The confirmation sermon with reference to Ephesians 6:10-17 and Luther’s „Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott“ (Our God is a Mighty Fortress), which Karl Steinbauer had prepared for the confirmation service on April 2, 1939 in Senden/Iller, may sound martial. But on the background that after his sermon on Matthew 2:13-23 on January 15, 1939, he had been attacked at night in his parsonage by SA people and imprisoned for two and a half months in the district court prison of Neu-Ulm, and that on the day of writing, March 28, 1939, he was in prison facing deportation to the concentration camp of Sachsenhausen, the sermon language acquires its own validity:
Confirmation sermon on Ephesians 6:10-20 (1939)
By Karl Steinbauer
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16 With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak. (Ephesians 6:10-20 NRSV)
In the Lord Christ beloved congregation!
My confirmation candidates beloved in the Lord Christ!
In these days, the mustering for the years 1906 and 1907 is carried out all over Germany. Everyone is examined thoroughly to see whether they are fit for military service. And those who are fit will then be selected for the branch of service for which they are particularly suited. In the fall and next spring, those who have been drafted are called up and trained. On this occasion, they are also sworn in, at which every soldier promises obedience and loyalty unto death. In the event of mobilization, they must then hurry to their weapons, to their barracks, and there they are equipped for field marching, with rifle, sidearm, belt, cartridges, and everything else that goes with it: boots, uniform, steel helmet, and so on.
Look, it is very similar with you. You’ve been going for muster for a long time: When you registered for confirmation classes. In confirmation classes you were drilled and today you are to take the oath of allegiance to your supreme warlord, to the Lord Christ. But this is the difference: You will no longer be dismissed, but you will be clothed, equipped with all the weapons of a Christian man and then you will immediately go to the front! And the war you go to lasts as long as you live. There is no leave, not for a day, indeed, not for a quarter of an hour. There is always a Christian under arms, always at the front! It is not so easy to do this military service. Moreover, the military age for the soldiers of Christ has no upper or lower limit – the youngest confirmand must stand his ground as well as an old man … and that at the front! Nor is there any difference between boy and girl, man and woman – all must always stand under arms by day and night and always at the front! Whoever does not stand at the front, but hides behind the front, is not a Christian.
Now we know well that such war service of a Christian is not easy at all. How many adults have found this service at the front too difficult and too much, and we have seen some of them turn deserter. Therefore, it is not easy for us to send you thirteen-year-old Christians to the front, to the war for Christ. But we have no choice: you want and should be Christians, and you can be a Christian only if you are at the front. Yes, but who is a Christian fit for war, and how can you become one?
The apostle gives the answer, „Last of all, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.“ – So we see that right away: there, it doesn’t matter that someone is 6 feet tall and has a chest circumference of 5’10“ and puffs up 12 inches: No, such strength does not apply here. When God holds his muster, an old weak woman can be a Christian fit for war, who fights faithfully in the front line, by praying and pleading and opening her mouth joyfully when it is time to put in a brave word for Christ – yes, there a boy or girl can be strong and a man as long as a tree, in whom the military doctor takes pleasure at the muster, can be found unfit by God. „For God takes no pleasure in the strength of a steed, nor in a man’s thighs; the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, who hope in his goodness.“ (Psalm 147:10ff)
We are fit for God when we do not rely on our might and power, but have our strength from God alone: „With our might nothing is done.“ We must know: Back when we were baptized, He adopted us as His children and heirs, gave His Spirit that we might fight our battle equipped with Him. This is how we want to keep ourselves as God’s children.
But first, let us ask ourselves: What is the whole situation of the war? – There are two armies and two commanders. On the one side stands the Lord Christ with his band of faithful. On the other side stands the devil with his army, the prince of this world and his satellites. We read this from verses 11 and 12: „Draw on the Harnish of God, that ye may be able to stand against the crafty attempts of the devil.“ Doctor Martin Luther also knew this: „The old evil enemy, with earnestness he now means it, great power and much cunning is his cruel armor.“ To this, then, is added the army of his satellites, verse 12: „For we have not to contend with flesh or blood, but with princes and mighty ones, namely, with the lords of the world, who rule in the darkness of this world, with the evil spirits under heaven.“ – He feels quite secure and well armed, therefore he gives no rest and goes out on conquering expeditions. We know that this battle is fought according to God’s will since the Fall and since God set enmity between the devil and the descendants of Eve when He said, „I will set enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. The same shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.“
And the theater of war for this battle? You know it well, the theater of war is first of all our heart, first of all the human breast. And there you should stand your ground and resist, so that sin does not storm the fortress of your heart, and if it does, that you throw it out again in a tough, close fight. Whoever fights bravely on this battlefield of the human breast against every sin, disobedience, lie, laziness, filth and all evil lusts, cowardice, weakness of faith, etc., only he is fit for the war of the Lord Christ, because it is actually not about a fight with people and against people, but about the fight against the one who wants to tear us away from God and our Lord Christ and his gospel.
