“Sound the Battle Cry!” written by William F. Sherwin and published in 1868 is now in Public Domain. It is a favorite gospel hymn sung by believers of all ages through the years since it was written. The Timeless Truths website indicates that the subject of the song is warfare, and it was based on Isaiah 59:19 and I Timothy 6:12.
Sound the battle cry! See, the foe is nigh;
Raise the standard high for the Lord;
Gird your armor on, stand firm every one;
Rest your cause upon His holy Word.
Refrain:
Rouse, then, soldiers, rally round the banner,
Ready, steady, pass the word along;
Onward, forward, shout aloud, “Hosanna!”
Christ is Captain of the mighty throng.
Strong to meet the foe, marching on we go,
While our cause we know must prevail;
Shield and banner bright, gleaming in the light,
Battling for the right we ne’er can fail.
O Thou God of all, hear us when we call,
Help us one and all by Thy grace;
When the battle’s done, and the vict’ry’s won,
May we wear the crown before Thy face.
Our world and nation are at war. It is a spiritual war of right vs. wrong, good vs. evil, light vs. darkness, truth vs. deception, Godliness vs. godlessness. Christians have been coasting for a long time and our nation has been drifting towards the edge of a precipice. Like a small boat on the Niagara River drifting towards Niagara Falls!! To say we are in big trouble is an extreme understatement. The question now is are we past the “point of no return.” Our nation desperately needs old fashioned revival. But repentance must precede revival. It is time to step up and enter the battle and fight for our Savior and our freedom to worship God. The Bible was originally a textbook in our public schools. It has since been replaced, mocked, and even banned. It is time to rise up, Christians, put your spiritual armor on and head into the battle instead of conceding and retreating. It is time to put our armor on and fight for Godliness. We need to have righteous convictions and stand firm in our convictions.
We look to Ephesians 6:10-18 for our battle gear. Believers are called to be “Strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” We are to put on the full armor of God and stand firm against Satan.
First, we need to recognize that we are in a fierce battle and who our enemy is. We are told in Ephesians 6:12 that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, powers, and forces of darkness. Our fight is against spiritual forces of wickedness. We are fighting Satan.
Our armor is composed of six pieces:
Belt of Truth. There are two aspects of truth. First there are the truths of Scripture as opposed to the lies of Satan. The second is our personal commitment to truth. We are called to be truth tellers and truth doers. We are to live a life that is upright and without deceit. The Belt of Truth holds all the armor together.
Breastplate of righteousness: This is the righteousness of Christ not our own righteousness. We receive it when we accept His gift of salvation through His shed blood, death, and resurrection. The breastplate protects our heart and other vital organs.
Gospel of Peace Shoes: Soldiers need to be prepared with good shoes for marching. Studying God’s Word daily is what prepares us to enter the battle with courage and equipped with a message to tell.
Shield of Faith: Our shield of faith is faith in God. Satan will be shooting fiery darts and arrows at us and faith in God will extinguish and divert them. They will not harm us.
Helmet of Salvation: The helmet protects our head. It protects our mind and thoughts. When we are confident of our salvation and identity in Christ we will not be moved by Satan’s schemes. We can guard our thoughts. We can have a peace that passes understanding.
Sword of the Spirit: The Word of God is our only offensive weapon. It is all we need to fight Satan and his posse.
Prayer and petition at all times: Prayer at all times keeps us in continual, open communication with the Lord.
Christ is our Captain. With our armor firmly in place and communication lines open, we are ready to stand firm against the enemy.
Blessings to you, fellow Christian Soldier,
Elsie
(For further information: www.bibleinfo.com/en/questions/armor-of-god)