The Son of God Goes Forth to War

"The Son of God Goes Forth to War" (LSB 661), written by Anglican clergyman Reginald Heber (1783-1826), honors the faith and sacrifice of Christian martyrs, beginning with Stephen, and encourages modern Christians to follow their example.

Sadly, use of this hymn has declined due to contemporary discomfort with its warlike tone. Reservations about the tone, however, are actually nothing new. The pacifist William P. Merill had to defend Heber's hymn in a 1935 lecture to the Hymn Society of America, saying it would be "a distinct loss, and a great one, to the kingdom of God, if we should cease to sing" the hymn, or to change it to "The Son of God goes forth for peace." He argued that the hymn is "full of the martyr spirit at its noblest." For example, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in 2006 eliminated this hymn in its newest hymnal, Evangelical Lutheran Worship. The hymn depicts Christ as a warrior in His conquest of sin and death and it encourages Christians to fight a spiritual battle to defend the faith against all persecution.

Now, to the hymn:

The first stanza is the image of the Son of God going forth to war and alludes to the vision of the rider on the white horse in Revelation. The "blood-red banner" is the image of Christ's bloody robe. At the same time, it recalls the white banner with the red cross typically carried by Christ in images of His resurrection.

The second stanza is entirely focused on the death of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. As Stephen was being stoned, he saw "the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God" (Acts 7:56).

The third stanza expands the circle of martyrs to include the "twelve valiant saints" who received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. These believers fought "the good fight of the faith" (1 Timothy 6:12) and gave their lives for the sake of the Gospel.

The final stanza describes the final destination of this "noble army." They stand around the Savior's throne, like the multitude in white robes around the throne of the Lamb in Revelation 7. This stanza also includes Christians today that we "follow in their train."

1 The Son of God goes forth to war
A kingly crown to gain.
His blood-red banner streams afar;
Who follows in His train?
Who best can drink His cup of woe,
Triumphant over pain,
Who patient bears his cross below—
He follows in His train.

2 The martyr first, whose eagle eye
Could pierce beyond the grave,
Who saw his master in the sky
And called on Him to save.
Like Him, with pardon on His tongue
In midst of mortal pain,
He prayed for those who did the wrong—
Who follows in his train?

3 A glorious band, the chosen few,
On whom the Spirit came,
Twelve valiant saints—their hope they knew
And mocked the cross and flame.
They met the tyrant’s brandished steel,
The lion’s gory mane;
They bowed their necks their death to feel—
Who follows in their train?

4 A noble army, men and boys,
The matron and the maid,
Around the Savior’s throne rejoice,
In robes of light arrayed.
They climbed the steep ascent of heav’n
Through peril, toil, and pain.
O God, to us may grace be giv’n
To follow in their train!

Text: Public domain