For the Lord Christ is the other commander. If it is said of the devil: „Great power and much cunning is his cruel armor,“ it is said of him: „He came poor on earth, that he might have mercy on us. He wants to veil His power and majesty here. Nevertheless, it is also true: „All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. So it is also with the armor. You cannot see it with your eyes and you cannot grasp it with your hands, and yet the greatest and most important of all wars is fought with it, between heaven and hell, between Christ and Satan.
We have already said that the battle has always been raging since Adam’s time, but at some times it breaks out especially strongly, so that not only the individual human breast is a war show place, but the whole Christian church and community. It was like that in Luther’s time. Today it threatens to become more and more like that again.
The apostle also speaks of such special times, such sinister offensives and large-scale attacks of the devil here, when he speaks of the „evil days“ in verse 13. Then, as he says, it is necessary to resist and to do everything well and to keep the field. Just let your fathers or old soldiers at the front tell you how it was in the great war, in the great offensives of Verdun and the Somme and Flanders. For a long time there was nothing special, maybe even silence, but an eerie silence. All of a sudden it breaks loose. For days it hails from hundreds of guns a drum fire over the positions and trenches that no blade of grass is to be seen and everything is shot short and small. Many, many fall, others are wounded, others lose their nerve. Oh, it is not easy to withstand such a murderous offensive, they were „evil days“! But some have been there again and again, they have sat down in a shell funnel and when the enemy storm waves came, planted their machine gun and resisted and shot what they could, and kept the field. It is easier to bear if it lasts a day or at least only a few, but if it lasts for weeks, months, one, two, three, four years and even longer, then you have to endure: But he who endures to the end, says the Lord, will be saved.
Of course, the war we are talking about here is fought with other weapons. But also the devil offensives against the Lord and his church are „evil days“ and there are many losses. Great power and much cunning his cruel armor is. Also here from our verse 14 we can conclude it, it says: to gird ourselves with truth and to put on an armor of justice. From this we can see that the prince of the world and his accomplices work with untruth and lies and with injustice. Many fall victim to untruth and lies, many become victims of injustice. Does not the Lord himself say: Because unrighteousness will abound, love will grow cold in many.
Yes, how can anyone save himself? Does escape perhaps help, and fleeing to where Oh no! Escape does not help; no man can escape from this war. It is of no value to try to save one’s earthly possessions, for it is one’s soul and eternal life that are at stake. When the time of desolation comes, do not come down from the roof to fetch something from the house, and whoever is in the field, do not turn back to fetch his clothes. Oh, some think they can save themselves by somehow staying out of the fight, by ducking behind the front. It doesn’t work, dear ones! „Whoever wants to preserve his life, he will give it! says the Lord Himself. I want to ask you, for the sake of your souls‘ blessedness, to remain brave. Oh, I know it is often not easy. One or the other becomes weak, retreats – another follows. The Lord himself says that if time were not shortened, no man would be saved. But let us not commit the folly of departing from the standard of Jesus. Let us stand faithfully where the battle rages. All of you adults once stood at confirmation like these young Christians. Let each of you be reminded: „Remember that you have sworn to the banner of your fighter. Remember that you were chosen as a man to fight outside, that without fight and victory no one ever rose to triumph!“ – Ask yourself: „Where do I stand today? What is my oath of allegiance?!“ We have no third choice. Either you stand at the front for Christ! „Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I also confess …“ before men He says! – „But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my heavenly Father.“ –
Or else you side with the antichrist and work into his hands. „He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.“ I can only earnestly ask and admonish everyone: examine yourself. Where do you stand? – And whoever does not stand by the flag, at the front, is a deserter! A free confession is necessary in our time, an open confession in the face of all opposition, to praise in spite of all enemies, to praise in spite of all paganism and to praise the gospel.
