Faith Is the Victory
Although the thought of the chorus is clear -- hence the song's popularity -- the images conjured by the verses (especially verse 1) are more opaque. The idea is that Christians are encamped at the verges of heaven and are engaged in a fight below. The song is a bit unclear about who the "foe" is and singers are probably forgiven if they assume it is the people in the world around them. Surely not. Those are whom we wish to rescue. Some clarification therefore seems in order as well as updating some words no longer in common use.
Original lyrics:
Encamped along the hills of light,
YE Christian soldiers, rise,
And press the battle ere the night
Shall veil the glowing skies.
Against the foe in vales below,
Let all our strength be hurled;
Faith is the victory we know,
That overcomes the world.
Faith is the victory!
Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory
That overcomes the world.
His banner over us is love,
Our sword the Word of God;
We tread the road the saints above
With shouts of triumph trod.
By faith they, like a whirlwind’s breath,
Swept on o’er ev’ry field;
The faith by which they conquered death
Is still our shining shield.
On ev’ry hand the foe we find
Drawn up in dread array;
Let tents of ease be left behind,
And – onward to the fray.
Salvation’s helmet on each head,
With truth all girt about,
The earth shall tremble ‘neath our tread,
And echo with our shout.
To him who overcomes the foe
White raiment shall be giv’n;
Before the angels he shall know
His name confessed in heav’n.
Then onward from the hills of light,
Our hearts with love aflame;
We’ll vanquish all the hosts of night,
In Jesus’ conq’ring name.
Lyrics by John H. Yates
Comments and Suggestions:
A number of comments on renewal. The skies are presumably "glowing" with God's welcoming love and grace, but we are today more used to associating this with God "shining." I prefer changing the emphasis from whom we are fighting against to whom we are fighting for. As noted, singers all to easily may think the people around us in the world are the enemy. Instead of "lost in sin," one could say "bound by sin" or "caught in sin" or "trapped in sin." Although I like and preserve the word "saints" in most contexts, the confusion created by the word seems a distraction here given other difficulties raised by the lyrics. "Dreadful sight" is what "dread array" means; whether you agree with that image is another issue. I can't remember the last time I "girted" myself. "Fitted out" is a good metaphor still in common use when referring to trip preparations and thus works well here. "Confession" is used here in an odd sense; does God "confess" anything? "Announced" seems more to the point.
Renewal lyrics:
Encamped BY HEAVEN’S hills of light,
ALL Christian soldiers, rise,
And FIGHT the battle ere the night
OBSCURES the SHINING skies.
Against the foe in vales below
or: TO SAVE THOSE LOST IN SIN below,
Let all our strength be hurled;
Faith is the victory we know,
That overcomes the world.
Faith is the victory!
Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory
That overcomes the world.
His banner over us is love,
Our sword the Word of God;
We WALK the road the SAVED above
With shouts of triumph trod.
By faith they, like a whirlwind’s breath,
Swept OVER ev’ry field;
The faith by which they conquered death
Is still our shining shield.
OUR ENEMY ALL 'ROUND we find
Drawn up in DREADFUL SIGHT;
Let LIVES of ease be left behind,
And – onward to the FIGHT.
Salvation’s helmet on each head,
With truth WE'RE FITTED OUT,
The earth shall tremble ‘neath our tread,
And echo with our shout.
To him who overcomes the foe
White ROBES ABOVE ARE giv’n;
Before the angels he shall know
His name ANNOUNCED in heav’n.
Then on FROM HEAV’NLY hills of light,
Our hearts with love aflame;
We’ll CRUSH THE ARMIES of THE night,
In Jesus’ conq’ring name.
Renewal lyric changes by RH Reinhard (c) 2014