▁English ▁h ymn . ▁The ▁words ▁were ▁written ▁by ▁Charles ▁Wes ley ▁( 1 7 0 7 – 1 7 8 8 ), ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁line ▁(" S old iers ▁of ▁Christ , ▁arise , ▁and ▁put ▁your ▁arm our ▁on ") ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁arm our ▁of ▁God ▁in ▁E ph es ians ▁ 6 : 1 0 – 1 8 . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Wes ley ▁initially ▁wrote ▁the ▁h ymn ▁as ▁a ▁poem ▁titled ▁" The ▁Wh ole ▁Arm our ▁of ▁God , ▁E ph es ians ▁VI " ▁in ▁ 1 7 4 7 ▁and ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁defend ▁against ▁criticism ▁of ▁Method ism ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom . ▁ ▁During ▁their ▁evangel ical ▁care ers , ▁both ▁Charles ▁Wes ley ▁and ▁his ▁brother ▁John ▁Wes ley ▁received ▁physical ▁ab use ▁because ▁of ▁them . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁this ▁h ymn ▁was ▁written ▁and ▁also ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁" The ▁Christian ' s ▁bug le ▁bl ast " ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁military ▁references ▁and ▁the ▁apparent ▁call ▁to ▁arms ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁set ▁to ▁music . ▁The ▁h ymn ▁was ▁published ▁as ▁" S old iers ▁of ▁Christ , ▁Ar ise " ▁in ▁ 1 7 4 9 ▁in ▁" H ym ns ▁and ▁Sac red ▁Po ems " ▁with ▁ 1 6 ▁vers es ▁of ▁ 8 ▁lines . ▁In ▁ 1 7 8 0 , ▁it ▁was ▁published ▁as ▁a ▁h ymn ▁in ▁John ▁Wes ley ' s ▁" A ▁Collection ▁of ▁H ym ns