Daily Devotions
Sunday, October 12, 2025
“Rise! To arms! With prayer employ you, O Christians, lest the foe destroy you; For Satan has designed your fall. Wield God’s Word, the weapon glorious; Against all foes be thus victorious, For God protects you from them all. Fear not the hordes of hell, Here is Emmanuel. Hail the Savior! The strong foes yield To Christ, our shield, And we, the victors, hold the field.”
We are accustomed to hearing news about political strife. We know of wars and rumors of war, as our Lord foretold. Perhaps because of these troubled times, those who follow Jesus may be reluctant to dwell on the theme of Christian warfare. There is already more than enough talk about fighting! Yet the inspired Scriptures do not shy away from such military images. We who follow Jesus are at war. It is a struggle that began in Eden, a fight that will give us no rest until we finally live in the peace of our Lord’s eternal presence. Our hymn calls to us: “Rise! To arms!”
The church, that is, all who trust in Christ Jesus for salvation, is sometimes described in two ways. The Church Triumphant refers to the saints who have fallen asleep in Jesus. Their earthly struggles have ceased, and they rejoice in the glory of Jesus’ presence. We who still follow Jesus through the trials of this earthly life are the Church Militant. We are the fighting church. That does not mean that we are to quarrel among ourselves. As the fighting church, we are engaged in continual warfare against sin and Satan. As the apostle Paul warns, we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but “against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12b).
Cosmic powers? Spiritual forces of evil? We are just ordinary, flesh and blood people! What can we do against such enemies? On our own we would fail, but we are not alone. Our hymn declares, “Fear not the hordes of hell, here is Emmanuel. Hail the Savior!” Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. He died on the cross to “destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14b). Satan has lost and he knows it, so he fights desperately to destroy the Word and works of God. Satan is a fallen, but still dangerous, enemy. Our Lord Emmanuel arms us for the fight. Our hymn recommends, “With prayer employ you,” that is, pray for the Lord’s help. We “wield God’s Word, the weapon glorious,” resisting temptation with the Word and proclaiming the Gospel of salvation. Our crucified and risen Savior has won the victory. His victory is ours, yet the struggle continues until we join the Church Triumphant in Jesus’ presence. Until then, we will not back down. Through faith in Jesus, “we, the victors, hold the field.”
WE PRAY: Lord Jesus, help me to stand firm against every temptation of the devil. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, “Rise! To Arms! With Prayer Employ You,” which is number 668 in the Lutheran Service Book.
Reflection Questions:
- Do you know people who have gone to war? What experiences have they shared?
- How has Jesus gone to war for us? Who was He battling?
- What has God given us to stand firm in victory against the devil, the world, and our flesh?
Today's Readings:
Micah 4-5Acts 21:18-40