Taking another brief break from Sundays-of-the-Church-Year hymns, here is a hymn for Christians battling the powers of darkness. The tune is ADVENT, which I wrote last year for an Advent hymn that I wrote in the 1990s.
Young and old together arming,
Learn to tell the devil’s charming
Counterfeit from Jesus’ word!
Let His truth upon you gird
Shield of faith and Spirit’s sword,
That the foe, intent on harming
God’s elect, may be deterred!
Even Christ, from everlasting
Doomed for Lucifer’s down-casting,
Only could by prayer and fasting
Cast some unclean spirits out.
Let us not give way to doubt
If the foes sustain their bout
Till, the feast of glory tasting,
We see Christ put them to rout!
This world’s prince, though judged already,
Tempts us still with pleasures heady,
Or again by grievance petty
Seeks our body to divide.
Hence we will with Christ abide,
Hidden in His wounded side;
Though the foe’s assault be steady,
Yet his prey will be denied.
Helm yourself, then, with salvation,
And be shod with preparation;
Wear your Savior’s mediation
As the armor of your hearts!
For the peace God’s word imparts
Turns the devil’s flaming darts,
And your soul’s exoneration
Brings to nought his thousand arts.
Fear not, though the times seem fright’ning,
Nor resign to pressures height’ning!
For the harvest fields are whitening;
Soon will angels come to reap.
Christ will rouse all flesh from sleep
And His own from judgment keep,
While the foe He will like lightning
Cast forever in the deep.
No comments:
Post a Comment