and to believe in Him is no achievement of man, but the gift of God. God
alone can create and preserve faith in us. God creates faith in us through
the Word. He increases, strengthens and confirms faith in us through His
word. Hence the best service that anybody can render God is diligently to
hear and read God's Word. On the other hand, nothing is more perilous than
to be weary of the Word of God. Thinking he knows enough, a person begins
little by little to despise the Word until he has lost Christ and the Gospel
altogether.

Let every believer carefully learn the Gospel. Let him continue in humble
prayer. We are molested not by puny foes, but by mighty ones, foes who
never grow tired of warring against us. These, our enemies, are many: Our
own flesh, the world, the Law, sin, death, the wrath and judgment of God,
and the devil himself.

The arguments which the false apostles advanced impress people to this
day. "Who are you to dissent from the fathers and the entire Church, and to
bring a contradictory doctrine? Are you wiser than so many holy men,
wiser than the whole Church?" When Satan, abetted by our own reason,
advances these arguments against us, we lose heart, unless we keep on
saying to ourselves: "I don't care if Cyprian, Ambrose, Augustine, Peter,
Paul, John, or an angel from heaven, teaches so and so. I know that I teach
the truth of God in Christ Jesus."

When I first took over the defense of the Gospel, I remembered what
Doctor Staupitz said to me. "I like it well," he said, "that the doctrine
which you proclaim gives glory to God alone and none to man. For never can
too much glory, goodness, and mercy be ascribed unto God." These words of
the worthy Doctor comforted and confirmed me. The Gospel is true because
it deprives men of all glory, wisdom, and righteousness and turns over all