Center For Church Music, Songs & Hymns

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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...

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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. Write an elected official about injustices that need remedy. 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.

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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, Methodi...

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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.

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