I’m about to fly out to Klaipeda, Lithuania, where I will be the keynote speaker at two conferences on spiritual warfare. Ever since I have been a pastor, I have run into this topic regularly. To state it in its most basic form, in many different ways Satan tries to push back against Christ growing His Kingdom around the world through Word and Sacrament. You may ask: how can Satan still be so busy even though Jesus Christ soundly defeated him? Think of it this way: Your favorite football team has defeated the opponent 1000 to 0. That is Jesus clearly defeating Satan on the cross and in the empty tomb. But then the referee says that the game will still continue for another 15 minutes. How do you think the opponent will react? They will fight their hardest to score at least one touchdown— their consolation prize if you will. That is like the period in which we are now—the period between Jesus’ Ascension and His return at the Last Day. The outcome is clear. Jesus won. And yet, this illustration may serve to demonstrate that even though Satan failed to defeat Christ, he still wants to attack the next best thing… the “little Christs”, that is, you and me. Our best protection against Satan is to be baptized, to stay away from his environment, and to remain connected to Christ by receiving the Lord’s Supper every week and reading our Bible frequently—every day would be best. “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil,” Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:11. That is how Jesus protects us, whether we are from the United States, Germany, Iran, Afghanistan, or wherever we might come from. Praise God for that! And thank you all for keeping the Tiews going out here on the mission field, and praise God for the many ways in which He is blessing His work that we are so privileged to do!
Blessings and much love,
Pastor Tiews and Lula
The Tiews in Germany 