Victory in Jesus

 

The hymn “Victory in Jesus” holds a special place in the hearts of many Christians. It's powerful message and catchy tune have resonated with people for decades. The song was written by Eugene Monroe Bartlett, a gospel songwriter, in the early 20th century. It speaks of the redemptive power of Jesus and the victory one can experience through Him.

Bartlett was born in Waynesville, Missouri, in 1885. He grew up in Sabastian County, Arkansas, and was educated as a music teacher at Hall-Moody Institute in Tennessee and William Jewell College in Missouri. In 1917, he married Joan Tatum.  The couple had two children together.

Bartlett began his career as a publisher for the Central Music Company in Arkansas. In 1918, he established Hartford Music Company, which became one of the first publishing companies for Southern Gospel music.  He served as company president from 1918 until 1935. 

In addition to establishing the music company, he also established a shape note school, the Hartford Music Institute in 1921 and began publishing a monthly quartet magazine, The Herald of Song. As a publisher, his hymn book was in demand, selling over 15,000 copies across the county.

He felt his calling was to publish hymns and teach aspiring singers how to sight-read. He traveled the south, holding singing school and singing conventions. These and similar schools trained aspiring musicians in vocal technique, sight reading, and conducting, and were influential in the development of church music for much of the remainder of the century.

But in 1939 at age 53, his world changed drastically. Bartlett suffered a paralyzing stroke that left him unable to walk or even speak and for the most part, he was bedridden. Many felt the stroke ended his teaching ministry, yet it was during these dark days that Bartlett would write his best-known hymn, Victory in Jesus.

While looking back over his life he began to think back to the night he was born again and the rich life he had since that night. He picked up a pen and began writing with the following words: “I heard an old, old story, How a Savior came from glory, how He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me.” Realizing that the love of God had sustained him and brought him to where he was that day, he is quoted as saying he felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to add another verse. He wrote, “I heard about His healing, of His saving power revealing, how He made the lame to walk again and caused the blind to see.”

When he completed the song, he looked back over it and saw it was a story of redeeming power from start to finish. He wanted the song to be joyous. And while written during the darkest period of his life he chose to make the melody full of happiness and enthusiasm.

Verse One

“I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory,

How He gave His life on Calvary, to save a wretch like me;

I heard about His groaning, Of His precious blood’s atoning,

Then I repented of my sins and won the victory.”

Acts 2:38

“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized. Every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Studylight.org, A. C. Hervey, Pulpit Commentary: We have in this short verse the summary of Christian doctrine as regards man and God. Repentance and faith on the part of man; forgiveness of sins, or justification, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, or sanctification, on the part of God.

 Romans 1:16

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”

Biblehub.com, Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers: The Apostle will not be ashamed of his mission, even in the metropolis of the world. He cannot be ashamed of a [plan] so beneficent and so grand. The gospel that he preaches is that mighty agency which God Himself has set in motion, and the object of which is the salvation of all who put their faith in it, to whatever nation or race they may belong.

Verse Two

“I heard about His healing, of His cleansing power revealing,

How He made the lame to walk again and caused the blind to see;

And then I cried, ‘Dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit,’

And somehow Jesus came and brought to me the victory.”

Ephesians 3:7

“I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of His power.”

Biblestudytools.com: The power of God is seen in working grace in the hearts of men, thereby making them believers in Christ; and it is also displayed in the gifts of the Spirit bestowed on men, which is called being endued with a power from on high; thereby making men . . . ministers of Christ; and likewise in assisting them in their work, and in carrying them through it, and in making them successful in it, to the conversion of sinners, and the edification of saints.

Psalm 20:6

“Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to His anointed. He answers him from His heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of His right hand.”

Biblehub.com, Barnes’ Notes on the Bible: With the saving strength . . . That is, He will interpose with that saving strength. Literally, “with the strength of salvation.” The answer to the prayer will be manifest in the strength or power put forth by Him to save . . . The right hand is the instrument by which we mainly execute our purposes; and by constant use it becomes in fact more fully developed and is stronger than the left hand. Hence, it is used to denote “strength.”

