"Only Victory" Explanation

Our brand new single is a fun one, to me, because of the fast-paced energy of the main riff and vocal combo and the "no bones about it" way they kick in at full force from the first second. And what an honor to have Rocky Gray record some leads and such a killer guitar solo! Living Sacrifice has been one of the biggest influences on my own musical tastes and the direction of this band, so it is beyond cool to have him featured on a track of ours.

As for the lyrics, they probably need no explanation, but I'll still break them down a little and elaborate on the message, which is the absolute, unequivocal victory of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We bear the hate of a world at war

Mad on the wine of the great whore

Hell-bent on subverting it all

Loath to the truth

Satan and those who presently believe themselves to benefit from the corrupt world system despise the truth and all those bold enough to speak it. Followers of Jesus are often viewed with hostility by those who believe God's way is too narrow-minded or intolerant. There is what truly seems to be a madness gripping many these days, a hatred for the most beautiful ,sacred, and foundational aspects of human existence. Simply believing that children need two parents or that men are not women is now enough to make a great deal of people regard me as an evil person. The very idea of any transcendent truth according to which we ought to orient ourselves is infuriating to many.

(Also, we've deduced that my inclusion of the word "whore" here [a reference to Revelation 17, "Babylon the great, mother of harlots"] is the reason there's an "Explicit" icon beside the song title on streaming services.)

Misery reigns in the hearts of all death's loyal slaves

They'd silence God Himself if they had the power to

These words are intended as an encouragement to anyone who finds themselves as an object of ridicule or contempt for simply speaking truth, especially the Gospel. I refer to those obsessed with denouncing God and His created order as loyal slaves of death, because in a very real sense that is exactly what they are. God is the source and sustainer of life, and apart from Him is only death. There is an emptiness in the human heart in separation from its Creator that, when allowed to lead us, can and will bring a depth of misery that cannot be overstated. And very often the deeper the misery, the more bitterness aimed toward God, the only one who can offer any real hope or resolution. There are people I know in my personal life who are so dead set on proving that their way is best that they'd rather die than submit to any authority that doesn't affirm their perception (read: delusion). Some people's true issue isn't any lack of evidence for God's existence, but the fact that they don't get to be God themselves. If these kind of people hate you or try to demonize you for simple honesty, take comfort in the fact that they also hate and demonize God, the definitive arbiter of morality itself.

Be not afraid

For though the dead will call your name

To no avail this war they wage

This is a further call to take heart in the face of being vilified for holding to what is true. Reality inescapably favors the truth. No matter how the evil and the foolish might manipulate language or seek to eradicate objective reality, they simply will not succeed. Our words are only valuable inasmuch as they accurately correspond with reality. The Word is the only authority on what is true. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:1-5)

No panic, no threat

No shadows overtaking

No damage, no death

No ruin

Only victory

There is no threat of loss for those in Christ. There is no uncertainty in terms of who prevails in the end. There is no reason to fear the ultimate outcome of the spiritual war in which believers find themselves. There is nothing more certain than God's complete, eternal victory.

Blood of the Lamb

Resurrecting the dead and the damned

Conquering all, He triumphs over hell

Nothing can stand against the power of Jesus; the power of my Lord and my God. By His blood, He extends an offer of hope, redemption, and life to any who will repent and believe. "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) What an unthinkable blessing to be able to share in Christ's reward.

Be not ashamed

Step forward when they call your name

With eyes transfixed upon His face

We should never be ashamed to be mistreated or excluded because of Jesus. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Him. Nothing this world could offer can compare with what we have in Him.

No fatal sting

Only victory

Again, there truly is no threat for those found in Christ, the Lord of all. He has dominion over all things..

Thine is the Kingdom

Thine is the throne

Thine is the victory

Thine alone

God alone is sovereign. To God alone belong all glory, power, and victory. There is none like Him.

We know the way

Whose name is over every name

I've seen His triumph and I know my fate

I can rest in Christ's triumph. His resurrection proves His love and His authority over even death and hell. It secures for all who believe in Him the promises He has given us. In John 14:9, He says, "Because I live, you also will live". The King of Kings is alive, and in Him my future is secure.

No penance, no debt

No failure's shame await me

No damage, no death

No ruin

Only victory

I have been redeemed by the blood of my Lord. I have been made an heir of God through Christ. If the world should turn on me with all the fury it can muster, my victory remains certain, and only because of Him. What a wonderful, wonderful truth: In Christ there is only victory.