The Fearless Heart of Martin Luther

One thing I have long admired about Martin Luther was his fearlessness. He knew that he served an almighty God and had nothing to fear from men.

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

King David, Psalm 27:1

When men challenged him, he met their challenge head on. He knew that he knew the Truth. But Luther was such a firey man, and so emboldened by the Lord, that he even goaded his opponents and urged them to "bring it on."

You would scarcely believe how pleased I am that enemies rise up against me more than ever. For I am never prouder or bolder than when I dare to displease them.

Luther was also fearless because he understood that he had been given a purpose by God. He had seen the providence of God in his life, and how He had prepared him "for such a time as this." Not only did he understand the past, but he could envision the future and was strengthened by the fact that how he lived his life and fought his battles would prepare the way for generations to come. If men and young men today could capture such a powerful vision, they too could march ahead with equal courage.

I was born to fight with mobs and devils, and so my books are very stormy and warlike. I must remove trees and stumps, cut away thorns and thickets, and fill up quagmires. I am the rough woodsman who must blaze the way and clear the path.

Like the prophet Jeremiah, he was man with "fire shut up in his bones," and when that fire came out his mouth, his passion was a force to be reckoned with.

That I am vehement is not to be wondered at. If you were what I am, you too would be vehement.

Luther was indeed a man of great courage. But it is important for us to recognize as he did that his courage was not of himself. Such boldness comes from a heart that is wholly devoted to God. And it was this strength from God that allowed him to say those thunderous words that he spoke before the church council that was trying to silence him, to make him "confess" that everything he had ever written was a lie; words that should encourage the heart of every man of God who read them today.

Here I stand; I can do no other.