Verse Three

“I heard about a mansion He has built for me in glory,

And I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea;

About the angels singing and the old redemption story—

And some sweet day I’ll sing up there the song of victory.”

John 14:2

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”

Biblehub.com, Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible: This Christ says partly to reconcile the minds of His disciples to His departure from them, and partly to strengthen their hope of following Him thither; in which “are many mansions”; abiding or dwelling places; mansions of love, peace, joy, and rest, which always remain: and there are “many” of them . . . it denotes fulness and sufficiency of room for all His people; for the many ordained to eternal life.

Ephesians 1:13-14

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory.”

RedeemingGod.com: Paul writes that as a result of their belief, they were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit . . . it is to guarantee that we are genuine, it shows ownership, who we belong to, it shows that we are approved, and it provides us with protection or security.

Refrain

“Oh victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever!

He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood;

He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him—

He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood."

Ephesians 1:7

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”

Bibleref.com: This verse transitions to payment Jesus made for us “through His blood.” Paul is referring to Christ’s death on the cross as the sufficient payment for the sins of all who believe. What did this redemption cover? It paid to release us from the eternal penalty and the earthly power of our own sins.  This freedom was not “free,” since it is paid for by Christ’s death; it cost Him everything. As a result, for the believer, the ultimate price has already been paid. This is grace: the ability to become a child of God, because God provided a free way to know Him by faith.

“Victory In Jesus” is more than just a song; it is a constant reminder of God’s grace and mercy in each of our lives. The lyrics serve as a powerful testimony of how Jesus can save and transform even the most broken and lost individuals.

 

I am indebted to the following resources:

Bbackstorysongs.com

DianaleaghMatthews.com

Oldtimemusic.com, Judy Gibson

Follow-jesus-camp.blogspot.com

William J. Petersen and Ardythe Petersen, The Complete Book of Hymns

En.wikipedia.org

Thedailyhatch.org

 By His Grace . . .

 

Be Still My Soul

 

​Three different people played a part in bringing together this beautiful hymn. Katharina von Schlegel, a notable woman of the Pietism Revival, wrote the words, originally in German. One hundred years later the hymn was translated into English by Jane Borthwick. And Finland's greatest-composer, Jean Sibelius, gave it a tune from his "FINLANDIA" composition. God used three people from three countries to put together a hymn that teaches us that God is in control and to wait on Him.

This hymn represents multitude periods of history from when it was first written to its final arrival in the United States in the early 1900s. It is always amazing when a hymn from different periods of time finds life and purpose in the present.

Germany, in the late 1600s and early 1700s was largely Lutheran and was experiencing a religious revival known as the Pietistic Revival. Philipp Jacob Spener was the leader of this movement, which encouraged small Bible study groups, personal works of righteousness and congregational hymn singing. The Pietists also encouraged laymen in the church to express their devotion by writing hymn texts that were subjective, emotional and more expressive than traditional Orthodox Church music had been to that time.

Katharina’s last name, von Schlegel, indicates that she was likely born to an aristocratic family. She was Lutheran and may have been canonist of an evangelical women’s seminary, but apart from that, not much is known of Katharina. One fact though is certain: She knew her Scriptures well, both the Old and the New Testaments.

She was born in Köthen, Germany, in 1697, twelve years after Johann Sebastian Bach was born 80 miles away in Eisenach. Though Bach was not born in her town, he did serve six years in the court of Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen from the time Katharina was 20 years old until she was 25. Some believe that Katharina was also attached to the court and therefore may have known the brilliant organist and composer.

Katharina was a poetess, and her first known published work was “Stille, mein Wille, dein Jesus hilft siegen” in 1752. In her hymn, she wove together in a creative and remarkable way a whole series of scriptural themes and references to biblical events.

No record survives of the specific event(s) that inspired her to compose this deeply moving hymn. But such specifics aren’t necessary since we all experience the kind of devastating losses she writes about. And when they come, we often find ourselves enduring an internal hurricane of disorienting grief, in desperate need of the peaceful shelter of hope. And the gift Katharina has bequeathed to us — in the four verses most English hymnals contain (she wrote six) — is this profound poetic reminder of the one shelter for our sorrowful, storm-tossed souls: the faithfulness of God.

