Comfort When Facing Grave Temptations
The following is one of Luther’s devotional pieces on how to confront temptations, all the doubts, turmoil, tremor, pains, despair, desolation, and desperation which at times invade the spirit of the Christian. It was preached by Luther several times throughout his life, this version being recorded by his student Caspar Cruciger. (Via Luther’s Works Vol. 42, pp. 183-186 [WA 7.784-791].)
John St. John Long, "The Temptation in the Wilderness" (1824)
First, such a person must by no means rely on himself, nor must he be guided by his own feelings. Rather, he must lay hold of the words offered to him in God’s name, cling to them, place his trust in them, and direct all the thoughts and feelings of his heart to them.
Second, he must not imagine that he is the only one assailed about his salvation, but he must be aware (as St. Peter declares) tht there are many more people in the world passing through the same trials [I Pet. 5:9]. How often does David lament and cry our in the Psalms, “O God, I am driven far from thy sight” [31:22], and “I became like those who go into hell” ]28:1]. These trials are not rare among the godly. They hurt, to be sure, but that is also in order, etc.
Third, he should by no means insist on deliverance from these trials without yielding to the divine will. He should address God cheerfully and firmly and say, “If I am to drink this cup, dear Father, may your will, not mine, be done” [Luke 22:42].
Fourth, there is no stronger medicine for this than to begin with words such as David used when he said in Psalm 18[:3], “I will call upon the Lord and praise him, and so shall I be saved from all that assails me.” For the evil spirit of gloom cannot be driven away by sadness and lamentation and anxiety, but by praising God, which makes the heart glad.
Fifth, he must thank God diligently for deeming him worthy of such a visitation of which many thousands of people remain deprived. It would be neither good nor useful for man to know what great blessings lie hidden under such trials. Some have wanted to fathom this and have thereby done themselves much harm. Therefore, we should willingly endure the hand of God in this life and in all suffering. Do not be worried; indeed, such a trial is the very best sign of God’s grace and love for man (cf. Ps 94:12; Heb. 12:6; Rev. 3:19). At such a time it is well to pray, read, or sing Psalm 142, which is especially halpful at this point.
Psalm 142)
I cry to the Lord with my voice,
with my voice I make supplication to the Lord.
I pour out my complaint before him,
I lay my trouble before him,
When my spirit is filled with fear,
thou comest to my aid.
(That is, thou has concern about what happens to me and what should happen to me).
In the path where I walk
they have placed a snare for me.
(The devil does that by means of evil thoughts which fill man with uncertainty as to his fate and hinder him in his being and doing. However, we must commit this to God, who knows well what our course will be.)
I look to the right and watch,
there is no one who wants to know me.
(That is, the soul imagines that it does not belong in the company of the blessed. Here where the blessed are, no one knows the soul. Now it would flee in an attempt to rid itself of this grief, but, as seen in the following, this is impossible.)
I cannot escape.
(That is, there can be neither escape nor light, and I must remain here in my fear.)
And no man is concerned about my soul.
(That is what the soul thinks, and that is also what it feels, but for all of that, the soul mus not yield and give way to such thoughts and feelings.)
I cry to thee, dear Lord
(since nothing else wants to comfort or is able to help)
and I say, “Thou are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.
(That is, everything tells me that I must die and perish. But I fight against that and say, “No, I want to live, for this I look to thee in faith.”)
Give heed to my lament,
for I am being greatly tormented.
Save me from my persecutors,
for they are too powerful for me.
(That is, not only do people assail me, but the devil also is a clever accuser and deft jurist against my sins, and I, poor fellow that I am, cannot quote Scripture sufficiently against him. He wants to turn your mercy into nothing and my sins into mountains.”)
Lead my soul out of prison.
(That is, out of the distress and terror which hold me captive.)
that I may give thanks to thy name.
The righteous will gather around me
(to offer thanks with me and for me as a lost sheep [Luke 15:6])
For thou dealest bountifully with me.
(That is, rendereth me comfort in my need and help against evil.)
Amen
Sixth, it is necessary that one never doubt the promise of the truthful and faithful God. He promised to hear us, yes, he commanded us to pray, for the very reason that we might know and firmly believe that our petition will be heard. Thus Christ says in Matthew 21[:22] and in Mark 11 [:24], “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you shall receive it, and you surely will.” Also in Luke 11 [:9-13], “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. What son is there among you, who would ask his father for bread, and he would offer him a stone instead? etc. If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
Such a person must also know Christ aright and know that only by him alone are all our sins paid and God’s grace given to us, lest he presume to deal directly with God and without this mediator.
But if the inner assaults should become more severe after this medicine, he should do nothing else but abide by the above advice. For this grave temptation is a good omen that this will soon end and that the devil is very nearly vanquished. He is merely making his strongest attempt now. Pharaoh, too, never persecuted the children of Israel as severely as he did toward then end (Ex. 1:8-14). One can also see this in a physical illness. Just before the medicine begins to help and heal the person, it makes him extremely sick. Therefore this person should be hopeful and of good cheer.
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