A Mighty Fortress is Our God

“The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jesus is our Fortress”

“A Mighty Fortress is our God, a bulwark NEVER FAILING; our Helper He amid the flood of moral ills, PREVAILING. For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; his craft and pow’r 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 might be? CHRIST JESUS it is He; Lord Sabaoth His Name, from age to age THE SAME, and He already WON 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 JESUS 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 (1529) based on Psalm 46 and Frederic Henry Hedge (1853)