Martin Luther's Encounter With Satan

Satan uses many wiles to distract and deceive the children of God. Here is a description of how he tried to stop Martin Luther from reforming the church, along with Luther's stunning response.

Martin Luther's Encounter with Satan

In the conversations of Luther, which are in some measure a posthumous
publication, we read, that . . . Satan, either in reality or
in a dream, appeared in the depth of the night, and addressed him in
the following terms: "Luther, how dare you to pretend to be a reformer
of the Church? Luther, let your memory do its duty - let your
conscience do its duty: you have committed this sin - you have been
guilty of that sin; you have omitted this duty, and you have neglected
that duty: let your reform begin in your own bosom. How dare you
attempt to be a reformer of the Church?

Luther, with the self-possession and magnanimity by which he was
characterized, (whether it was a dream or reality, he himself
professes not to decide,) said to Satan - "Take up the slate that lies
on the table, and write down all the sins with which you have now
charged me; and if there be any additional, append them, too." Satan,
rejoiced to have the opportunity of accusing, just as our blessed Lord
is rejoiced to have the opportunity of advocating, took up a pencil,
and wrote a long and painful roll of the real or imputed sins of
Luther.

Luther said, "Have you written the whole?" Satan answered, "Yes, and a
black and dark catalogue it is, and sufficient to deter you from
making any attempt to reform others, till you have first purified and
reformed yourself." Luther said, "Take up the slate and write as I
shall dictate to you. My sins are many; my transgressions in the sight
of an infinitely holy God, are countless as the hairs of my head: in
me there dwelleth no good thing; but, Satan, after the last sin you
have recorded, write the announcement which I shall repeat from 1 John
1:7,"The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." Luther in
that text had peace; and Satan, knowing the source of his peace, had
no more advantage against him.


by Rev. John Cumming, 1854

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ
his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:7 KJV)


"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he
will flee from you." (James 4:7 KJV)

http://www.loveallpeople.org/pearl-luther.html


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