Shepherd of the Springs
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod

The Feast of St. Michael and All Angels

"Christian Warefare"

From the Epistle: Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short![Revelation 12.12]

From the Holy Gospel: "Whoever humbles himself like this child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." [Matthew 18.4]

Once again, the Church calendar brings us to the turning point in the long Trinity season, with the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels. The Feast day falls on the 29^th of September. And so, normally, on the Sunday after St. Michael & All Angels, the church calendar jumps the 19^th Sunday after Trinity, no matter what the count has been of the Sundays after Trinity for that given year. But not this year. This year there is no "jump." In fact, we need to take the 19^th Sunday after Trinity and use it for the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels. The reason for this unusual practice can be found if you let your mind drift back to January of this year, and to the "Season of Epiphany," which was so short that on the Sunday after the Epiphany we were celebrating the last Sunday of Epiphany with the Transfiguration of our Lord.

So, when we get to this point in the long Trinity Season, we’re just plain out of Sundays to do this the way it normally occurs. But, not to worry! You won’t find another Epiphany season that short until mid-way through the 22^nd Century, if Christ tarries that long in His return. So, you probably won’t see it!

Beginning next week we have the Sundays after Michaelmas, where the theme of the lessons turns to the "end times" for this present world and for the struggle against Satan that every Christian faces daily. That daily battle is called to your attention today, with the appointed readings, that bring you to ponder the meaning of the phrase, "Christian Warfare."

I.

Christian warfare is a popular topic among some Christian groups these days. Usually, though, the emphasis that is attached to the term "Christian warfare" has to do with the idea that Christians are called to go out into society to have a show-down at the Old Corral with the devil, a show-down in which by prayer and commitment Christians drive him out of town. That is NOT what the Scriptures are calling you to do in the matter of Christian warfare. Battle with the devil – yes, indeed! That we are called to do! But prayer-warriors getting a town rid of the devil and his brew – that is not what you are called to do.

In the Epistle of the Day, you heard how Satan and his angelic followers, roughly one-third of the heavenly host, bring about war in heaven. "And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." That is Christian warfare! And Michael, one of the archangels, prevails in this warfare.

How could this be? War in the realms of perfection and bless? The prophet Isaiah gives you insight. He speaks of the devil as "Day Star," "Son of the Day," translating the Hebrew word "Helel," which in English is rendered as "Morning Star." In Latin, Helel is translated "Lucifer," bearer of Light. Lucifer is a high-ranking leader in orders of the angels. Of him, Isaiah says, "How you have fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of the Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, "I will ascend in heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high. I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High!"

The fall of the Devil, Satan, Lucifer, the self-proclaimed Day Star, the Bearer of Light comes about because he desired to be equal with God. He fell by the same temptation that he then used to bring down Adam and Eve and us all: He desired to "be like God, to be equal to God, knowing good and evil." This desire propels Lucifer to open rebellion, warfare in heaven, as the Epistle of the Day states: "Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world – he was thrown down to earth and his angels were thrown down with him.

Now, in heaven, peace and godly order is regained. But on earth, things are different because of this rebellion. As St. John puts it: "Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short." Now, warfare that begins in heaven now begins on earth.

II.

What is this Christian warfare? It is not some sort of outside activity, where Christians go to work on their knees in prayer to drive out prostitution, or corruption, or "to win our city for God!" No! Christian warfare is warfare within the fallen human heart. Your heart and mind is the place where your Christian warfare occurs. It is warfare over your soul, and you are powerless to win this war, neither in your own strength, nor in some "help" that others, even God can supply you!

That’s right! "Help" is not what you need in daily life. Help will do you no good. Hence, we should banish in our prayers – both in the heart and on the lips and among the gathered faithful – the word "help!" Help is never enough for the Christian in this world, for as St. Peter puts it, "Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." You don’t need help against a lion – you need rescue! You need to be pulled from his menacing reach! You need another to jump into the gap between you and the devil, to fight for you! You need Christ! The one who comes to earth as the new Morning Star to defeat for you the old and vanquished Morning Star.

Christian warfare is a day-by-day and moment-by-moment experience in the Christian life. It is not fought on the streets or behind police barricades. It is fought in the heart and mind and soul of the Christian. It is a warfare that does not end when God causes you to become a believer and his child – it does not end there, it begins there, for the wrath of the devil is aimed squarely at Christians. Why? Because he falls into sin, and he is lost forever. But you fall into sin, and you God makes into a Christian and you are saved forever. That’s why the devil makes war against Christ and all his brothers and sisters. And that’s why you need, not help as you fight the devil, but a substitute who fights the devil for you.

So, what are you to do, in this warfare? You are, by Christ’s tender call in the Holy Gospel, to "become like children," for He says, "unless you turn and become like children you will never enter the kingdom of God. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." You are like that child on whose shoulder Jesus places His hand in this text. How? By Holy Baptism. Christian warfare is a daily return to your baptism, to find there God’s forgiveness, and Gods faithfulness to you, as Christ fights for you. That’s your Christian warfare.