This popular hymn was written in 1858 by Presbyterian minister George Duffield Junior. The following passage, written by Duffield and quoted at www.cyberhymnal.org, explains in his own words how the hymn came to be written:
'Stand Up for Jesus' was the dying message of the Reverend Dudley A. Tyng to the Young Men's Christian Association… The Sabbath before his death he preached in the immense edifice known as Jaynes? Hall, one of the most successful sermons of modern times. Of the five thousand men there assembled, at least one thousand, it was believed were 'the slain of the Lord'… The following Wednesday, leaving his study for a moment, he went to the barn floor,where a mule was at work on a horse-power, shelling corn. Patting him on the neck, the sleeve of his silk study gown caught in the cogs of the wheel, and his arm was torn out the roots! His death occurred in a few hours. The author of the hymn preached from Ephesians 6:14, and the … verses were written simply as the concluding exhortation. The superintendent of the Sabbath school had a fly-leaf printed for the children - a stray copy found its way into a Baptist newspaper, from that paper it has gone … all over the world.
The second verse is not often sung these days, and the penultimate verse hardly at all. The tune is 'Morning Light' by George J Webb, 1830, otherwise known as 'Webb'.
Stand up! Stand up for Jesus,
Ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner,
It must not suffer loss.
From victory unto victory
His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished,
And Christ is Lord indeed.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
The solemn watchword hear;
If while ye sleep He suffers,
Away with shame and fear;
Where'er ye meet with evil,
Within you or without,
Charge for the God of battles,
and put the foe to rout.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
The trumpet call obey;
Forth to the mighty conflict,
In this His glorious day.
Ye that are brave1 now serve Him
Against unnumbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger,
And strength to strength oppose.
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.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
Each soldier to his post,
Close up the broken column,
And shout through all the host:
Make good the loss so heavy,
In those that still remain,
And prove to all around you
That death itself is gain.
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 those who vanquish evil2
A crown of life shall be;
They with the King of Glory
Shall reign eternally.
1: A more sexist text has 'ye that are men now serve him' here, ...
2: ... and 'To him that overcometh' here, and 'He with...' two lines after.
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