Soldiers of Christ, Arise
Who wrote the song?
Facts:
Lyricist: Charles Wesley
Lyrics Date: 1749
Key: D
Theme: Christian Warfare
Composer: George J. Elvey
Music Date: 1868
Why did they write the song?
Hymn Story:
Charles Wesley wrote "Soldiers of Christ, Arise" in 1747, originally calling it "The Whole Armor of God, Ephesians VI." With its bold and stirring message, the hymn was designed to confirm new believers.
At the time, Charles and his brother, John Wesley, had become leaders of the movement known as Methodism. The Church of England did not approve of the Methodists, however, and those associated with Methodism were persecuted. Their houses were vandalized. And even worse, Methodists were sometimes threatened, stoned, mauled, and dragged through the streets.
Given the threatening environment that most Methodists faced, Wesley no doubt thought of very real battles as he wrote "Soldiers of Christ, Arise." Yet the hymn refers to more than just physical warfare: Its more important theme refers to the spiritual warfare that all Christians face. As followers of Christ, we must put on the full armor of God, described in Ephesians 6:10–11, and always be ready to battle Satan’s forces.
Calling on Christians to fight these spiritual battles, the original version of "Soldiers of Christ, Arise" appeared in the 1749 publication Hymns and Sacred Poems. The lengthy hymn contained sixteen verses, each with eight lines. In John Wesley’s Collection of Hymns for the People Called Methodists, published in 1780, only twelve stanzas appeared, divided into three separate hymns. The three-stanza version commonly used today dates from 1847.
Here is the version we have in our song book:
Vs 1:
Soldiers of Christ, arise and put your armor on;
Strong in the strength which God supplies,
Strong in the strength which God supplies, Thru His beloved Son.
Vs 2:
Strong in The Lord of Hosts, And in His mighty power;
Who in the strength of Jesus trusts,
Who in the strength of Jesus trusts, Is more that conqueror.
Vs 3:
Stand, then, in His great might, with all His strength endured;
But take to arm you for the fight,
But take to arm you for the fight, The panoply of God.
Vs 4:
Leave no unguarded place, no weakness of the soul;
Take every virtue, every place,
Take every virtue, every place, And fortify the whole.
Vs 5:
That having all things done, and all your conflicts past,
You may o'er come thru Christ alone,
You may o'er come thru Christ alone, And stand entire at last.
Why this song? I chose this song as it is kind of a family favorite. It's one of those songs that when we sing it, everyone gives 110% of their all. You can hear to whom they singing the song to. To whom all blessings are given by and it seems to just uplift us and deify us. It will always be a favorite.
Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-20
Soldiers—the word conjures up images of men in battle, trained to fight, armed with deadly weapons. But it hardly describes most contemporary Christians, does it? Rather than battling our culture’s distorted values, many of us have been lulled into a passive faith.
And it’s no wonder we’re afraid to fight. Amid all the "political correctness" of our day, we’re pressured to keep our beliefs to ourselves, lest we offend someone else. And when we do take a stand for our faith, we’re often branded as "judgmental" and "intolerant."
All in all, it’s easier to just focus on non-controversial topics like "love" and "forgiveness" rather than confronting Satan’s lies. Yet our hymn reminds us that such behavior isn’t befitting a soldier of Christ. Yes, we must celebrate Christian love and grace, but we must also "arise and put [our] armor on" and "tread all the powers of darkness down."
This battle makes us uncomfortable and scared. Yet the stakes are too high for us to run away. Satan’s forces have filled the world with injustice and lies. Unless we battle them, our communities, our neighbors, and our own lives will grow ever more painful and dark.
So in the week ahead, "fight the good fight of the faith" (1 Tim. 6:12). Challenge someone with the truth when they discuss ungodly beliefs. Plan to eliminate a sinful habit from your life.
These fights won’t come easy, of course. But don’t lose heart. When we fight for God, we’re always on the stronger side.
I have learnt so much about these songs as I go and do research on them. It really gives me better understanding of what I am singing about. I hope it helps you too!
Much Love and God's richest blessings for you.
Trace
