Faith is the Victory -- John Yates

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.

Refrain:

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 every field.

The faith by which they conquered death

Is still our shining shield.

Refrain

On every 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.

Refrain

To him that 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 hill of light,

Our hearts with love aflame,

We’ll vanquish all the hosts of night,

In Jesus’ conqu’ring Name.

Refrain

Departure (or Apostasy)

Paul, in his two letters to Timothy, uses a Greek word with telling effect. We have the word in English as “apostasy”; it is often translated “departure.” In 1 Timothy 1:20, he tells us of two leaders who left the faith, who apostatized, Hymenaeus and Alexander. Paul then declares in 1 Timothy 4:1 that many shall depart, and the word he uses is apostesontai. Then, in 2 Timothy 2:19 Paul declares, “[L]et every one that nameth the name of Christ depart [aposteto] from iniquity.” What Paul is telling us is that life is growth; it is movement in one direction or another. Our lives are either marked by an apostasy or departure from sin, or they are an apostasy or departure from Christ. We do not stand still. The life of faith is more than words: it is growth. Time is a constant movement and departure. We can no more stand still in Christ (or against Christ) than we can remain at the age of thirty-nine forever. God has created a world of time and change, and we must therefore be forever growing in terms of His law and Word. The refusal to grow is death." --R. J. Rushdoony Taken from A Word In Season: Daily Messages on the Faith for All of Life, Volume 4, p. 39.