Daily Lectionary: Job 1:1-22; John 1:1-18
I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer. (Psalm 18:1-2a from the Introit for Septuagesima)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. A good, sturdy snow fort is a necessity in a neighborhood snowball fight. As long as you have a place to retreat to for protection, you are safe. The problem is that it's awfully hard to make a good, sturdy snow fort. Big brothers and big sisters can find weaknesses and expose them, and soon, your fort is demolished and you are running for real cover. Where do you run? You run to a fortress; you run to your house. You are only safe once you are inside under the protection of mom and dad.
Our problem is that we often think we can build our own fortresses for protection. We trust in our own wisdom. St. Paul writes in Ephesians that we are constantly under attack — not from big brothers with snowballs, but from the devil and his "flaming darts." He writes: "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).
Satan is smart — not in a wisdom of God sort of way, but in a way that he knows where to attack you. He's worse than the big sister that knows the weakness in your fort. He knows the weakness of your flesh and the weakness of the world. St. Peter tells us that Satan prowls around like a lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). So, what can you do? You can take refuge in God. He is your fortress. He covers you in the whole armor of God: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6).
Left by yourself, you are an easy target. In Christ, your fortress, you are not. In Christ, your sins are paid for. The blood of Christ covers you. We pray with the psalmist, "I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer." In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
A mighty fortress is our God, A trusty shield and weapon; He helps us free from every need That hath us now o'ertaken. 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. (LSB 656:1)