5 minute read
Sing a Hymn at Satan
By Rev. Joshua Ulm
Our Lutheran hymnals are full of beautiful chorales and rich, faithful hymns. Flipping through your hymnal will give you a glance at over a thousand years of the Church’s song, with hymns going back to the early days of the Church. You will find incredible anthems addressed to God the Father such as “O God, O Lord of Heaven and Earth.” You will find hymns in praise of the work of God the Son such as “At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing.” You will find hymns invoking the Holy Spirit such as “Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest.” We expect to find hymns to the Holy Trinity in a Lutheran hymnal, but if you look closely, you will find several hymn stanzas addressed to…the devil himself. Don’t believe me? Keep reading.
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Before we look at the times in our hymnal where we sing to or at the devil, let’s first take a crash course in what the Bible tells us about him. The devil, or Satan, is a popular Halloween costume. Even unbelievers are familiar with the red-skinned, pointy-eared devil who has a cheesy goatee and carries a pitchfork. Unsurprisingly, the world’s narrative about the devil fails to capture we read in Scripture. Scripture presents the devil as the accuser of humanity and specifically the accuser of Christians. In the book of Job, Satan stands before God and calls Job’s faithfulness into question. In Revelation, he is presented as the one who “accuses [our brothers] day and night before our God.” We also see Satan presented as the tempter. He tempted Jesus in the wilderness, confronting Him with the accusation “If you are the Son of God…” The devil operates in lies and deceptions. He twists the Word of God.
Scripture also gives us an explanation of the intended result of the devil’s schemes. He seeks to kill and destroy, specifically to destroy the faithful. St. Peter tells us, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” In this picture Satan is a hungry lion and you are the food. He would like nothing more than to devour you, a child of God, tearing you limb from limb. He isn’t concerned about your body the way a lion might be. He wants to devour your soul and tear you from Christ. In his epistle to the Ephesians, St. Paul gives an equally deadly picture of our enemy the devil. As he bids his readers to “Put on the full armor of God,” he reminds them that they need this armor because of the “devil’s schemes” and “the flaming darts of the evil one.” His flaming arrows are lethal. His schemes end in destruction. His goal is to kill your faith.
This is scary stuff. Satan is depicted as a serpent and a dragon. He is dangerous. He is powerful. But this is only part of the witness of Scripture about the devil. Scripture also tells us about Satan’s defeat. From the moment the promise of a Savior left the mouth of God in Genesis 3:15, Satan’s fate was sealed. His head would be crushed. He would not be allowed to rule over God’s creation forever. Jesus, the fulfilment of that ancient promise, became flesh and dwelt among us. And as He lived on earth He demolished the kingdom of the devil everywhere He went. When He was tempted by Satan, He slew the father of lies with the Word of God. When He encountered demons, He banished them from His presence. When the kingdom of God is around, brought to reality in the person and work of Jesus, the kingdom of the devil stands no chance. Even when He died on the cross, Jesus turned the devil’s scheme against him, as the tree of the Cross became a life-giving tree for you and for me. Rising from dead, Jesus proclaimed everlasting victory over our enemy the devil. Revelation 12 shows a picture of a pathetic, weak, impotent devil. He has been thrown out of heaven, and now all he can do is harass the faithful out of spite. His punishment is awaiting him. His time is short.
As the devil spews his lies, trying to tempt you, accuse you, and cause you to doubt, you have the good news that Jesus has defeated him. The devil is not to be toyed with, but he also is not to be feared ultimately. His lies have been put to shame by the truth of God’s Word, preached to you. His accusation has been silenced by the Absolution, the forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus. His flaming arrows have been extinguished by the baptismal water that ties you to Christ. You are to be sober-minded. You are to resist the devil at every turn. You are to be on guard against his evil schemes. But above all you are to trust in Christ, who has conquered your enemy the devil by His life, death, and resurrection.
Our Lutheran hymnals do a masterful job of presenting both sides of the Scriptural narrative about Satan. Hymns like “I Walk in Danger All the Way” and “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” remind us that he a powerful enemy who is not to be toyed with. Other hymns remind us of the victory that Christ has won over Satan. Perhaps the most powerful of these are the hymns which contain verses addressed to Satan. On Sunday mornings, all over the world, Christians sing hymns to the devil, reminding him that Christ has defeated him, sinners though we may be. While we are weak and powerless alone, our song flows from the triumph given by Christ. In Him we have victory over sin, death, and the devil.
As we close, let’s look at two hymns that address the devil, right to his face! This hymn is often a favorite of children as they learn about and remember their Baptisms.
Picture it! A five-year-old child singing a hymn at the devil. Against him! On her own, a child stands no chance against the evil one but joined to Christ in Baptism she can sing defiantly that the devil has no power over her. God has united with her in Baptism! Satan has no answer for the crucified and risen Jesus.
Again, we see confidence in this hymn. The victory of Christ over the devil inspires you to sing boldly, reminding even the powerful serpent that he and his demons cannot harm you. You have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. You are a part of God’s chosen people. You are safe in the ark of His Church. God’s great power, exemplified in the death and resurrection of Jesus, guards you every hour.
So sing a hymn at Satan today! Remind him that he has been crushed by Jesus. Remind him that he has been defeated. Remind him that you are a baptized child of God and are clothed in Christ’s righteousness which covers all your sins. Sing boldly, knowing that Christ the valiant One has stood in your place, fought the battle on your behalf, and holds the field forever.
Rev. Joshua Ulm is pastor of Ascension Lutheran Church in North Olmsted, Ohio. He and his wife Mary have three children: Hannah, Joseph, and Bethany. They enjoy Cleveland Sports, board games, and all things Star Wars.
