Gird on the royal armor,
Go forth in Jesus’ Name;
To those who sit in darkness
The Light of Life proclaim.

Refrain

Gird on the royal armor,
That we the foe may face;
And trusting our Commander,
Be victors through His grace.

Lift up the royal standard,
Go forth our cause to win,
With helmet, shield and buckler,
Against the hosts of sin.

Refrain

With righteousness our breastplate,
The Spirit’s sword in hand,
Still conquering and to conquer,
Press on at God’s command.

Refrain

Lo! the day of God is breaking;
See the gleaming from afar!
Sons of earth from slumber waking,
Hail the Bright and Morning Star.

Refrain

Hear the call! O gird your armor on,
Grasp the Spirit’s mighty sword:
Take the helmet of salvation,
Pressing on to battle for the Lord!

Trust in Him Who is your Captain;
Let no heart in terror quail;
Jesus leads the gath’ring legions,
In His Name we shall prevail.

Refrain

Onward marching, firm and steady,
Faint not, fear not Satan’s frown,
For the Lord is with you always,
Till you wear the victor’s crown.

Refrain

Conq’ring hosts with banners waving,
Sweeping on o’er hill and plain,
Ne’er shall halt till swells the anthem,
“Christ o’er all the world doth reign!”

Refrain

Inspirer of the ancient seers
Who wrote from Thee the sacred page,
The same through all succeeding years;
To us, in our degenerate age,
The spirit of Thy Word impart,
And breathe the life into our heart.

While now Thine oracles we read
With earnest prayer and strong desire,
O let Thy Spirit from Thee proceed,
Our souls to waken and inspire,
Our weakness help, our darkness chase,
And guide us by the light of grace.

Whene’er in error’s path we rove,
The living God through sin forsake,
Our conscience by Thy Word reprove,
Convince and bring the wanderers back,
Deep wounded by Thy Spirit’s sword,
And then by Gilead’s balm restored.

The sacred lessons of Thy grace,
Transmitted through Thy Word, repeat,
And train us up in all Thy ways
To make us in Thy will complete;
Fulfill Thy love’s redeeming plan,
And bring us to a perfect man.

Thus furnished from Thy treasury,
O may we always ready stand
To help the souls redeemed by Thee,
In what their various states demand
To teach, convince, correct, reprove,
And build them up in holiest love!

Eternal life is in God’s Word
For dead and dying men;
By it alone we know the Lord,
Unseen by mortal ken.

Refrain

O blessèd Word, O gracious Word,
We’ll love thee more and more;
Be thou our Life, our Strength, our Sword,
’Till earthly strife is o’er.

God’s strength is in His holy Word;
We need it ev’ry day;
In all our conflicts this the sword
Our spirit foes to slay.

Refrain

By this same Word we know our task,
And how it should be done;
How now to live, and how at last
Our crown is to be won.

Refrain

Precious Bible! what a treasure
Does the Word of God afford?
All I want for life or pleasure,
Food and med’cine, shield and sword:
Let the world account me poor,
Having this I need no more.

Food to which the world’s a stranger,
Here my hungry soul enjoys;
Of excess there is no danger,
Though it fills, it never cloys:
On a dying Christ I feed,
He is meat and drink indeed.

When my faith is faint and sickly,
Or when Satan wounds my mind,
Cordials, to revive me quickly,
Healing med’cines here I find:
To the promises I flee,
Each affords a remedy.

In the hour of dark temptation
Satan cannot make me yield;
For the Word of consolation
Is to me a mighty shield
While the scripture truths are sure,
From his malice I’m secure.

Vain his threats to overcome me,
When I take the Spirits’ sword;
Then with ease I drive him from me.
Satan trembles at the word:
’Tis a sword for conquest made,
Keen the edge, and strong the blade.

Shall I envy then the miser
Doting on his golden store?
Sure I am, or should be, wiser,
I am rich, ’tis he is poor:
Jesus gives me in his word,
Food and med’cine, shield and sword.

Soldiers of the cross, arise!
Gird you with your armor bright!
Mighty are your enemies,
Hard the battle ye must fight.

O’er a faithless fallen world,
Raise your banner in the sky!
Let it float there wide unfurled!
Bear it onward! lift it high!

Mid the homes of want and woe,
Strangers to the living Word,
Let the Savior’s herald go!
Let the voice of hope be heard!

Where the shadows deepest lie,
Carry truth’s unsullied ray!
Where are crimes of blackest dye,
There the saving sign display!

To the weary and the worn
Tell of realms where sorrows cease!
To the outcast and forlorn
Speak of mercy and of peace!

Guard the helpless! seek the strayed!
Comfort troubles! banish grief!
In the might of God arrayed,
Scatter sin and unbelief!

Be the banner still unfurled,
Still unsheathed the Spirit’s sword,
Till the kingdoms of the world
Are the kingdom of the Lord!

O Christian, awake! ’tis the Master’s command;
With helmet and shield, and a sword in thy hand,
To meet the bold tempter, go, fearlessly go,
Then stand like the brave, with thy face to the foe.

Refrain

Stand like the brave, stand like the brave,
Stand like the brave, with thy face to the foe.

The cause of thy Master with vigor defend;
Be watchful, be zealous, and fight to the end;
Wherever He leads thee, go, valiantly go,
Then stand like the brave, with thy face to the foe.

Refrain

Press on, never doubting, thy Captain is near,
With grace to supply, and with comfort to cheer;
His love like a stream in the desert will flow;
Then stand like the brave, with thy face to the foe.

Refrain

When Thy soldiers take their swords,
When they speak the solemn words,
When they kneel before Thee here,
Feeling Thee, their Father, near;
These Thy children, Lord, defend;
To their help Thy Spirit send.

When the world’s sharp strife is nigh,
When they hear the battle cry,
When they rush into the fight,
Knowing not temptation’s might;
These Thy children, Lord, defend;
To their zeal Thy wisdom lend.

When their hearts are lifted high
With success or victory,
When they feel the conqueror’s pride;
Lest they grow self satisfied,
These Thy children, Lord, defend;
Teach their souls to Thee to bend.

When the vows that they have made,
When the prayers that they have prayed,
Shall be fading from their hearts;
When their first warm faith departs;
These Thy children, Lord, defend;
Keep them faithful to the end.

Through life’s conflicts guard us all,
Or if wounded some should fall
Ere the victory be won,
For the sake of Christ, Thy Son,
These Thy children, Lord, defend;
And in death Thy comfort bend.