The Devil Hates Lent

Resist him, firm in your faith (1 Peter 5:9).

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Lent is quickly approaching. Yesterday, the Church commemorated Sexagesima, for which the chief hymn, according to Nicolaus Selnecker in his Scheme for Chief Hymns (1587), is Luther’s catechism hymn “Our Father, Thou in Heaven Above.” Next Sunday, Quinquagesima, the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, the chief hymn is “By Adam’s Fall is All Forlorn.” For Invocavit, the First Sunday in Lent, “O Christ, Who Art the Light and Day” is appointed—which, according to Selnecker, is repeated throughout the Lenten season during the German Litany until Palm Sunday.¹

The devil hates every Christian hymn. Nevertheless, the magnificent Lutheran selection of chief hymns for the pre-Lent and Lenten seasons in the Lutheran tradition contains particularly fervid hymns, against which the devil cannot stand. The devil trembles when faithful Christians render such fervent praises to God against the sins of the flesh and vices of the tempter.

On Sexagesima, consider how faithfully and fervently the Church pleads with her dear Father in heaven as His dear children on earth:

Into temptation lead us not.
When evil foes against us plot
And vex our souls on ev’ry hand,
Oh, give us strength that we may stand
Firm in the faith, a well-armed host,
Through comfort of the Holy Ghost!

From evil, Lord, deliver us;
The times and days are perilous.
Redeem us from eternal death,
And when we yield our dying breath,
Console us, grant us calm release,
And take our souls to Thee in peace.

Amen, that is, So shall it be.
Confirm our faith and hope in Thee
That we may doubt not, but believe
What here we ask we shall receive.
Thus in Thy name and at Thy word
We say: Amen. Oh, hear us, Lord! Amen.

—“Our Father, Thou in Heaven Above,” The Lutheran Hymnal #458, sts. 7—9.

Again on Quinquagesima, known as Esto Mihi in Selnecker’s day, the Church confesses in the appointed chief hymn:

From hearts depraved, to evil prone,
Flow thoughts and deeds of sin alone;
God's image lost, the darkened soul
Nor seeks nor finds its heavenly goal.

But Christ, the second Adam, came
To bear our sin and woe and shame,
To be our Life, our Light, our Way,
Our only Hope, our only Stay.

As by one man all mankind fell
And, born in sin, was doomed to hell,
So by one Man, who took our place,
We all received the gift of grace.

—“All Mankind Fell in Adam’s Fall,” The Lutheran Hymnal #369, sts. 3—5.

Throughout Lent, the solemn season during which the Church reflects on our brokenness in Adam, we boldly profess our saving faith in the name of Christ:

Behold, O God, our Shield, and quell
The crafts and subtleties of hell;
Direct Thy servants in all good,
Who Thou hast purchased with Thy blood.

O Lord, remember us who bear
The burden of the flesh we wear;
Thou who dost o’er our souls defend,
Be with us even to the end.

—“O Christ, Who Art the Light and Day,” The Lutheran Hymnal #559, sts. 5—6.

The devil hates Lent. The Lutheran tradition demonstrates this in its selection of chief hymns throughout the Church year, yet even more so during the Lenten season. When we Christians are confronted with the insufferable corruption of the flesh, the devil sees an opportunity to assert his wickedness. He seeks to drive us to despair by the utter depravity and apparent hopelessness of our sinful condition.

Nevertheless, as the Church confronts the ugliness of sin, so too the beauty of the cross is magnified in our worship, hymnody, and penitence. Where the necessity for the cross is revealed, there God’s love is revealed tenfold. Where God’s love is present, the devil’s power is destroyed. Where the Spirit dwells, the devil is expelled.

The devil hates Lent because God’s love is revealed through the cross.

As we confront our need for salvation, we remember that our sinful condition remains even after baptism. While our sin is forgiven and the Spirit is given to us in baptism, the sinful flesh remains until death. Therefore, by the power of the Spirit, we not only receive the gift of justification, but we must also grow in sanctification. As in baptism faith is conferred, so too must faith grow and increase by the Spirit. Faith cannot be left to die; it must be nourished.

The importance of this spiritual growth is emphasized to a great degree in Lutheran hymnody, particularly in the selection of hymns for Lent. A forgotten—and perhaps intentionally eschewed—hymn for Ash Wednesday, translated into English only in the mid-nineteenth century, reminds the Church of the need for self-discipline and growth in sanctification:

The fast, as taught by holy lore,
We keep in solemn course once more;
The fast to all men known, and bound
In forty days of yearly round.