One hundred years after its first publication in the German language, “Stille, mein Wille, dein, Jesus hilft siegen” was translated into English by Jane L. Borthwick in Scotland and published in “Hymns from the Land of Luther, Series 2,” which Jane and her sister Sarah Borthwick Findlater jointly prepared, titled in English, “Be Still, My Soul.” This hymn was originally sung to several other tunes, none of which were a lasting combination.

Borthwick, born in the 1800s, was a member of the Free Church of Scotland and second only to Catherine Winkworth in bringing the riches of German hymn heritage to the English language. Her translation included five of the original six stanzas, appearing in “Hymns from the Land of Luther, second series” (1855).

The melody comes from a symphonic tone poem by Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) by the name of "FINLANDIA," Op. 26. Sibelius wrote it as a patriotic offering in 1899 with a revision in 1900. This composition was performed as the final of seven pieces as the music to accompany a series of tableaus, each reflecting portions of Finnish history.

Sibelius was born in Finland in 1865. He later changed his name to reflect the French form of Johann and was known thereafter as Jean Sibelius. He was also the composer for many orchestral works, including seven symphonies.

In the early 1900s, David Evans, a Welsh Oxford-trained organist-choirmaster and music professor, matched the translation with the tune for the Revised Church Hymnary (London, 1927). This pairing was brought to the United States when it was used in the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. for The Hymnal (1933).

Verse One

“Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In every change, He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend,

Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.”

 

Psalm 118:6

“The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

Studylight.org, Dr. Constable's Expository Notes: The writer gave personal testimony to God’s deliverance of him in answer to prayer . . . Since God was with him, he did not need to fear what other people might do to him. Furthermore, the Lord would be his helper, so he could expect to prevail over his adversaries. Therefore, it is better to trust in Yahweh than to place one’s confidence in men, even the most powerful of men . . . The LORD is on my side: The never-ending mercy of God was shown by God’s open favor and help to the one who called upon Him. Knowing God was on his side, he could live free from the fear of man, knowing what can man do to me?

 Verse Two

“Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake,

To guide the future, as He has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know,

His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.”

Psalm 29:3

“The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waves.”

Biblehub.com, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary: The psalmist here sets forth God’s dominion in the kingdom of nature. In the thunder, and lightning, and storm, we may see and hear His glory. Let our hearts be thereby filled with great, and high, and honorable thoughts of God, in the holy adoring of whom, the power of Godliness so much consists. O Lord our God, Thou art very great! The power of the lightning equals the terror of the thunder. The fear caused by these effects of the Divine power, should remind us of the mighty power of God, of man’s weakness, and of the defenseless and desperate condition of the wicked in the day of judgment. But the effects of the Divine Word upon the world of men, under the power of the Holy Spirit, are far greater than those of thunderstorms in the nature world . . . If we have heard God’s voice and have fled for refuge to the hope set before us, let us remember that children need not fear their Father’s voice, when He speaks in anger to His enemies. While those tremble who are without shelter, let those who abide in His appointed refuge bless Him for their security, looking forward to the day of judgment without dismay, safe as Noah in the ark.

Verse Three

“Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,

And all is darkened in the vale of tears,

Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,

Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.

Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay,

From His own fullness all He takes away.”

Psalm 56:8

“Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll—are they not in your record?”

Dailyverse.knowing-Jesus.com: The Scriptures are filled with lovely examples of the tender compassion that God extends to the people of Israel and to those that are part of the Body of Christ corporately . . . Is there a more beautiful illustration of the Lord’s great tenderness and His gracious mercies towards each of His children, to you and to me, than is seen in the intimacy that is glimpsed in this lovely Psalm? For we read that the Lord takes account of all our sadness and all our pain, all our weariness and all our wanderings, all the salty teardrops that flow from our eyes and all the silent groans that rend the inner parts of our secret being. Indeed, we read in this precious verse that He has collected every single teardrop that has wet our lashes and recorded every single silent groan of our hurting heart, and He has placed each single tear in His bottle of remembrance and recorded each hurt in His book, because of His great love for each of His own . . . Remember, He has scheduled every day of our lives and knows the tears that will result from the afflictions of His people. Our times are in His Hands and we have a God who knows and loves and cares for everything that causes His children pain. Not even in these times of deep sadness and distress, we can, like Our Savior, gain a closer intimacy with our Father through the things that we suffer in obedience to His Will.

