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“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
— Philippians 4:4 (NIV)
The central theme of this song is not an emotion, but a command. The Word of God does not say, “If you feel like it, rejoice.” It says, “Rejoice… always.” That immediately confronts us with a question: How can God demand joy in every circumstance?
To answer that, we must see that biblical joy is:
This song weaves together Philippians 4, Nehemiah 8, Habakkuk 3, and Hebrews 12. All of these passages present one central truth:
> Joy in God is both our duty and our spiritual warfare.
Joy is not a luxury. It is a weapon. It is strength. It is an act of faith when everything visible contradicts it.
Let us look at what the Word of God says.
These are not disconnected verses. Together they form a spiritual pattern:
Rejoicing in the Lord, in all circumstances, is the expression of a heart fixed on God and freed from anxiety, strengthened by His joy, and anchored in Jesus.
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### Philippians 4:4–6 – Joy from a Prison Cell
Paul wrote the epistle to the Philippians from prison. Humanly speaking, he had every reason to complain and none to rejoice:
Yet this letter is called “the epistle of joy.” The word “rejoice” (chairo) and “joy” (chara) appear repeatedly. Paul is not writing from comfort. He is writing from confinement.
So when he says, “Rejoice in the Lord always,” he is not giving theory. He is describing the spiritual discipline that sustains a believer in the darkest places.
Philippi itself was a Roman colony. The church there had seen persecution from the beginning (Acts 16). Paul and Silas were imprisoned there, and what did they do at midnight?
> “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God…” (Acts 16:25)
That was the practical outworking of this command: Rejoice in the Lord in the darkest hour, and watch God move.
### Nehemiah 8:10 – Joy in the Midst of Conviction
In Nehemiah 8, Israel had returned from exile. The walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt. Ezra read the Law aloud to the people, and as they heard the Word, they began to weep. Conviction came. They saw their sin and their failure.
Then Nehemiah and the Levites said:
> “This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)
Notice: They were not told to ignore their sin, but having heard the Word and turned their hearts, they were now called to move from grief to joy. Holiness and joy go together. The day was holy; therefore, it was a day for joy, not for continual mourning.
The strength they now needed to rebuild, obey, and walk forward would not come from their own resolve, but from the joy of the Lord.
### Habakkuk 3:17–18 – Joy with No Visible Reason
Habakkuk lived in a time of impending judgment. God had revealed that the Babylonians were going to invade. Economically, socially, and militarily, devastation was coming. He lists:
In an agrarian society, that means: no food, no income, no security.
And yet he says:
> “…yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (Habakkuk 3:18)
This is defiant joy—a deliberate choice to rejoice in God without one shred of visible evidence that things will improve.
### Hebrews 12:2 – The Pattern of Jesus
The writer to the Hebrews tells us to run our race:
> “…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:2)
Jesus endured the cross, not because He enjoyed pain, but because of “the joy set before Him”—the outcome, the Father’s will accomplished, the redeemed people brought to glory.
That is the ultimate model of faith-filled joy: rejoicing not in present comfort, but in ultimate outcome, rooted in God’s purpose.
---
### 1. “Rejoice” – Greek: *chairete* (χαίρετε)
In Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always” is *chairete*—a present imperative plural. That means:
The root verb *chairō* means “to be glad, to be delighted,” but in the New Testament, especially in Paul’s writings, it is often tied explicitly to the Lord:
It is not merely “Be happy.” It is: “Let your gladness be anchored in the Lord—who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised.”
So when the song says:
> “Find your joy not in what changes
> But in the One who never fails”
That is precisely the nuance of *chairete en Kyriō*—rejoice in the Lord, not in circumstances.
### 2. “Joy” – Hebrew: *chedvah* (חֶדְוָה) in Nehemiah 8:10
In Nehemiah 8:10, “the joy of the LORD is your strength” uses the Hebrew word *chedvah*. It carries the sense of gladness, rejoicing, delight. But note: It is “the joy of the LORD”:
The phrase “is your strength” uses the word *ma‘oz* (מָעוֹז), meaning stronghold, refuge, fortress, strength.
So the sense is:
“The gladness that comes from the Lord Himself functions as your fortress, your place of strength.”
Joy here is not a fragile feeling. It is a spiritual stronghold.
