Stand up, stand up for Jesus

283 Geibel. 7. 6. 7. 6. D. with refrain.

1 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
   Ye soldiers of the cross!
   Lift high His royal banner -
   It must not suffer loss.
   From vict'ry unto vict'ry,
   His army shall He lead.
   Till ev'ry foe is vanquished.
   And Christ is Lord indeed.

2 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
   The trumpet call obey;
   Forth to the mighty conflict
   In this His glorious day.
   Ye that are men now serve Him
   Against unnumbered foes;
   Let courage rise with danger
   And strength to strength oppose.

3 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
   Stand in His strength alone;
   The arm of flesh will fail you -
   Ye dare not trust your own.
   Put on the gospel armor,
   Each piece put on with prayer;
   Where duty calls or danger,
   Be never wanting there.

4 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
   The strife will not be long;
   This day the noise of battle -
   The next the victor's song.
   To Him that overcometh
   A crown of life shall be;
   He with the King of glory,
   Shall reign eternally.
                         Charles Duffield
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1939 edition

<idle musing>
I don't recall ever singing the refrain included in the Methodist hymnal (not included above). That might be because it is on the next page and so overlooked? Anyway, here it is:

Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
   Ye soldiers of the cross!
   Lift high His royal banner -
   It must not suffer loss.

There's a story behind this hymn according to hymnary.org:

I caught its inspiration from the dying words of that noble young clergyman, Rev. Dudley Atkins Tyng, rector of the Epiphany Church, Philadelphia, who died about 1854. His last words were, "Tell them to stand up for Jesus: now let us sing a hymn." As he had been much persecuted in those pro-slavery days for his persistent course in pleading the cause of the oppressed, it was thought that these words had a peculiar significance in his mind; as if he had said, ‘Stand up for Jesus in the person of the downtrodden slave.' (Luke v. 18.)

Isn't it refreshing to read that standing up for Jesus here doesn't mean standing up for white supremacy as is so often the claim today? Instead, they are standing up to defend the weak and powerless. Would that it were so now!

The original was six verses, with verses 2 and 3 above becoming verses 3 and 4, and verse 4 becoming verse 6:

2. Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
   the solemn watchword hear;
   If while ye sleep He suffers,
   away with shame and fear;
   Where’er ye meet with evil,
   within you or without,
   Charge for the God of battles,
   and put the foe to rout.

5. Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
   each soldier to his post,
   Close up the broken column,
   and shout through all the host:
   Make good the loss so heavy,
   in those that still remain,
   And prove to all around you
   that death itself is gain.

</idle musing>