Paul Tillich, Reformation Sects, Luther’s Teachings: Faith, Concept of God

God calls them and forces them, but gives them their hour, or as I would say, their kairos [Greek for the “right time”, “proper time” — Ellopos note], Outside of this kairos they cannot do anything. Without the right hour, nobody can do anything. And in the right hour no one can resist those who act in the right hour. But although God acts in everything in history, history is at the same time the struggle between God and Satan and their different realms. And the reason why Luther could make these two statements is that God creatively works even in the demonic forces. They could not have being, if they were not dependent on Him as the Ground of Being, as the creative Power of Being in them, in every moment. He makes it possible that Satan is the seducer, and makes it possible at the same time that Satan is conquered.

This is Luther’s idea of God, and however you feel about it, it is certainly a great, powerful, religious, and not moralistic idea of God. And that is what I wanted to mediate to you today.
Paul Tillich, A History Of Christian Thought – Table of Contents