1. The truth of God will triumph yet
Against the hosts of hell:
The platform of eternal right
Upholds the true gospel.
Take courage then, despising fear;
Quit ye like men, be strong!
Now press the battle to the gates
And triumph over wrong.
2. The hail will sweep away the lies,
Vain refuge of the foe;
The hammer of His word will break
The chains of sin and woe,
Take Spirit’s sword, the armory
Of light and righteousness;
As Gideon’s band descend upon
The tents of wickedness.
3. The weapons of our last warfare
Are not the carnal kind;
Compelling pow’r and flattery
Belong to carnal mind.
By truth and love we’ll overcome
The beast and false prophet;
In Jesus’ holy name we’ll tread
The devil underfoot.
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Congregation – from Germany
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The text of this song was penned by Robert Brinsmead during the days of the Awakening message. It is perhaps one of the finest pieces of Christian war poetry since Onward, Christian Soldiers, although I prefer this song over that older song because of its prophetic utterance and relevance to the last battle we are now facing.
Many Bible allusions find their way into this powerful song:
Verse 1
- “the truth of God will triumph” – calls to mind the great triumph that God won for the Israelites when He delivered them from Egypt, Exodus 15:1.
- “against the hosts of hell” – reminds of Revelation 12, and the war in heaven which has been extended to this earth. We “wrestle…against the rulers of darkness..against spiritual wickedness…” Ephesians 6:12.
- “the platform of eternal right” – comes from a vision of Ellen G. White, where she saw the Three Angel’s Messages of Revelation 14 as a firm platform of truth, Early Writings, p. 259, 260.
- “take courage” – reminds of David’s parting speech to his son Solomon; he advised his son that his prosperity depended on adherence to God’s statutes and judgments, and then said, “Be strong, and of good courage.” 1 Chronicles 22:13
- “despising fear” – a very bold faith is here described; it not only puts aside fear, but despises it!
- “quit ye like men, be strong” – quoted by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 16:13 to encourage the Christians, it was borrowed from the rallying call of the Philistines in the Old Testament, 1 Samuel 4:9 (when they captured the Ark in battle).
- “pressing the battle to the gates” – took place after David’s victory over Goliath, when the Israelites pursued the Philistines to the “gates of Ekron.” 1 Samuel 17:52
Verse 2
- “the hail will sweep away the lies” – is a reference to Isaiah 28:17, and probably refers to the truth falling like hail against error. Of course, the final hailstorm that pounds the earth just before the appearing of Christ (Revelation 16:21), is also indicated here, and will likewise make an end to man’s refuge of lies: the belief that he will be okay even though he satisfies the evil lusts of his heart.
- “the hammer of His word” – is a reference to Jeremiah 23:29, “Is not my word…like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”
- “the chains of sin and woe” – reminds of the many Bible references to the bondage of sin. The gospel message speaks of deliverance from the enslaving power of sin. Luke 4:18, Romans 6:14.
- “Take Spirit’s sword, the armory of light and righteousness” – parts of the armour of the Christian mentioned in Ephesians 6:13-17.
- “As Gideon’s band” – a reference to Gideon’s amazing victory over the Midianites, recorded in Judges 7.
Verse 3
- “the weapons…not carnal” – Paul’s words about the Christian war, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” 2 Corinthians 10:4
- “compelling power and flattery” – a reference to the two weapons Satan and evil men use to promote their cause: first, flattery of others to gain their trust and support; and if that fails, then the use of compelling power to force them into cooperation. “Compelling power is found only under Satan’s government.” The Desire of Ages, p. 759
- “by truth and love” – these are the two weapons of God’s kingdom. “God’s government is moral, and truth and love are to be the prevailing power.” The Desire of Ages, p. 759
- “the beast and false prophet” – the final enemies of God’s truth, mentioned in Revelation 13.
- “In Jesus’ holy name we’ll tread the devil underfoot.” – a reference to the first prophecy in Genesis 3:15 “…it [the woman’s seed, Jesus] shall bruise thy [the serpent, Satan] head” and in Romans 16:20 “…the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.”
This is sacred poetry at it’s finest: all those precious truths condensed into a few brief verses!