Verse Four

“Be still, my soul: the hour is hast’ning on,

When we shall be forever with the Lord.

When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,

Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,

All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.”

1 Thessalonians 4:17

“After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

Dailyverse.knowing-Jesus.com: There cannot be a clearer picture of what takes place when the trumpet call of God blasts out at the end of the Church age. The Lord Jesus Himself will come down from heaven with a loud word of command. There will be an archangel’s voice and the trumpet call of God . . . Let us occupy in the work that God has prepared for us to do and encourage one another as we see the day getting closer. But let us also remain alert and ready for that wonderful day when the trump of God sounds, and we are taken as He promised, to be with the Lord forever.

Enduringword.com, David Guzik: The manner in which Jesus will gather us to Himself is impressive. But the main point is that whatever the state of the Christians (dead or alive) at the Lord’s coming, they will always be with the Lord. This is the great reward of heaven – to be with Jesus. Death can’t break our unity with Jesus or with other Christians.

This hymn was reportedly the favorite of Eric Liddell, the athlete who became famous in the 1924 Olympics for refusing to run on the Sabbath. He later became a missionary in China and was imprisoned during World War II. He is said to have taught this hymn to others in the prison camp where he died.

 

I am indebted to the following resources:

Collegeoftheopenbible.com

Broadcast-portal.lds.org

Umcdiscipleship.org, C. Michael Hawn

Thetabernaclechoir.org

By His Grace . . . 

Precious Lord, Take My Hand

 

“Precious Lord, Take My Hand” is a hymn written by Thomas Dorsey in 1932 with music by George Allen. The lyrics of this hymn call out to the Lord for guidance and strength through difficult times. As Dorsey experienced tragedy in his life, he turned to God for hope and faith.

Dorsey was born in Villa Rica, a small, rural town near Atlanta, Georgia. He was the son of Thomas Madison Dorsey, a minister and farmer, and Etta Plant Spencer. The Dorsey’s sharecropped on a small farm, while the elder Dorsey, a graduate of Atlanta Bible College (now Morehouse College), traveled to nearby churches to preach.  He also taught black children at a one-room schoolhouse where his son accompanied him and listened to lessons.

Religion and music were at the center of the Dorsey’s lives, and young Thomas was exposed to a variety of musical styles in his early childhood. While often living hand-to-mouth, they were able to own an organ, which was rare for black families, and Dorsey’s mother played during his faither’s church services.

His uncle was also a musician, a traveling guitarist concentrating on country blues while it was in its infancy. Villa Rica’s rural location allowed Dorsey to hear slave spirituals, and “moaning” – a style of singing marked by elongated notes and embellishments widespread among Southern black people, alongside the Protestant hymns his father favored.

When Dorsey's father traveled to preach at other churches, Thomas and his mother attended a church that practiced shape note singing; their harmonizing in particular making a deep impression on him.

The Dorsey's moved to Atlanta to find better opportunities when Thomas was eight years old. The adjustment for the entire family was difficult, culminating in Thomas being isolated, held back at school, and eventually dropping out after the fourth grade when he was twelve years old.

Although Dorsey grew up in a religious family, he gained most of his musical experience playing blues at barrelhouses and parties in Atlanta. He moved to Chicago and became a proficient composer and arranger of jazz and vaudeville just as blues was becoming popular.

Dorsey seemed ambivalent about writing church music until 1921 when he was inspired by W. M. Nix's rendition of "I Do, Don't You?" after hearing him perform at the National Baptist Convention. Upon hearing Nix's sing, Dorsey was overcome, later recalling that his "heart was inspired to become a great singer and worker in the Kingdom of the Lord.”

