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 every foe is vanquished
And Christ is Lord indeed.
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Stand up for Jesus
Ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner,
It must not, it must not suffer loss.
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.
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,
And, watching unto prayer,
Where duty calls, or danger,
Be never wanting there.
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.
Transcript:
We’re here at the grave of George Duffield Jr. in Elmwood Cemetery, not far from downtown Detroit, Michigan.
George Duffield Jr. (1818–1888) was a second-generation Presbyterian minister—his father was also a well-known preacher—and he faithfully served the gospel for about 48 years across several churches in places like Brooklyn, Bloomfield (New Jersey), Philadelphia, Adrian (Michigan), Galesburg (Illinois), Saginaw, Ann Arbor, and Lansing. He lived to be nearly 70 years old and was a man of letters, earning a D.D. (Doctor of Divinity) degree.
But he’s best remembered today not primarily for his sermons, but for one enduring hymn he wrote: “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus.” Interestingly, the hymn wasn’t inspired by his own experiences or preaching—it came from the dying words of his close friend, Dudley Atkins Tyng.
Tyng was an Episcopalian minister in Philadelphia who was removed from his pastorate at the Church of the Epiphany for boldly preaching against slavery during a time when such views were controversial in many circles. He then turned to evangelism and revival work. Duffield supported him, and together they participated in a major revival movement in Pennsylvania (often called the “Work of God in Philadelphia” in 1858). In one powerful meeting at the YMCA, Tyng preached to over 5,000 young men on Exodus 10:11—”Go now ye that are men, and serve the Lord”—and more than 1,000 professed faith in Christ.
Tragically, shortly after, Tyng suffered a farming accident at his home. His sleeve caught in a corn-sheller, severely mangling his arm. Infection set in, and he died a few days later at age 33. On his deathbed, he asked his father (also a minister) to deliver a message to his fellow ministers: “Tell them all to stand up for Jesus.”
At Tyng’s memorial service, Duffield preached a sermon based on Ephesians 6:14—”Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness”—and closed by reciting a new poem he had written in tribute to his friend. That poem became the hymn “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus.” It was soon printed by the church’s Sunday school superintendent, appeared in a local Christian publication, spread to a Baptist newspaper, and was included in the Presbyterian Church Psalmist (1859 edition), gaining wide circulation.
The hymn is even carved into Duffield’s tombstone here, with these stirring lines:
“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.”
(Full first stanza for context: “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.”)
George Duffield’s body rests here on earth in Elmwood Cemetery, but as the hymn declares, he is now with the King of glory, reigning eternally. His legacy lives on through this call to courageous faith—a reminder that even in loss and tragedy, God can inspire songs that stir hearts for generations.