In the famous hymn "A Mighty Fortress" that Lutherans love so dearly Luther writes this of the devil: "The old evil foe, now means deadly woe; deep guile and great might; are his dread arms in fight. On earth is not his equal."

This picture shows in art what Luther pens in song. Namely that our first parents, with all the marvelous powers that their Creator bestowed upon them, were still no match for the Serpent.

But Luther goes on to write: "With might of ours can naught be done; soon were our loss effected. But for us fights the Valiant One, whom God himself elected. Ask ye who is this? Jesus Christ it is! Of Sabaoth Lord, and there's none other God, he holds the field forever." 

This is what we meditate upon during Lent; our sin, our frailty and the impossibility of defending ourselves against such a deadly enemy.

But also the boundless love of Christ who offered himself as the sacrifice for our sins, who bested the Evil One in the wilderness, on the cross and by his resurrection from the dead, which insures our own resurrection.

This is why St. Paul so confidently writes, "'O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 15:55-57) 

May the Holy Spirit richly bless us this Lenten season with: " ... repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." (Acts 20:21) And with great humility, for as Scripture says: "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5)