Be thou watch­ful, O my soul!
Let not the ev­il pow­ers con­trol!
O ne­ver doff thine ar­mor,
O ne­ver sheathe thy sword!
Satan’s zeal will ne­ver cool
Christ’s ran­somed ones to grasp and rule;
Thou art not for a mo­ment safe
Apart from thy Lord.

Refrain

Be so­ber! be vi­gil­ant! Stand on thy guard;
Evil is on thy track, press­ing thee hard;
However smooth ap­pear­ance be,
Suspect the lurk­ing ene­my!
O stand on thy guard!
Stand on thy guard!

Watch against the hid­den host
Who in the Prince of Dark­ness boast!
Not sole­ly with the hu­man
Thy spir­it must con­tend;
Roaring as a lion loud
Or with an an­gel’s guise en­dowed,
The host of hell will tempt thee sore,
So watch to the end.

Refrain

Watch and pray, the Sav­ior said,
Lest in temp­ta­tion you be led!
And Je­sus watch­eth with you
As on your guard you stand.
Vainly you ob­serve the foe
Unless your Lord ob­serve them, too,
And shield you from the fie­ry darts
Hurled forth from their hand.

Refrain