Sermons 2024

When Satan tempts us, Lord provide
Your sword and shield to help survive 
That with your Word we can defend
Ourselves through life until the even.

O Lord may the Words of my Mouth, and the meditation of our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord our Rock, and our Redeemer.

In the movie 300, a spartan warrior by the name of Dienekes is informed that the Persians are so numerous that when they discharged their arrows they obscured the light of the sun by the multitude of the arrows. Dienekes was not dismayed by this, but making small account of the number of the Medes, he said that their guest brought them very good news, for if the Medes obscured the light of the sun, the battle against them would be in the shade and not in the sun.

At times, that is what the arrows hurled at us by Satan feel like. He attacks us relentlessly, in a wide variety of ways. He never relents. For some he uses guile, making it seem as though it is not really a large deal. ‘One little bit will not hurt.’ For some he uses persistence, attacking the same place again and again until it weakens. ‘Go ahead, what is the worst that can happen? You are a failure. You failed to live up to the Law or do this or that.’ For some, he attacks with deception, as with Adam and Eve, ‘Did God really say that? Surely, He did not mean it.’ The attacks are so many in number. Satan has numerous tools at his disposal, how can we ever hope to fend off even one of them? Indeed, Luther writes, “If you even knew one of the arrows that Satan flings at you, you would run to the Sacrament for refuge.” We do not know all the plots that Satan has arrayed against us. We do not know when and where he will attack. Thanks be to God, as if we did know, we might fall into abject despair and hopelessness! All we know is Satan’s end goal, to cause us to lose our faith and be condemned with him in Hell forever.

If it was not enough to have such a seemingly powerful enemy against us, we know well our own weakness of our sinful flesh. It is not on the side of God, but on the side of our deadly foe every single time. On our own we will fail again and again. We have no hope of victory under our own power.

Thanks be to God that He does not leave us to fight such a foe under our own power. Rather, He sends Jesus to fight on our behalf. Jesus is tempted just as we are, yet uses the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God to fight Satan off. Jesus bears all of your sins. Upon the cross He suffers, bleeds, and dies for you. By His death, He destroys the power of death. By bearing the punishment of your sins, Jesus destroys all the assaults of Satan. Of what can he accuse you that Jesus has not already borne the punishment for? Nothing.

Our heavenly Father gives us a constant shield against the attacks of Satan, found in Jesus Christ, and what He has done for us,. When Satan attacks us, we run to the Father’s mercy and grace, shown to us in Jesus, for help and support. We comfort ourselves with His holy Word that every single one of our sins has been covered by Jesus’ death and resurrection. 

The same as our Lord used His own holy Word to defeat the temptations of Satan, so too do we. We defend ourselves, steadfast in the faith He has given to us through His Holy Spirit, until that day when He calls us out of this vale of tears to His nearer presence to await the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting with Him.

Until that day, stand steadfast dear flock, Fight in the shade against all the temptations of Satan, knowing that Jesus has fully defeated all of your foes, Satan included, and He holds the field victorious forever on your behalf. Satan can do no harm to you, one little word can fell him.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.