Thy grace have we offended sore,
By sins, O God, which we deplore;
But pour upon us from on high,
O pardoning One, Thy clemency.

Remember Thou, though frail we be,
That yet Thine handiwork are we;
Nor let the honor of Thy name
Be by another put to shame.

Forgive the sin that we have wrought;
Increase the good that we have sought;
That we at length, our wanderings o’er,
May please Thee here and evermore.

—“The Fast, as Taught by Holy Lore,” sts. 1, 5—7.

Christians may eschew and scoff at such convicting hymns for the same reason as the devil: We hate self-discipline. We shun prudence. We despise temperance. It is only natural, according to our human nature, to turn toward the inward appetites of our stomachs, to gratify the desires of the flesh, and to intentionally disjoin the physical from the spiritual. Self-discipline forces us to look toward the spiritual benefits of Christ. Prudence moves us from indulging in the flesh to living in the Spirit. Temperance keeps us grounded upon the will of God instead of the will of man.

Satan, too, despises self-discipline, prudence, and temperance. When the Lord’s people exercise virtuous behavior in sanctification, Satan’s influence is shattered. When Christians recognize that the physical and spiritual cannot be disjoined, we are emboldened to shield our faith from the corruption of the flesh. The Spirit dwells in us to create, sustain, and nurture our faith, so that we might increase in good works. If we increase in good works, how much more does the devil flee from us!

Where the Spirit of God is present, Satan trembles. Where a Christian grows in sanctification and good works through physical and spiritual self-discipline, temperance, and fortitude, there the devil loses influences.

Historically, Christian self-discipline has taken shape in three acts of piety: fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. These good works of faith are not meritorious for salvation, but assist the Christian in guarding our spiritual welfare against the corruption of our sinful nature. Thus writes the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:10-18:

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…

Lent is the season during which the Church has traditionally extolled acts of piety such as fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. We take to heart Paul’s exhortation to “put on the whole armor of God,” because we wrestle “the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” The devil manipulates the ills of the flesh—the predisposition of the human will to sin—to drive us from our Father in heaven. Through self-discipline in body and spirit, we tether ourselves to God’s Word and fight against the temptations of the devil.

This cannot be done apart from the Spirit. Any attempt to exercise virtue is futile apart from faith. Nevertheless, we must seek to do, to speak, and to act as God intends, discipling both body and soul as a living temple to the Spirit. For all of this, faith is our foundation. Thus, the Augsburg Confession speaks concerning good works: “It is necessary to do good works […] The Holy Spirit is received through faith, hearts are renewed and given new affections, and then they are able to bring forth good works” (AC XX 29). Similarly the Apology confesses concerning good works “that when we have received the Holy Spirit through faith, the fulfilling of the Law necessarily follows. Patience, chastity, and other fruits of the Spirit gradually grow by this love” (Ap XX 91).

The adiaphoristic language by which contemporary Lutherans have become so woefully consumed is almost certainly a subterfuge by Satan to distance us from exercising piety and virtue by faith through the Spirit. That we are not commanded to exercise such virtue, and that these virtues cannot be contributed to salvation, has drawn us away from spiritual growth. If we are not commanded to do so, there must be no value in it at all.

We cannot let this pervasive lie consume the Church.

It is true that there is no command from God to fast or exercise other forms of spiritual discipline. Salvation cannot be attached to our good works—even our good works in faith. The Scriptures and Lutheran Confessions make this unmistakably clear. Nevertheless, our Lord exhorts Christians to fast, to pray, and to give alms. There is clear value in acts of Christian charity and love, for our Lord Himself commends them to us (Matthew 5:16; 6:1—18).

We fast in order to defend the body and spirit—with the aid of the Spirit by faith—from the assaults and temptations of the devil, fearing only our Lord and Father.

We pray in order to grow and increase in our fear and trust in God, for it is the will of our heavenly Father that we come to Him as dear children come to their dear Father, trusting that He answers our every prayer and gives to us all things needful according to His will.

We give alms in order to demonstrate Christian love and charity to others, for we love as Christ first loved us and gave freely of Himself for our benefit. We give to others as Christ has given to us, loving Christ and His Church, which He has redeemed by His blood.

Practical notes on self-discipline and genuine piety:

The Church has established several means by which spiritual discipline and exercise in piety may be achieved. Johann Gerhard, for example, wrote The Daily Exercise of Piety, a wonderful devotional booklet that walks through the Christian life and provides a framework for prayer and meditation on Scripture. Gerhard also produced an expanded five-volume version of this devotional work, known as the Schola Pietatis, which bridges Lutheran Orthodoxy with practical godliness. His Sacred Meditations is also another beautiful devotional resource.

