February 10, 2021 (Wednesday)
“Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith, live like men, be strong! Let everything that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:13 Phillips).
This blog resembles the previous four blogs about secular songs of a spiritual life that echoes Christ’s call to you and me. When I hear this song, from a 1940 movie, I cannot keep myself from thinking about Paul’s teaching about our being soldiers in the Lord’s army, in Ephesians 6, where he calls upon us to take our stand for Christ, standing firm with “right” against “wrong.” When you listen to the song below, think of Christ leading His people in battles against evil spiritual forces, calling upon them to be strong and brave.
Like the songs in recent blogs, it is a secular song that stirs spiritual thoughts in the hearts of Christian people who have pledged themselves to follow Christ wherever He leads, doing whatever He commands us to do.
In Ephesians 6, the Apostle Paul describes our spiritual armor, which we must wear as we do battle for Christ in today’s world. He describes the warfare as spiritual in nature–fought when clothed with God’s armor. Good always conquers evil in the long run, and we must discipline ourselves to take our stand with Christ on the side that prepares us for eternal fellowship with Christ in Heaven.
STOUTHEARTED MEN
Music, Sigmund Romberg
Lyrics, Oscar Hammerstein II
1928
Give me some men who are stouthearted men
Who will fight for the right they adore
Start me with ten who are stouthearted men
And I’ll soon give you ten thousand more
Shoulder to shoulder and bolder and bolder
They grow as they go to the fore
Then there’s nothing in the world can halt or mar a plan
When stouthearted men can stick together man to man
You who have dreams, if you act they’ll come true
To turn your dreams to a fact, it’s up to you
If you have the soul and the spirit
Never fear it, you’ll see it through
Hearts can inspire
Other hearts with their fire
For the strong obey
When a strong man shows them the way
Oh, give me some men who are stouthearted men
Who will fight for the right they adore…
Shoulder to shoulder and bolder and bolder
They grow as they go to the fore
Then there’s nothing in the world can halt or mar a plan
When stouthearted men can stick together man to man