Hot Topics and the Faithful Soldier – Martin Luther

At times it is simply unavoidable to engage in discussions about issues that are difficult to understand and controversial in nature. Because we are part of Christ’s one true church we should expect Satan and his blinded servants to attack and seek to confuse and distract God’s children. We’ve discussed in past posts why it is important to be vigilant about truth, and how to go about exposing error while maintaining Christlike character (clearly, our Lord did not shy away from controversy and “feather ruffling”).

I was encouraged by this quote from Martin Luther, who initially began the Protestant reformation as an objection to abuses within the Roman Catholic Church and by many of its priests. The real battle quickly exposed itself, as a battle that struck to the heart of the gospel, and the doctrine of justification by grace alone, through faith alone. Luther quickly took up that fight, because it was indeed the doctrine that “the world and the devil [were] at that moment attacking.”

Here is his strengthening encouragement.

“If I profess, with the loudest voice and clearest exposition, every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all the battle fields besides is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point” — Martin Luther

Stand strong for truth. Be steady and loyal. A battle for truth is indeed raging today on many fronts, primarily regarding the very meaning of the term Christian (and the gospel), the sufficiency of Scripture, and the certainty and absolute nature of truth itself.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 – Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.