214 The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan
[ 209 ] leagued against them, the Lord did not forsake His people. Could their eyes have been opened, they would have seen as marked evidence of divine presence and aid as was granted to a prophet of old. When Elisha ' s servant pointed his master to the hostile army surrounding them, and cutting off all opportunity for escape, the prophet prayed,“ Lord, I pray Thee, open his eyes, that he may see.” 307 And, lo, the mountain was filled with chariots and horses of fire, the army of heaven stationed to protect the man of God. Thus did angels guard the workers in the cause of the Reformation.
One of the principles most firmly maintained by Luther was that there should be no resort to secular power in support of the Reformation, and no appeal to arms for its defense. He rejoiced that the gospel was confessed by princes of the empire; but when they proposed to unite in a defensive league, he declared that“ the doctrine of the gospel should be defended by God alone.... The less man meddled in the work, the more striking would be God ' s intervention in its behalf. All the politic precautions suggested were, in his view, attributable to unworthy fear and sinful mistrust.” 308
When powerful foes were uniting to overthrow the reformed faith, and thousands of swords seemed about to be unsheathed against it, Luther wrote:“ Satan is putting forth his fury; ungodly pontiffs are conspiring; and we are threatened with war. Exhort the people to contend valiantly before the throne of the Lord, by faith and prayer, so that our enemies, vanquished by the Spirit of God, may be constrained to peace. Our chief want, our chief labor, is prayer; let the people know that they are now exposed to the edge of the sword and to the rage of Satan, and let them pray.” 309 Again, at a later date, referring to the league contemplated
307 2 Kings 6:17. 308 D ' Aubigné, b. 10, ch. 14( London ed.). 309 D ' Aubigné, b. 10, ch. 14.