Scripture Verse

If God be for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

Introduction

Words: Al­ice M. Bode, 1901. Bode wrote this hymn at Not­ting Hill, Lon­don. It first ap­peared in Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1904.

Music: St. Ig­na­ti­us (Beau­mont) John Beau­mont, 1801 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Beau­mont or Bode (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Once pledged by the cross,
As child­ren of God,
To tread in the steps
Your cap­tain has trod,
Now, sealed by the Spir­it
Of wis­dom and might,
Go for­ward, Christ’s sol­diers,
Go for­ward and fight!

Your wea­pons of war
Are sent from above,
The Spir­it’s good sword,
The breast­plate of love;
Your feet with the Gos­pel
Of peace be well shod;
Put on the whole ar­mor,
The ar­mor of God.

Full well do ye know
The foe must be met,
Full well do ye feel
That Sa­tan has set
His pow­ers of dark­ness
In bat­tle ar­ray;
But those who are for you
Are strong­er than they.

The fight may be long,
But tri­umph is sure,
And rest comes at last
To those who en­dure;
The rest that re­main­eth,
The vic­to­ry won,
And—dear­er than all things—
Your cap­tain’s Well done.

Then, on to the fight
’Gainst sin and the world,
Stand fast in His strength,
His ban­ner un­furled;
And, sealed by the Spir­it
Of wis­dom and might,
Go for­ward, Christ’s sol­diers,
Go for­ward and fight.