The lyrics say:
> “The joy of the Lord is your strength
> …Choose joy as your armor
> And watch the enemy flee”
That is very accurate spiritually. Joy, rooted in God, is protective. It is part of spiritual warfare. It resists heaviness, despair, and demonic oppression.
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### Verse 1
“Rejoice in the Lord always
I’ll say it again—rejoice!
Even when the days are heavy
Even when the night feels long
Find your joy not in what changes
But in the One who never fails”
This verse restates Philippians 4:4 and applies it:
1. “Rejoice… always” – The command is unconditional.
2. “Even when the days are heavy / the night feels long”
The Bible fully recognizes seasons of heaviness:
3. “Find your joy not in what changes / But in the One who never fails”
Here is the essence of Christian stability:
If your joy is in money, health, reputation, relationships—these all change. When they change, your joy collapses. But joy in the Lord is unshaken because He is unchanging.
### Chorus
“Rejoice in the Lord always
I will say it again: Rejoice!”
This echoes Paul’s repetition. Why does he repeat it? Because our fallen nature resists it. We argue inwardly:
So the Spirit, through Paul, says, “I will say it again.” Repetition in Scripture is emphasis from God. It means: “This is non-negotiable.”
### Verse 2
“Let your gentle spirit be known to everyone
The Lord is near—don’t be anxious about anything
Instead, in every situation
Bring your requests to God with prayer
With thanksgiving filling your heart
Present your needs to Him”
This is almost a paraphrase of Philippians 4:5–6.
1. “Let your gentle spirit be known to everyone”
Philippians 4:5: “Let your gentleness be evident to all.”
The Greek word is *epieikēs*—yielding, gentle, gracious, forbearing. It describes a person:
Joy in the Lord produces a gentle disposition. Many believers want joy without transformation of character. But Paul links joy, gentleness, and freedom from anxiety together.
2. “The Lord is near—don’t be anxious about anything”
The reason we can be gentle and un-anxious: “The Lord is near.”
This can mean:
Both truths remove the basis for panic. Anxiety is usually rooted in a sense of isolation: “I am alone, I must control everything.” But if the Lord is near, anxiety is unbelief in His nearness and care.
3. “In every situation… with prayer… with thanksgiving”
Paul’s pattern is:
The antidote to anxiety is not denial, but transfer: you move the burden from your shoulders to God’s, through prayer. Thanksgiving is the faith-element. You thank God before you see the answer, because you trust His faithfulness.
### Verse 3
“The joy of the Lord is your strength
When sorrow tries to weigh you down
Remember Nehemiah’s words to the people
‘Don’t grieve—today is holy’
Choose joy as your armor
And watch the enemy flee”
1. “The joy of the Lord is your strength”
This is a spiritual principle. Where there is joy in God, there is strength to:
When Satan wants to weaken you, he targets your joy. He attacks with heaviness, discouragement, self-pity. If he can keep you joyless, he can keep you powerless.
2. “When sorrow tries to weigh you down”
There is a natural sorrow that comes with loss and pain. Scripture does not forbid mourning:
But there is also destructive grief—a grief that will not yield to hope, that keeps you turned inward and away from God. Nehemiah recognized that the people had crossed from conviction into excessive grief. So he commanded joy.
3. “Choose joy as your armor / And watch the enemy flee”
Ephesians 6 speaks of the armor of God. Though joy is not named directly, it is closely linked with:
A rejoicing believer is difficult for the enemy to handle. Demons thrive in atmospheres of self-pity, bitterness, and complaint. But joy in the Lord creates an environment where they are uncomfortable and must retreat.
### Bridge
“Though the fig tree doesn’t bud
And there are no grapes on the vines
Though the fields yield no food
And the flocks disappear from the fold
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord
I will be joyful in God my Savior”
This is Habakkuk 3:17–18 almost word for word.
1. Total visible lack – Every natural sign is negative:
2. “Yet I will rejoice…”
That “yet” is the language of faith. It separates circumstance from decision. Habakkuk does not minimize disaster, but he refuses to let it control his inner life.
3. “I will be joyful in God my Savior”
Notice the wording:
It is joy in God Himself as Savior. This anchors joy in the eternal, not the temporary.
