Luther's Stand at the Diet of Worms

In April 1521, Martin Luther stood before Emperor Charles V in the great hall at Worms, Germany. Stacked on a table beside him lay his own writings — books and pamphlets that had shaken the foundations of medieval Christendom. The imperial prosecutor pointed at the pile and demanded a simple answer: Would Luther recant?

The room pressed in on him — princes, bishops, ambassadors, the emperor himself, all waiting. Luther asked for one night to consider. He spent that evening on his knees, wrestling in prayer, pouring out his fear and weakness before the Almighty. By morning, something had settled in his bones.

He returned to the hall and spoke words that still echo across five centuries: "My conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me."

Luther did not resist through his own courage. He submitted first — knelt, prayed, surrendered his will to God on that long night. Only then could he stand firm against every force arrayed against him. The emperor had armies. The church had centuries of authority. But a monk who had first bent his knee before the Lord found he could not be moved.

James 4:7 gives us the order that Luther discovered: submit to God first, then resist. Surrender precedes strength. The one who kneels before the Most High finds the power to stand before anything else.