In 1925, he married Nettie Harper, who joined Dorsey on tour. In 1932 he was invited to go to St. Louis and lead the music for a large revival meeting. He hesitated to agree because his wife was pregnant. He didn’t want to leave her with the time for delivery so close, but he made the trip.

The second day of the revival meetings, he got a telegram. The baby had been born, but his wife had died in childbirth. He rushed back to Chicago and held the baby in his arms. Only a few hours later, his infant son died too. Both mother and baby were buried in the same casket.

His grief prompted him to write this famous and enduring compositions, "Precious Lord, Take My Hand."

He remarried in 1941 to Katheryn Mosley. They had two children, a son named Thomas M. "Mickey" and a daughter, Doris. Even with a family he remained active in music, attending multiple engagements each year. Katheryn Dorsey stated, "I'd have to catch him between trains because he was hardly ever at home . . . The only thing he cared about was saving souls through his music."

To accomplish this, Dorsey traveled beyond the U.S., through Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East. He recalled visiting Damascus, Syria, where he was approached in a bathroom by a man who recognized his name. A tour group of 150 demanded he sing "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" right there. Obliging, Dorsey began, but the multinational group took over. Dorsey said "And they knew it in Damascus, too. Folk was wipin' their eyes, and some cryin' and bawlin' on, and I told ‘em, 'What is this happening here? I'll never get out of this place alive.’”

Dorsey began to slow down in the 1970s, eventually showing symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. He retired from Pilgrim Baptist Church though he continued to participate and perform when he was able. Dorsey died of Alzheimer's at his home in Chicago on January 23, 1993, listening to music on a Walkman. He is buried at Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago.

Verse One

“Precious Lord, take my hand,

Lead me on, let me stand,

I am tired, I am weak, I am worn;

Through the storm, through the night,

Lead me on to the light.

Take my hand, precious Lord, Lead me home.”

Psalm 43:3

“Send me Your light and Your faithful care, let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy mountain, to the place where You dwell.”

Biblehub.com, Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges: God’s light and truth, like His lovingkindness, are almost personified. As of old He gave His lovingkindness charge concerning His servant, so now may He manifest the light of His countenance, and evermore show him favor; and thus prove Himself true to His own character and His promises.

Enduringword.com, David Guzik: The psalmist knew that his light and his truth were not enough – he needed the light and truth of God. It wasn’t within him, so if God didn’t send it, he would not have it . . . The psalmist didn’t want God to send out His light and truth just so he could admire them. He wanted to submit himself to God’s light and God’s truth and have them lead him. He needed a leader . . . and that’s what he asked for . . . "We seek not light to sin by, nor truth to be exalted by it, but that they may become our practical guides to the nearest communion with God.” Charles Spurgeon

Verse Two

“When my way grows drear,

Precious Lord, linger near,

When my life is almost gone,

Hear my cry, hear my call,

Hold my hand lest I fall.

Take my hand, precious Lord, Lead me home."

Psalm 18:6

“In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came before Him, into His ears.”

Studylight.org, Bridgeway Commentary: The reason God answered David’s prayers was that David walked in God’s ways and kept himself pure and humble . . . God gave David His saving power. As a result, David was always confident of God’s help.

Studylight.org, Gill’s Exposition of the Whole Bible: The members of Christ, when in distress . . . betake themselves to the Lord, and call upon their God; a time of distress is to bring them to the throne of His grace; and a great privilege it is they have such a throne to come to for grace and mercy to help them in time of need . . . and such a God to sympathize with them, and help them; and their encouragement to call upon Him, and cry unto Him, is, that He is Jehovah, omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent; who knows their wants, is able to help them, and is a God at hand to do it.

Verse Three

“When the darkness appears.

And the night draws near,

And the day is past and gone,

At the river, I stand,

Guide my feet, hold my hand.

Take my hand, precious Lord, Lead me home.

