Soldiers Of Christ, Arise
Soldiers of Christ, Arise
Soldiers of Christ, arise,
And put your armor on,
Strong in the strength which God supplies
Through His eternal Son;
Strong in the Lord of hosts,
And in His mighty power,
Who in the strength of Jesus trusts
Is more than conqueror.
Stand, then, in His great might,
With all His strength endued;
But take, to arm you for the fight,
The panoply of God:
That, having all things done,
And all your conflicts passed,
Ye may o’ercome through Christ alone,
And stand entire at last.
From strength to strength go on,
Wrestle and fight and pray;
Tread all the powers of darkness down,
And win the well-fought day.
Still let the Spirit cry,
In all His soldiers, “Come!”
Till Christ the Lord descends from high,
And takes the conquerors home.
THE EARLY METHODISTS took their lives in their hands when they announced themselves as followers of John and Charles Wesley. One writer declared, “They were outrageously treated—stoned, mauled, ducked, hounded with bulldogs, threatened, homes looted, businesses ruined. Anyone who walked through a town could pick out by their ruinous condition the houses where Methodists lived.” In one incident at Devizes in February 1747, a crowd surrounded the house where the Methodist leaders were staying, breaking the windows and ripping off the shutters.
In 1749, Charles wrote this hymn under the title “The Whole Armor of God,” and it was used to confirm new converts. Spiritual warfare is no less a reality today than it was in the Wesleys’ day—or in the apostle Paul’s.
Put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
Ephesians 6:13
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