I was delighted to discover this morning that a musical group I have enjoyed for years—Page CXVI—has a new release. I have been waiting for someone to produce an arrangement of “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” that doesn’t sound like a dirge or a tinny confessional for ages, so when I saw the song listed on their new record I couldn’t click play fast enough. As I sat there singing along, something odd happened. In the very first line of the song, “Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father,” Alattas sang, “O God, Creator.” Naturally, I hopped on ye ole internet to read the lyrics and confirm I was hearing things correctly. To my great disappointment (albeit not shock) her new album not only removes references to God the Father, but favors references instead to God as “mother”. For someone who set out to make hymns relevant to our modern times, she sure has attained her goal. 

The Fainting Couch Failure

There’s a monstrous regiment of women who absolutely do not want you to know that worship is warfare. They don’t like all this “warfare” talk. Flying high above the Apostle Paul, they are shocked and appalled that CHRISTIANS would EVER use shield, weaponry, or BATTLE kind of words! One might say it affronts their sense and sensibilities, if that wouldn’t also rustle their bonnets because the Victorian age—ew! 

So here’s the real irony of the situation: the enemy knows that worship is warfare, and he knows exactly how to wield that sword. The Christian music scene runs rampant with heresy and apostasy, catechizing Christians everywhere into pagan theology, lulling us into singing God is Mother (or God as “creator”, whatever removes that evil patriarchy from among us). All the while, so-called “confessional” Christians decry warfare language and demand androgynous discipleship in the pews. And we wonder why Russell Moore is producing videos about his favorite Johnny Cash songs while California is outlawing singing in church. 

 Worship Does Something

There’s a reason the enemy doesn’t want you to sing, and that’s because it glorifies God and it changes you. What you sing is what you reflect on. Singing is meditation. Singing is worship. Songs get “stuck” inside of you. Songs move you in one direction or the other. Worship is warfare. A singing people is a revived people. A singing people is a joyful people. A singing people go into battle well. Music and song, well that was God’s idea. And he gave us a hymnal in the form of the largest book in His Word. Ever sang a Psalm? Try it. 

Parents, put a song on your children’s lips. Give them Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Eph 5:19). You know the world is going to try to. You know they’re going to learn the words to “Let It Go”, a masterclass in narcissism and obnoxiousness if there ever was one. You can do better. You can teach them to sing, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow!”  

The honest truth is, you aren’t strong enough to not be singing. Your heart isn’t right enough for your lips to be still. You need Gospel renewal every day. You need the joy of the Lord every single day. You need a constant reminder that Jesus is King because five minutes after you finish your five minute devotional for the day, you might be living like you are king. God has given you tools to fight against your flesh, and one of them is song. 

How can you make sure you are “rejoicing in the Lord always” (Phil 4:4)? Has the Lord dealt bountifully with you? Sing! (Psalm 13:6). How can you influence others to glorify God? Sing! (Romans 15:9). How can you wage war against your flesh? Sing! (Psalm 40:3). 

It Really Is a Good Fight

Want a test of your attitude in any given situation? Here it is: Ask yourself if you can honestly sing the Doxology in response. If you can’t, you have some praying and repenting to do. Singing praise to God is warring against the flesh and the Devil. The state of California knows this. Pagans in the Christian music scene know this. The Bible plainly tells us this. Believe it, and act accordingly!

Today we have no excuse. If you have access to the internet (and I dare say that you do) you can stream music that the world hates right this very second. You can fill your home with the sound of praise. You can teach your heart a new song. You can renew your mind and have the truth of God’s word “stuck” in it. You can use these glorious tools given to us by God’s grace to praise Him and renew your mind. 

So stream those hymns. Stream those Psalms. Stream those spiritual songs. Let’s fill up our social media feeds with beautiful words that glorify God. Share your favorite hymn. Post your favorite lyrics. The world succeeds in getting all kinds of things moving on the internet with hashtags and clever posts because they deeply believe in their cause. Our cause is to glorify God, so let us do it with fervor. Let us praise God loudly, boldly, unafraid of man, unbothered by sidelined Christians uninterested in the battle against the flesh. Sing praises to God, and fear not the gates of Hell. 

 

 

 

 

SUMMER JAEGER

Summer Jaeger is the wife to one excellent man and a homeschooling mother of four. When she is not blogging or podcasting, she is perfecting the art of the slow-cooked meal and wishing she was taking long-ish walks on the beach.

@SummrWrites Facebook sheologiansblog@gmail.com