Martin Luther — "I have often tried to be angry with the devil, but I cannot; he is such a merry …"
I have often tried to be angry with the devil, but I cannot; he is such a merry knave.
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About Martin Luther (1483-1546)
German theologian whose 95 Theses (1517) launched the Protestant Reformation and broke the Catholic Church's monopoly on Western Christianity. Closely associated with Philipp Melanchthon (Lutheran systematizer) and John Calvin (later Reformer who built on Luther's break). For an intellectual contrast, see Pope Leo X, Renaissance pope (1513-1521) — Leo X's indulgence sales triggered Luther's break and Leo excommunicated him in 1521 — Luther's entire Reformation is structured as a direct answer to the indulgence-funded Vatican Leo represented.
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Understanding this quote
What it means
Luther admits that when he tries to summon outrage toward the devil, he fails because the devil is too playful and clever a rogue to hate outright. It's a wry confession that evil often wears a charming, witty face rather than a snarling one, and that pure anger is hard to sustain against something so lively. Humor, he implies, disarms us even when we should be on guard.
Relevance to Martin Luther
Luther wrestled openly with the devil his whole life, claiming personal encounters in his Wartburg cell and writing frequently about Satan as a real adversary. Yet he was famously blunt, earthy, and fond of coarse jokes at the devil's expense, believing mockery was a spiritual weapon. This line captures his signature blend of deadly serious theology and barroom wit, treating cosmic enemies with the same gruff humor he used on papal bulls and dinner guests.
The era
In early 16th-century Germany, belief in a literal, prowling devil was universal, and woodcuts, sermons, and folk tales pictured him constantly tempting souls. Luther's Reformation (1517 onward) was fought amid plague, peasant revolts, and intense anxiety about damnation, yet he championed plain German speech, tavern songs, and laughter as weapons against despair. Joking about Satan was both pastoral therapy for scrupulous consciences and a populist jab at the grim, fear-driven piety of late-medieval Catholicism.
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