# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1899_S19
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Ninth Delegate Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, 1899. 19

will be able to remain neutral. No — let us rather prepare ourselves
for war against Jesus, his word, his disciples, and so also against
us. And let us arm ourselves not merely for defense, but also for
attack — yes, for attack. For, after all, every truly spiritual war of
aggression is really aimed only at defending our Lord, his word, and
his disciples.

But now, my dear brothers, let us also take care that we fight
rightly. A few final words on that. A struggle pleasing to God
requires, of course, first of all that we fight for the right cause,
namely for God's holy word in Scripture. But this fighting must also
proceed from the right motive, with the right intent. It is bad when
someone contends for something that is not the truth, but that he
nevertheless holds to be the truth. It is worse when he himself does
not hold what he is fighting for to be true, yet defends it anyway.
But worst of all is when it really is the heavenly truth that he once
recognized, for which he enters the fight, yet he no longer defends it
because he still lives by it, but for entirely different reasons. Let
us, then, examine ourselves carefully as to what drives us in the
fight. No one can serve two masters. If we were to enter this
struggle without examining ourselves, it might well be said to us,
"What right have you to declare my statutes, or take my covenant in
your mouth, seeing you hate instruction and cast my words behind
you?" Then, too, a struggle pleasing to God also requires that we
fight with the right weapons. Even in worldly wars, not every weapon
is permitted. There are some that are almost universally held to be
"forbidden." In spiritual warfare, many weapons are forbidden among
the children of God, because they are forbidden with their Lord.
Indeed, properly speaking, in the fight for the faith once delivered
to the saints there is only one weapon. And, most remarkable of all:
the treasure for which we fight, and the weapon with which we defend
it, are one and the same. We are to defend the word of God with the
word of God, through the word of God. And this is not a
contradiction. For the word that offers us grace, life, and salvation
also has the power to work the faith that recognizes and grasps the
word and all its blessings — and then, in turn, immediately defends
them against the world and the devil.

Well then, my brothers, let us all suffer as good soldiers of Jesus
Christ [2 Tim. 2:3]. Whoever cannot be a champion in the front line,
let him be a fellow soldier. Whoever cannot go out into the field, let
him strengthen the hands of the fighters through intercession in the
quiet chamber. For even out of the mouths of infants our Lord
prepares strength against his enemies. Whoever stands under the
banner of the Prince of Victory, even if he seems to the world to be
defeated, is always a victor and remains a victor — like Stephen and
all the holy