“God is Our Refuge and Strength… A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.” – Psalm 46:1-3
“A mighty fortress is our God, A sword and shield victorious;
He breaks the cruel oppressor’s rod And wins salvation glorious.” – “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”, Stanza 1
Psalm 46 and the hymn that it inspired, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” have a timeless quality that have provided strength and comfort to Christians for five centuries. It doesn’t matter that there are references to swords and shields, or even to the archaic-sounding term of a fortress. There’s still something very reassuring about big, thick stone walls protecting us from whatever is on the other side. It’s hard to imagine the poetically describing God as an impenetrable firewall or an un-hackable file, but in 500 years, who knows? The image may of people clicking away at computers will probably be amusingly old-fashioned.
We are assured that because God is with us, we will not fear in spite of a changing earth or the man-made chaos of nations and kingdoms. Notice that the psalmist says “we will not fear.” He doesn’t say we shouldn’t fear, or we don’t need to fear — he says unequivocally that we will not fear. It almost sounds like an order, but these are solid promises to God’s people in the face of every kind of disaster we might face, whether natural or man-made.
As we read the words of “A Mighty Fortress”, there’s a description of the champion who comes to fight for us, “The Lord of Hosts is he! Christ Jesus, mighty Lord, God’s only Son, adored.” (Stanza 2) This is the ongoing theme of the hymn, that we have nothing to fear — the world’s evil cannot overpower us. Our souls are safe, protected by our heavenly Father.
However, Stanza 4 closes the hymn on a somewhat different, and more personal note. Luther reiterates that God’s word abides forever, and God himself fights by our side, but then we’re reminded of the very real dangers and sacrifices facing those who remain committed to their beliefs.
“Were they to take our house, Goods, honor, child, or spouse,
Though life be wrenched away, They cannot win the day.
The Kingdom’s ours forever!” (Stanza 4)
The forces of evil are everywhere and in many forms, and there’s no denying that our homes, our families, even our personal honor can be taken from us. But these forces still cannot win. We have been given entry into God’s Kingdom, and nothing can prevent it. May we carry these words of strength and promise into our troubled world.
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers