7 inspirational hymns for Veterans Day

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Saturday, November 11, 2023

'Soldiers of Christ, Arise'

Prolific 18th century hymn writer Charles Wesley, brother of Methodism founder John Wesley, authored the hymn “Soldiers of Christ, Arise,” with it first appearing in print in the 1740s.

Originally written with 16 stanzas, the hymn has had several melodies attached to it since its first publishing, including the same tune as the classic song “Crown Him With Many Crowns.”

“The hymn encourages us to fight the good fight of the faith,” noted Hymn Studies Blog in a July 2012 entry. “We recognize the figurative nature of these references, but in the spiritual realm we as Christians must wage a good warfare.”