Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus

Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus

By: George Duffield, Jr. 

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross; 

Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss; 

From vict'ry unto vict'ry His army shall He lead,

Till ev'ry foe is vanquished and Christ is Lord indeed.

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Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey;

Forth to the mighty conflict in this His glorious day. 

Ye that are men, now serve Him against unnumbered foes;

Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose. 

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Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in His strength alone;

The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own. 

Put on the Gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer;

Where duty calls, or danger, be never wanting there. 

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Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long, 

This day, the noise of battle, the next, the victor's song. 

To Him that overcometh, a crown of life shall be; 

He with the King of Glory shall reign eternally. 

~~~~~

Dudley Tyng served as his father's assistant at Philadelphia's Church of the Epiphany and was elected its pastor when his father retired in 1854. He was only 29 when he succeeded his father at this large Episcopal church, and at first it seemed a great fit. But the honeymoon ended when Dudley began vigorously preaching against slavery. Loud complaints rose from the more conservative members, resulting in Dudley's resignation in 1856.

He and his followers organized the Church of the Covenant elsewhere in the city, and his reputation grew. He began noontime Bible studies at the YMCA, and his ministry reached far beyond his own church walls. Dudley had a burden for leading husbands and fathers to Christ, and he helped organize a great rally to reach men. 

On Tuesday, March 30, 1858, five thousand men gathered. As Dudley looked over the sea of faces he felt overwhelmed. "I would rather this right arm were amputated at the trunk than that I should come short of my duty to you in delivering God's message," he told the crowd. Over a thousand men were converted that day. 

Two weeks later Dudley was visiting in the countryside, watching a corn-thrasher in the barn. His hand moved too close to the machine and his sleeve was snared. His arm was ripped from its socket, the main artery severed. Four days later his right arm was amputated close to the shoulder. When it appeared he was dying, Dudley told his aged father: "Stand up for Jesus, father, and tell my brethren of the ministry to stand up for Jesus." Even though Dudley's death is a sad one to read about, he had the victory through Jesus. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57  ~ O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rev. George Duffield of Philadelphia's Temple Presbyterian Church was deeply stirred by Dudley's funeral, and the following Sunday he preached from Ephesians 6:14 about standing firm for Christ. He read a poem he had written, inspired by Dudley's word: 

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, / Ye soldiers of the cross; /

Life high His royal banner, / It must not suffer loss.

The editor of a hymnal heard the poem, found appropriate music, and published it. "Stand up, Stand Up for Jesus" soon became one of America's favorite hymns, extending Dudley's dying words to millions.   
Taken from Then Sings My Soul by Robert J. Morgan
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Ephesians 6:14
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 

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 Have a good and godly week. 
Yours truly in Christ,
Ashley