Chord," in 1872 composed the stirring music now used for
Baring-Gould's hymn.

Objection has sometimes been voiced against the hymn because of its
martial spirit. However, it should be noted that this hymn gives not the
slightest hint of warfare with carnal weapons. The allusion is to
spiritual warfare, and the warrior is the Christian soldier.

We are reminded throughout this hymn of Paul's martial imagery in the
sixth chapter of Ephesians, where he tells us that "our wrestling is not
against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the
powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual
hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places," and admonishes us to put on
"the whole armor of God." We also recall the same apostle's exhortation
to Timothy to "war the good warfare," and to "fight the good fight of
faith."

It is salutary to be reminded by such a hymn as this of the heroic
character of the Christian life. The follower of Jesus is not to sit with
folded hands and sing his way into Paradise. A sickly, sentimental
religion has no more place in the Christian Church today than it had in
those early days when apostles and martyrs sealed their faith with their
life-blood. Baring-Gould's hymn seems almost an exultant answer to Isaac
Watts' challenging stanza:

Must I be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas?

We sometimes hear it said that the Church of Christ has fallen on evil
days, and more than one faithful soul fears for the future. Baring-Gould
has reminded us here of Christ's "own promise" that, though kingdoms may
rise and fall, His kingdom shall ever remain, for the gates of hell shall
not prevail against it.

During a desperate battle between the French and Austrians in the
Napoleonic wars, a French officer rushed to his commander and exclaimed,
"The battle is lost!" Quietly the general answered, "One battle is lost,
but there is time to win another." Inspired by the commander's
unconquerable optimism, the French army renewed the struggle and snatched
victory out of the jaws of defeat. That has ever been the history of the
Church of Christ.

Baring-Gould was one of England's most versatile ministers. In addition
to his hymn-writing, he was a novelist of considerable reputation. For
many years he regularly produced a novel every year. His "Lives of the
Saints" in fifteen volu