This song is written by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty. It’s inspired by the many allusions of God’s church waging war – not against flesh and people, but against the sin that still dwells within us and the devil who desires to devour us. Praise God that in Christ and by the Spirit we have the guaranteed victory!

O Church, arise, and put your armour on;
Hear the call of Christ our Captain.
For now the weak can say that they are strong
In the strength that God has given.
With shield of faith and belt of truth,
We’ll stand against the devil’s lies;
An army bold, whose battle-cry is Love,
Reaching out to those in darkness.

Our call to war, to love the captive soul
But to rage against the captor;
And with the sword that makes the wounded whole,
We will fight with faith and valour.
When faced with trials on every side
We know the outcome is secure,
And Christ will have the prize for which He died,
An inheritance of nations.

Come see the cross, where love and mercy meet,
As the Son of God is stricken;
Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet,
For the Conqueror has risen!
And as the stone is rolled away,
And Christ emerges from the grave,
This victory march continues till the day
Every eye and heart shall see Him.

So Spirit, come put strength in every stride,
Give grace for every hurdle,
That we may run with faith to win the prize
Of a servant good and faithful.
As saints of old still line the way,
Retelling triumphs of His grace,
We hear their calls and hunger for the day
When with Christ we stand in glory.

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Christian Henry Bateman (1813-1899) was ordained into the Church of England after being a Congregational minister. Following his ministry at Richmond Place Congregational Church in Edinburgh, Scotland, and successive Congregational parishes in Hopton, Yorkshire, and Reading, Berkshire, he took Holy Orders in the Anglican Church at age 56 and served as a curate and vicar in several Anglican parishes. Australian hymnologist Wesley Milgate noted that Bateman’s hymn is actually a rewritten version of the hymn “Join Now in Praise, and Sing” by William Edward Hickson (1803-1870)¹.

Come, Christians, join to sing
Alleluia! Amen!
Loud praise to Christ our King;
Alleluia! Amen!
Let all, with heart and voice,
Before his throne rejoice;
Praise is his gracious choice:
Alleluia! Amen!

Come, lift your hearts on high,
Alleluia! Amen!
Let praises fill the sky;
Alleluia! Amen!
He is our guide and friend,
To us he’ll condescend;
His love shall never end:
Alleluia! Amen!

Praise yet our Christ again;
Alleluia! Amen!
Life shall not end the strain;
Alleluia! Amen!
On heaven’s blissful shore,
His goodness we’ll adore,
Singing forevermore,
“Alleluia! Amen!”

¹umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-come-christians-join-to-sing

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This song is taken from my favourite worship band’s forthcoming album (which is not yet released). They are a worship group who exists to encourage and equip the church in biblical, beautiful and transformative singing¹. I first heard this song live at a “Night In with Emu” event in Oxford, where they explained the vision of this album was to write songs for congregations specifically about what God says about His Bride, the Church. I love this one as a reminder that we stand as God’s people, redeemed, precious in His sight, standing on the truth, waiting for our Saviour.

Here we stand the church of the redeemed
Ransomed by the blood that sets us free
From the darkness, brought into the light 
Enemies of God now his delight
From the depths called to highest heights
Here we stand, the church of the redeemed
We are his, precious in his sight
Here we stand the church of the redeemed  

Here we stand contending for the faith
Standing for the truth in every age 
We are weak, but Jesus, he is strong
In the Spirit’s power we labour on
And we know victory will be won!
Here we stand contending for the faith
And we know truth will overcome
Here we stand the church of the redeemed

Here we stand but here we don’t belong
Journeying toward our lasting home
Now we weep with weary saints who mourn
Telling all the world the hope of dawn
Christ will come, all will be restored!
Here we stand but here we don’t belong
We will wait ready for our Lord
Here we stand the church of the redeemed

Coda
Every heart overflows with praise 
When at last we stand before the throne
With our King, evermore we’ll reign
Here we stand the church of the redeemed

¹emumusic.com/collections/what-we-do

As a curate in the small town of Windsor, England, Samuel John Stone was aware of his parishioners’ habit of using the Apostles’ Creed in their private prayers. But he was concerned that many of them did not grasp the meaning of what they said. It was in this context that he wrote Lyra Fidelium, which consisted of twelve hymns, one for each article of the Apostles’ Creed. “The Church’s One Foundation” was the hymn he wrote for article 9 of the Creed in 1866, which affirms belief in “the holy catholic church” and “the communion of saints”¹. Depending where you read/listen, you’ll find versions with more/less stanzas. I’ve posted what it seems to be the most common version, and my favourite song version too.

The church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord,
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heaven He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.

Elect from every nation,
Yet one over all the earth;
Her charter of salvation,
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy Name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With every grace endued.

Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping;
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.

The church shall never perish,
Her dear Lord to defend
To guide, sustain and cherish,
Is with her to the end
Though there be those that hate her,
And false sons in her pale
Against a foe or traitor,
She ever shall prevail

Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore;
‘Til, with the vision glorious,
Her longing eyes are blessed,
And the great church victorious
Shall be the church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union
With God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won.
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee.

¹‘https://www.challies.com/articles/hymn-stories-the-churchs-one-foundation-free-download/