### Verse 4
“So keep your eyes on Jesus
The author and perfecter of faith
In every season, in every storm
Let joy rise up like a song
It’s not just a feeling—it’s a choice
A steady heartbeat of trust in His voice”
This stanza connects directly to Hebrews 12:2.
1. “Keep your eyes on Jesus”
Hebrews 12:2: “Fixing our eyes on Jesus…” The Greek word *aphoraō* means “to look away from all else and fix one’s gaze.” You cannot continually gaze at your problems and at Jesus simultaneously. You must look away from one to look at the other.
2. “The author and perfecter of faith”
Jesus is:
Your faith does not begin in your effort, nor is it completed by your effort. It begins and ends with Jesus. Joy flows when the focus of the heart shifts from “my performance” to “His faithfulness.”
3. “In every season, in every storm / Let joy rise up like a song”
Paul and Silas did this literally—praising at midnight in a prison. Joy here is pictured as something that rises, often in contradiction to the environment.
4. “It’s not just a feeling—it’s a choice / A steady heartbeat of trust in His voice”
Joy is:
You choose joy when you choose to trust God’s voice above every other voice:
---
Let us make this very practical. How do we obey: “Rejoice in the Lord always”?
### 1. First, we must repent of joyless Christianity
A joyless Christian life is a disobedient Christian life. Not because we never feel sorrow, but because we have accepted permanent heaviness as normal.
We must call it what it is: unbelief, self-pity, or agreement with the enemy’s lies.
Repentance clears the ground for joy.
### 2. Second, we must shift the focus of our joy
Ask yourself: “Where have I located my joy?”
All of these are unstable. You must make a conscious transfer:
“I choose to root my joy in who God is, what Christ has done, and what cannot be shaken.”
Practical step:
Begin to declare truths about God daily, out loud:
Joy increases where truth is proclaimed.
### 3. Third, we must replace anxiety with prayer and thanksgiving
Whenever anxiety rises, treat it as an alarm bell: “Pray now.”
Use Philippians 4:6 as a pattern:
1. Identify the anxious thought.
2. Bring it to God in specific prayer.
3. Add petition (clear requests: “Lord, I ask You to…”).
4. Wrap it in thanksgiving:
Do this consistently, and verse 7 will follow in your experience: “And the peace of God… will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
### 4. Fourth, we must wield joy as spiritual warfare
When you feel:
Actively respond with praise and rejoicing in the Lord. This is not hypocrisy; it is warfare.
Isaiah 61:3 speaks of:
> “a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”
The “spirit of despair” is exactly that—a spirit, a demonic influence. The “garment of praise” is your God-given weapon against it.
Practical steps:
As you do this consistently, the enemy’s grip loosens. You are building an atmosphere where the Holy Spirit is welcomed and demonic heaviness is resisted.
---
### Proclamation
Make this your confession, out loud:
> I rejoice in the Lord always.
> I choose to root my joy in the Lord, not in circumstances.
> The joy of the Lord is my strength, my stronghold, and my protection.
> Even when the days are heavy and the night feels long,
> I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be joyful in God my Savior.
> I refuse anxiety, because the Lord is near.
> In every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
> I present my requests to God.
> I fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith.
> His unchanging love, His finished work, and His promises
> are the foundation of my joy.
> With the garment of praise, I resist every spirit of heaviness.
> I declare: the joy of the Lord is my strength—today and always,
> in Jesus’ name. Amen.
### Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ,
I thank You that You endured the cross for the joy set before You. I come to You and acknowledge my weakness, my heaviness, and my anxiety. I repent for accepting a joyless, anxious life when You have commanded me to rejoice in You always.
Holy Spirit, fill me afresh. Produce in me the fruit of joy. Teach me to rejoice in the Lord, even when I do not see the answer, even when the fig tree does not bud and the fields yield no food. Move my heart from grief to godly joy where my repentance is complete.
Father, I bring every anxious thought to You now. I lay my burdens at Your feet. I thank You that You are near, that You hear me, and that Your peace will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
Establish in me a lifestyle of rejoicing, a steady heartbeat of trust in Your voice. Make my life a testimony that the joy of the Lord truly is strength. And through that joy, let the enemy flee and Your kingdom advance in and through me.
I ask this in the name of Jesus,
Amen.
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