Revelation 22:1

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

Biblestudytools.com: This river is meant the everlasting love of God, which may be compared to a river for its largeness and abundance, its height and depth, its length and breadth; and for the large displays of it in this state, when its waters will increase, and be a broad river to swim in, and be unpassable; and for the streams of it in election, redemption, calling, justification, pardon, adoption, and eternal life, which make glad the city of God; and for the pleasure it yields, and the fruitfulness it gives to those who drink of it: it may be called a river “of water of life.” Because on the present state of things it quickens such who are dead in trespassed and sins; revives the saints when dead and lifeless, supports their spirits, and is a cordial that preserves from fainting; it keeps and secures from dying the second death and is the spring and source of eternal life; and that itself will last and flow forever, it is ever running water, it is everlasting love; and it may be said to be pure.

Refrain

“Take my hand, precious Lord, Lead me home.”

Isaiah 41:13

"For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, 'Do not fear, I will help you.'”

Biblehub.com, Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible: The Lord holds the right hand of His people, teaching them to walk by faith, leading them into His presence, and to communion with Himself, and keeps them from falling . . . He "will strengthen their right hand" to do His work and service and oppose their enemies; or He will relieve their wants, and fill their hands with His good things, which is sometimes the sense of the phrase.

Studylight.org, Calvin’s Commentary on the Bible: He now speaks about “taking hold of the right hand,” and about His voice; for it is of great importance to us to believe the signs which God has given us of His love, and to connect with them the doctrine which assures us of His eternal favor. The word “saying” is therefore highly emphatic; for we must remain in suspense till the Lord speaks, whose voice alone can remove fear and bring peace . . . we must pay close attention to His voice, so as never to withdraw our mind from it.

Thomas Dorsey's "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" has been described as "the greatest gospel song of all time." People around the world love it because of its heartfelt theme of faith and hope. Written in 1932, it continues to attract new generations of audiences.

  

I am indebted to the following resources:

Godtube.com, GodTube Staff

Hymnary.org

En.wikipedia.org

Amazing Grace, Kenneth W. Osbeck

The Complete Book of Hymns, William J. Petersen and Ardythe Petersen

 

By His Grace . . .

Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus

 

Every time I sing this hymn I want to stand up. It’s like singing the National Anthem or Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA.” It just propels me out of my seat.

George Duffield, Jr., born in 1818, wrote this hymn as a result of a tragic accident that resulted in the early death of one of the most stirring preachers in the northeastern United States during the mid-nineteenth century.

The hymn was inspired by the tragic story of Dudley Tyng. Tyng served as his father’s assistant at Philadelphia’s Church of the Epiphany and was elected its pastor when his father retired in 1854. He was only 29 when he succeeded his father at this large Episcopal church, and at first it seemed a great fit.

The honeymoon ended when Tyng began vigorously preaching against slavery. Loud complaints rose from the more conservative members, resulting in Tyng’s resignation in 1856.

Tyng started a new church, Church of the Covenant, and along with other ministers preached revival meetings at the local YMCA during lunch. They soon began to attract thousands (this revival period is known as “The Work of God in Philadelphia”).

In March of 1858, Tyng preached a rousing sermon to 5,000 young men at the YMCA and over 1,000 made a profession of faith. During his sermon he said, “I must tell my Master’s errand, and I would rather that this right arm were amputated at the trunk than that I should come short of my duty to you in delivering God’s message.”

Only a few days later Tyng left the study of his country home to visit his barn where a mule was harnessed to a machine that was shelling corn. When he patted the mule, his sleeve was caught in the cogs of the wheel and his arm was badly maimed. He passed away the following week from the injury.

Before he died, he was asked if he had a message for the ministers at the revival and he replied, “Tell them, ‘Let us all stand up for Jesus.'” His friend and fellow preacher, Dr. George Duffield, was touched by the words and wrote the hymn, “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus.” Duffield concluded his sermon the following Sunday by reading the lyrics as a tribute to his friend.

Duffield’s Sunday School superintendent printed copies of the poem. The lyrics soon found their way into a Baptist newspaper and the hymn spread from there.

George Duffield was born on September 12, 1818, at Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He attended Yale College where he graduated in 1837. He also attended Union Theological Seminary, New York and graduated in 1840.

