”When I feel discouraged and my faith seems weak, I sometimes read Theodore Tappert’s Luther: Letters of Spiritual Counsel. Here we see how Luther often encourages struggling Christians to shout commands at the devil. He writes to a woman named Margaret who, after committing a sin, is being tormented by the thought that she belongs to the devil. To strengthen her faith, Luther writes:
“He is a liar [and the father of lies]. Certainly it was not Christ who put into your mind the notion that you belong to the devil, for Christ dies in order that those who belong to the devil may be released from his power. Therefore, do this: Spit on the devil and say: “Have I sinned? Well, I have sinned, and I am sorry. [But I shall not despair, for] Christ has taken away the sins of the whole world, of all who confess their sins. So it is certain that this sin of mine has also been taken away. Begone, devil, for I am absolved. This I am bound to believe. And if I had committed murder or adultery, or had even crucified Christ himself, this too would be forgiven if I repented and acknowledged the sin, as Christ said on the cross, ‘Father, forgive them.’”
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