The Treasury of Daily Prayer is a structured compilation of daily readings from sacred Scripture, as well as excerpts from hymns, the Church Fathers, and suggested readings from the Lutheran Confessions. Older breviaries, including The Daily Office from Concordia Publishing House (CPH), and newer breviaries, such as The Brotherhood Prayer Book or Oremus, are marvelous tools to assist in daily Scripture reading, prayer, and meditation.

Recently, a fraternal program, Memento 70, has become a popular program, designed to encourage men to form fraternities and walk alongside one another in physical and spiritual self-discipline and growth in sanctification. Similar fraternal groups—as well as congruent groups for women—may be established by mutual agreement among friends, family, or churches, using various devotional works or established programs as references or aids.

These are only a few examples of the countless resources to which faithful Christians have access in the assistance of discipline and piety. One must remember that pastoral oversight must always be sought for the establishment and execution of discipline and piety. Word and Sacrament must remain central to the Christian life. The instruction provided by the pastor, according to his office, provides structure and fidelity to Christ’s institution and the Spirit’s work in sanctification.

Above all, whether such piety and discipline is exercised in a formal fraternity or a personal regiment, three fundamental components must be present, upon which all Christian piety and devotion is based:

1. Daily reading of Sacred Scripture

2. Daily reading of theological and confessional texts

   1. The Church Fathers, The Lutheran Confessions, Orthodox Lutheran theologians, etc.

3. Daily meditations on Scripture and fervent prayer

These three fundamental components of discipline should also be aided by other acts of piety and discipline, namely fasting and almsgiving. Where these marks of spiritual growth are present and exercised, the devil trembles. When one restricts the body from indulging the passions of the flesh, thus he learns to combat the sinful flesh. When one gives freely of himself to others, he demonstrates the love of Christ against the aggressive spitefulness of the evil one.

None of this is to suggest that such acts merit forgiveness of sins or salvation. Good works cannot avail our salvation, but by the instruction and example of Christ, we walk in newness of life by the Spirit. St. Gregory the Great displayed this truth beautifully when he wrote a wonderful hymn that demonstrates the importance of discipline and piety in our fight against the sinful flesh and the power of the devil. From sin, death, and the power of the devil, Christ has freed us by His blood. In this fight against the flesh, the Spirit guides, assists, and preserves us:

The glory of these forty days
We celebrate with songs of praise,
For Christ, by whom all things were made,
Himself has fasted and has prayed.

Alone and fasting Moses saw
The loving God who gave the Law.
And to Elijah, fasting, came
The steed and chariots of flame.

So Daniel trained his mystic sight,
Delivered from the lion’s might.
And John, the Savior’s friend, became
The herald of Messiah’s name.

Then grant, O God, that we may, too,
Return in fast and prayer to you.
Our spirits strengthen with your grace,
And give us joy to see your face.

—“The Glory of These Forty Days,” Evangelical Lutheran Worship #320.

The devil hates Lent. Satan despises acts of piety, not because they merit salvation, but because he knows that these works of piety mean that we have already been called out of darkness and into the light of Christ. The devil hates self-discipline and good works of sanctification because he knows that we are temples to the Spirit.

As we prepare for Lent, we must remember that our good works—our fasting, our prayer, and our almsgiving—do not create, earn, or merit faith. These works flow from faith by the indwelling of the Spirit. We must therefore recognize that these works may not be equally applicable to every Christian. The Apostle Paul reminds the Church that, as the Body of Christ, its many members have various gifts (Romans 12:4—8; 1 Corinthians 12:4—27), and these gifts must be exercised according to each’s ability. Thus, above all, we must pray that the Spirit would enlighten us by faith to discern how we might grow in sanctification, confident that our salvation has already been won by Christ.

We are servants of Christ. We do not tremble when the devil tempts us. We leave the cowardice to him. We look to Christ as our strength, our comfort, our sure foundation. Let us pray that we remain steadfast in our faith. Let us sing boldly against the devil, call on the name of our heavenly Father as His dear children, and give to others as our Lord has so freely and graciously given to us.

To God alone be the glory, now and forever. Amen.

1. “Nicolaus Selnecker: A Scheme for Chief Hymns: A selection of Nicolaus Selnecker, one of the authors of the Formula of Concord, on the contemporary usage of chief hymns in Leipzig, AD 1587.” Translated by Matthew Carver, uploaded to Lutheran Orthodoxy: https://lutheranorthodoxy.blogspot.com/2012/02/nicolaus-selnecker-scheme-for-chief.html