Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus George Duffield Jr., 1858
4 verses, public domain, free to print and project.
The words
Verse 1. 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.
Verse 2. 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;
Your courage rise with danger,
And strength to strength oppose.
Verse 3. 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.
Verse 4. 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!
Words copied from The Otterbein Hymnal (1892). They were published in 1858, so they are in the public domain in the United States, and your church may print them, show them and sing them without a license.
The hymn library's slide and print features are made by Church Posting.
The story behind Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus
George Duffield Jr. wrote Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus in 1858 after the death of Dudley A. Tyng. Tyng had preached in the 1858 revival in Philadelphia, and his midday YMCA services drew crowds of up to 5,000. Weeks later an accident with a corn thresher injured his arm. Infection followed, and he died a few days afterward. His reported last words urged others to stand up for Jesus. Duffield, a Presbyterian minister, preached on Ephesians 6:14 for Tyng and ended by reading his new hymn. Hymnary dates the first reading to April 25, 1858, at Tyng's memorial service. Discipleship Ministries places the sermon on the Sunday after the funeral, so the two sources differ by a few days. The hymn went out first as a leaflet and then appeared in The Church Psalmist in 1859. A Sunday school superintendent spread it through the church's classes, and the editor of a Baptist periodical promoted it. The usual tune, WEBB, comes from George J. Webb, who wrote it on a voyage from England to the United States. It was published in 1837 in The Odeon, which Webb compiled with Lowell Mason, and it carried a different text there. The Wesleyan Psalmist used it in 1842 for The Morning Light Is Breaking, which gave the tune its second name, MORNING LIGHT. William Bradbury joined the tune to Duffield's words, and Ira Sankey's hymnals spread the pairing.
George Duffield Jr.
1818-09-12 to 1888
George Duffield Jr. was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on September 12, 1818, the son of a well-known Presbyterian minister. He graduated from Yale College and Union Theological Seminary and served Presbyterian churches in Brooklyn, Bloomfield, Philadelphia and several Michigan towns, including Ann Arbor and Lansing. He later served as a regent of the University of Michigan and edited the Christian Observer. He used his own money to start small congregations and support evangelism. He wrote Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus in 1858 after the death of Dudley Tyng. He died in Bloomfield, New Jersey, in 1888.
George James Webb
1803 to 1887
George James Webb was born near Salisbury, Wiltshire, in 1803 and studied organ at Salisbury Cathedral. He moved to the United States in 1830 and served as organist at Old South Church in Boston for about forty years. He taught singing, wrote books on voice teaching, and edited several songbooks. He compiled The Odeon with Lowell Mason, and his tune WEBB first appeared there in 1837 with a different text. The tune later carried The Morning Light Is Breaking, which gave it the second name MORNING LIGHT. William Bradbury paired it with Duffield's words, and Ira Sankey's hymnals spread that pairing. Webb died in Orange, New Jersey, in 1887.
- History of Hymns: Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus (Discipleship Ministries) , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org, text Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org, tune WEBB , read 2026-10-16
Scripture in Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus
The Bible passages behind the words, with the verse of the hymn that draws on each.
- Ephesians 6:14 In verse 14 of the hymn
- 2 Timothy 2:3 In verse 3 of the hymn
- 1 Corinthians 16:13 In verse 13 of the hymn
- Revelation 2:10 In verse 10 of the hymn
- 2 Timothy 4:7-8
Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus videos
-
"Stand up Stand up for Jesus" UMH514 with lyrics HaytiUMC, Congregation
-
Stand Up, Stand Up For Jesus • Congregational Daniel Baptist, Congregation
-
"Stand Up Stand Up For Jesus" by 250 Voice Mass Choir for Classic Hymns album " Our God Reigns" Classic Hymns, Choir
-
Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus - A Cappella Hymn A Cappella Hymns, A cappella
-
Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus - piano instrumental hymn Kaleb Brasee, Piano
Videos play from YouTube, and nothing loads from YouTube until you press play. A video may sing different verses from the ones printed on this page.
Print and project
Chords and keys
Hymnals print it in B♭, A or A♭.
Questions people ask
What is the story behind Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus?
George Duffield Jr. wrote it in 1858 after Dudley Tyng died of an infection that followed a farm accident. Tyng's reported last words urged others to stand up for Jesus, and Duffield read the hymn at the close of a sermon on Ephesians 6:14.
Who wrote Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus?
George Duffield Jr. wrote the words in 1858. George Webb wrote the tune WEBB, published in 1837.
What is the song Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus about?
It calls believers to spiritual battle in the language of Ephesians 6. Hymnary also lists 2 Timothy 2:3, 1 Corinthians 16:13 and Revelation 2:10.
What key is Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus in?
B-flat major is the most common key for WEBB in Hymnary's listings. Some hymnals print it in A, and the 2008 Baptist Hymnal prints it in A-flat.
Is Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus in the public domain?
Yes. Duffield's words were first published in 1858 and Webb's tune in 1837, and both are public domain in the United States. Modern arrangements may be copyrighted.
On this page