He served as a Pastor at Presbyterian Brooklyn. Duffield was a priest at the Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia and later at Adrian, Michigan.

He used his independent wealth, according to the Rev. Carlton Young, "to establish small congregations and to support evangelistic endeavors."

Verse One

“Stand up, stand up for Jesus ye soldiers of the cross;

Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss.

From victory unto victory His army He shall lead.

Till every foe is vanquished and Christ is Lord indeed.”

Psalm 17:7 

“Show me the wonders of great love, You who save by your right hand those who take refuge in You from their foes.”

Bibleref.com: This verse addresses God as the Savior of those who seek safety from enemies. The “right-hand” is a reference to strength and power. Those who look for eternal safety and absolute goodness find it only in God . . . David was certain the God who provided a refuge for His people at the Red Sea could provide a refuge for him and for all who seek His protection.

Bibehub.com, The Treasury of David: The right hand of God is interposed between the saints and all harm; God is never at a loss for means; His own bare hand is enough. He works without tools as well as with them.

Verse Two

“Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey;

Forth to the mighty conflict in this His glorious day.

Ye that are men now serve Him Against unnumbered foes;

Let courage rise with danger and strength to strength oppose.”

 

1 Corinthians 16:13

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”

Studylight.org, Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible: This is the marching order for every Christian of all ties and places. Paul himself gave this the highest priority, saying near the end of life that “I have kept the faith” . . . Strength is manifested by courageous and unwavering loyalty to the Word of God, by the resistance of temptation, by fleeing from it . . . by constant and liberal giving, by loving consideration of the rights, opinions and needs of others, and by the repudiation of the world’s value judgments . . . A constant and unfeigned love of the Lord, of His church as a whole, and of its individual members, is the mark of a strong Christian. Love is “the greatest” because it is always marked by obedience.

 Verse Three

“Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in His strength alone;

The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own.

Put on the gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer;

Where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there.”

Ephesians 6:10-18

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

Enduringword.com, David Guzik: The detailed teaching of spiritual warfare in this passage presents two essential components. First, you must be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Then, you must put on the whole armor of God. The two are essential, and much teaching on Christian combat neglects the first. If you take a weak man who can barely stand and put the best armor on him, he will still be an ineffective soldier. He will be easily beaten. So, equipping for Christian combat must begin with the principle, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

This shows how to get this strength. This does not happen just by saying the words. It is not an incantation or a spell. You can’t just walk around saying, “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” over and over and it will happen. Those kinds of mental games can accomplish something, but it certainly wasn’t what Paul meant here . . .  Might is inherent power or force. A muscular man’s big muscles display his might, even if he doesn’t use them. It is the reserve of strength . . . Power is the exercise of might. When the muscular man uses his might to bend an iron bar, he uses his power. It means that the reserve of strength is actually in operation. 

Verse Four

“Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long;

This day the noise of battle, the next, the victor’s song.

To him that overcometh A crown of life shall be;

He with the King of glory shall reign eternally.”

James 1:12

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

Studylight.com, Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible: "The crown of life" mentioned by James here cannot be anything other than the "crown of righteousness" mentioned by Paul in 2 Timothy 4:8, and which in no sense is awarded in the present existence, but which will be bestowed "at that day" by the Lord Jesus Christ upon all them that have loved His appearing.

Studylight.com, Contending for the Faith: The reward that awaits the steadfast Christian is "the crown of life."  "Of life" indicates the crown that is life, a reference to eternal life . . . A crown is merely a symbol of royalty, honor, or victory, all terms that aptly describe the future gift of eternal life. Eternal life is pictured as a state in which one is never separated from God or faithful loved ones again.

While hymns like this may have inspired revival and mission efforts in the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, our rhetoric today needs to match the gospel of compassion and love that we seek to share in the twenty-first century. Let us claim the call to the spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6 and balance this with the God who came in Christ to love a lost and suffering world.

 

I am indebted to the following resources:

Hymncharts.com

Umcdiscipleship.org, Dr. Hawn

Phamoxmusic.com

By His Grace . . .