Yes, but aren’t we creating unrest for ourselves, war? Yes, indeed! We Christians are a quarrelsome people. Our Lord says: „I have not come to make peace, but the sword … I have come to light a fire on the earth. What would I rather, for it was already burning!“ Our text echoes with the sound of weapons: armor, helmet, sword, shield, arrow, greaves … Yes, it is about war! And the army of Christ also stands armed to the teeth and is ready and ready to strike. Ready! – to drive the gospel of peace! Yes war – but for peace! The holy war of Christ began, and it is really the only one aimed at peace, the great final peace. We see this in the weapons: Truth is the body belt, justice is the armor. To untruth is the war! To all untruth, but first of all, to the one who denies that it is true: „I am the way, the truth and the life!“ As John the Apostle says: „Who is a liar, if not he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist who denies the Father and the Son,“ (1 John 2:22) What is unrighteousness but this, that one denies, „Christ’s blood and righteousness, this is my ornament and robe of honor …!“ Whoever says: We do not need reconciliation, do not need blood and cross, we make ourselves blessed by our deeds, is untrue and unrighteous. From this untruth and unrighteousness of the Antichrist comes all other unrighteousness and untruth – and we must fight against it! We hold up the shield of faith, and when it is full of the arrows of the evil one, and sometimes our arm wants to slacken, when we are overcome by our own sin and untruth, then we implore Him: I believe Lord, help my unbelief. We wear on our heads the helmet of salvation, which is firmer and protects better than the best steel helmet. Actually, it is called the helmet of world salvation! Yes, we are in battle, day and night for the salvation of our people and fatherland, for the salvation of the world, and no slander can take this away from us. We stand in the army of the world saviour! – His people may well have said to him: „It is better that one should die for the people than that the whole nation should perish …“ and like a traitor and agitator of the people he had to die a shameful death. He is, however, a savior of the world, and those who crucified him are still under severe judgment today. – Don’t we see it? Let’s be warned!
„And the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God!“ You sing it in every service of God since my imprisonment: „Lord, your word, the noble gift, keep this treasure for me, because I prefer it to all possessions and the greatest wealth. If Your word is no longer valid, on what shall faith rest. I am not concerned about a thousand worlds, but about Your word.“ – What good would it do if I gained the whole world and still suffered damage to my soul? – And if we fall over it and lay down our lives, have to bear shame, disgrace, contempt, persecution, my dear confirmands, my congregation dear in the Lord Christ: No greater happiness can befall us than that we stand at the front as faithful soldiers of our Savior. Hold out! Stand by your oath of allegiance! Do not become deserters! „Come hither the King’s array, who take hold of his standard, that joyfully we may sound his praise in urge and need. He has entrusted us with the treasure of his truth. For him we step into the square, and when the heart is gray, to the king look up!“
As I write these lines, I am sitting in my cell in prison. – You who later go to the table of the Lord and strengthen yourselves for the battle that is decreed for you, and you are incorporated into the fellowship of the body and blood of Christ, into the fellowship of the King of all kings – that is how I was able to strengthen myself yesterday with my wife in the Holy Supper. In one hour, I will leave the prison here and will be taken to the concentration camp in Sachsenhausen. I thank you all, especially you dear confirmands, for your faithfulness, which you have testified to me again, and I know: It was not meant for my person, but for our faithful Savior, who was faithful for us even unto death …
I thank all in the congregation who have stood for the cause of Christ, and have also sustained me and strengthened me with their intercession, and I continue to ask you for faithful intercession in the words of the apostle with verses 18-20 of our chapter: „Pray always in all intentions with supplications and supplications in the Spirit …“
We come from Easter knowing that we have a risen Lord, whom praise and exalt, and in this be confident and joyful. Sing together the Easter song that mocks sin and death: „Praise be to God in the highest throne…!“ Praise Him to whom all authority has been given in heaven and on earth. To Him I commend all of you, my confirmands beloved in the Lord Christ and the whole congregation. Be joyful in hope, patient in tribulation, keep up in prayer! The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you his peace!
Your pastor, confident and joyful in the Lord Christ
Karl Steinbauer.
Drawn up on March 28, 1939 in the prison of the Neu-Ulm District Court and intended for reading out at the confirmation service on Palm Sunday, April 2, 1939 in the Church of the Resurrection in Senden/Iller.
Source: „Ich glaube, darum rede ich!“ Karl Steinbauer: Texte und Predigten im Widerstand, ed. by Johannes Rehm, Tübingen: Theologischer Verlag Tübingen,2 2001, pp. 239-248.
NAMENSgedächtnis 