Ernest Hemingway once said that courage was “grace under pressure.” Martin Neimoiler exhibited that type of courage and heroism back in the days leading up to World War II. In 1934, Adolf Hitler called German church leaders to his Berlin office to berate them for not supporting his programs. Pastor Martin explained that he was only concerned for the welfare of the church and the people of Germany. Hitler angrily responded, “You confine yourself to the church. I’ll take care of the German people.” Pastor Martin humbly responded, “We too, as Christians and church leaders, have a responsibility to the German people. That responsibility was entrusted to us by God, and neither you nor anyone in this world has the power to take it from us.”

Hitler listened silently, but that evening, he sent his Gestapo forces to raid Pastor Martin’s rectory and also bombed his church. Pastor Martin was watched constantly by the SS and often persecuted. In June of 1937, Pastor Martin spoke these words to his church, “We have no more thought of using our own powers to escape the arm of Hitler’s authority than had the apostles of the early church. We must obey God rather than men.” He was soon arrested and placed in solitary confinement.

The trial of Pastor Martin began on February 7th, 1938. As he walked through the cold prison cells through underground passages toward the courtroom, Pastor Martin was overcome with loneliness and fear. He was concerned with what would become of him, his family, his church, and what awaited all of them under the heavy hand of Nazi Germany. As Pastor Martin walked along with his prison guard, he heard a faint whisper. It was coming from the guard who was whispering something in his ear. The prison guard was quoting a Bible passage. It was Proverbs 18:19, which says, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe.” Pastor Martin’s fears fell away, and the power of that verse sustained him through his trial and years in Nazi concentration camps.