Be an Overcomer
1 Be an overcomer, only cowards yield
When the foe they meet on the battlefield;
We are blood-bought princes of the royal host,
And must falter not, nor desert our post.
Refrain:
Never yield a step in the hottest fight,
God will send you help from the realms of light;
In Jehovah’s might put the foe to flight,
And the victor’s crown you shall wear at last.
Camp Meeting is finally here! It’s a time we at Christ Church celebrate through song the traditions of our camp meeting/revival heritage. We sing songs we all grew up singing at church. Many are dear to our hearts and help remind us of God’s great love for us and the sacrifice given. “Be an Overcomer” is one of those songs.
Although this song was new to me…Pastor Terry grew up with this one… I quickly fell in love with its message that we are ALREADY overcomers through Christ. The battle is already won.
The song came from a musical era that emphasized the theme of the christian spiritual battle. Many songs like “Marching to Zion”, “Onward, Christian Soldiers”, “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus” were popular in the early to mid 20th century. Now, these “Militaristic” style of hymns are few but still remain a popular theme that encourages courage, perseverance, and victory in our spiritual battle.
Hymn writers like Charles Naylor, Fannie Crosby and Arthur Sullivan popularized this militaristic style along with others like Martin Luther (“A Mighty Fortress”), Charles Wesley (“Soldiers of Christ, Arise”), and Isaac Watts (“O God, Our Help in Ages Past” and “Come ye that love the Lord” - often sung with the chorus "We’re marching to Zion")
Rooted in the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) tradition, "Be an Overcomer," was published in 1907 and encourages believers to find strength and victory in Christ. The song emphasizes that believers are already overcomers through Christ's victory. It is a call to spiritual warfare, encouraging believers to persevere in their faith despite the challenges they face.
Here is an audio recording of “Be an Overcomer”. I pray you will take the time to read the lyric/text and be encouraged in your faith this week…because Christ has made us all overcomers.
Blessings,
Dorene