Anfechtungen is the word Martin Luther used to describe the overwhelming times of spiritual trial, terror, despair, and crisis that one experiences against faith in the promise of God. It carries with it more than a passive trial but an actual attack by God and/or Satan on the person. It shakes us at our very foundations and nothing comforts. Afechtungen is a trial, temptation, attack and suffering from God and/or the devil that puts us in the position of dereliction. It is the terrifying experience that God is judging and condemning the sinner at the moment and has in fact abandoned us. Anfechtung is best capture when on the cross Christ, the Son of God cries out, “My God, My God why have you forsaken Me”, while those crucifying Him are screaming out for His crucifixion, and nothing in all creation nor God Himself aids Him. We are alone in death.

This Sacrament is the Gospel

Anfechtungen is one of those non-English words, German in this case, that contains so much experiential psychological and spiritual reality built into its origins that it has no direct English translation.  It’s similar to translating our English word “sting” into something like Japanese and it comes out in that language as “poison fang”. It’s not simply different, but hard to capture all the colors and connotations.

Anfechtungen is the word Martin Luther used to describe the overwhelming times of spiritual trial, terror, despair, and crisis that one experiences against faith in the promise of God.  It carries with it more than a passive trial but an actual attack by God and/or Satan on the person.  It shakes us at our very foundations and nothing comforts.  Afechtungen is a trial, temptation, attack and suffering from God and/or the devil that puts us in the position of dereliction.  It is the terrifying…

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