21, “The Struggle for Faith,” that, like each of us, Luther persistently struggled against the devil. Sometimes Luther would try to fight the enemy head-on. He quotes Luther as saying:
When I go to bed, the Devil is always waiting for me. When he begins to plague me, I give him this answer: “Devil, I must sleep. That’s God’s command. ‘Work by day. Sleep by night.’ So go away.” If that doesn’t work and he brings out a catalog of sins, I say, “Yes, old fellow, I know all about it. And I know some more you have overlooked. Here are a few extra. Put them down.” If he still won’t quit and presses me hard and accuses me as a sinner, I scorn him and say, “St. Satan, pray for me. Of course you have never done anything wrong in your life. You alone are holy. Go to God and get grace for yourself. If you want to get me all straightened out, I say, ‘Physician, heal thyself.’”
At other times, however, Luther advised against directly combating the devil. “Don’t argue with the Devil. He has had five thousand years of experience. He has tried out all his tricks on Adam, Abraham, and David, and he knows exactly the weak spots.” Instead of direct confrontation Luther advised at least seven other courses of action:
- Seek the company of another believer, a wise counselor, and the fellowship of the church.
- Seek solace through music because the devil cannot stand to be in the presence of a cheerful person.
- Seek to enjoy quality time with your family.
- Engage yourself in manual labor. He counseled harnessing the horse and spreading manure on the fields.
- Watch birds and babies and learn from them.
- When the devil attacks, remind him that you have been baptized.
- Above all else, turn to the Scriptures.[1]
Much wisdom resides in Luther’s counsel. Take it to heart.