Have you heard the new song sung by Chris Davenport, Brandon Lake, and Cody Carnes? It’s called “Plead the blood.”
You can take a look at the lyrics here.
Here is another song that many people will love to listen to over and over again…even though some aspects of it seem biblically problematic.
What’s on our Hearts
I get it. The song “Plead the Blood” connects with our hearts. Chris Davenport, Brandon Lake, and Cody Carnes express our desires, fears, and longings to the Lord.
The song is a plea for the well-being of “my children,” “my family,” “my future,” and “my body.” And in the midst of a crazy world (yikes!), it’s also a plea for “our schools” and “our cities” (too bad for the rural towns… ha ha… you will have to write your own songs).
I care about these things too. And, frankly, I believe God will receive the song as a prayer for these things, even if there might be some theological issues in the song. But that doesn’t mean we should overlook these issues.
But There’s so Much Good!
To complicate things, the song plays a dirty little trick (I’m exaggerating) by adding in some lyrics from an old hymn. This will move the hearts of those who have been around the church for decades, and perhaps convince them of the song’s worth.
The song includes lyrics from “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus.”
I recognize and celebrate that we “who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). Praise the Lord! And the hymn speaks of the blood of Jesus just like the Bible does—within the context of our salvation. That is, Jesus’ blood washes “away my sin,” “makes me whole again,” atones for our sin, and, therefore, give me “hope and peace” for “my future.”
These aspects of the old hymn and the new “Plead the Blood” song are great.
Similar to the old hymn, “Plead the Blood,” correctly recognizes that in Christ’s blood, “my freedom’s been purchased in full” (verse 3). Good work, Chris Davenport, Brandon Lake, and Cody Carnes! (I think maybe just Davenport wrote the song.)
At Least They’re Not Applying the Blood
Another thing that the song “Plead the Blood” has going for it is that it isn’t trying to “apply the blood” of Jesus. As I’ve written previously, the Bible doesn’t teach that we can do anything with the blood of Jesus, like “apply” it. Instead, it is only God who does anything with the blood of Jesus. So it is wishful thinking to suggest we can “apply the blood” of Jesus.
And at least the song “Plead the Blood” doesn’t go there.
Good Pleading?
This might surprise you, but the idea of “pleading the blood” of Jesus is no where in the Bible. Not even in the King James Version … or The Passion Translation.
Nevertheless, “pleading the blood” could be okay at times. Unlike applying the blood, pleading the blood doesn’t necessarily suggest that we are attempting to do something with Jesus’ blood.
In addition, it could make biblical sense to “plead the blood” if we speak of the blood of Jesus in the context of our salvation, like the Bible does. For example, we might say something like, “I am not condemned. I plead the blood of Jesus, which has saved me.”
Missing Key to Spiritual Warfare?
If we don’t plead the blood of Jesus, are we missing out of one of the most important weapons of spiritual warfare? Are we giving up some spiritual power that we should take hold of?
No.
As I said above, the Bible never—not ever—speaks of pleading the blood of Jesus.
And what about Ephesians 6? It teaches us about the “whole armor of God.” And yet it does not mention Jesus’ blood in spiritual warfare. Perhaps Paul forgot to mention it in that chapter.
Don’t we Overcome by the Blood of the Lamb?
Revelation 12:11 reads, “And they overcame him [Satan] because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”
Yes, the verse mentions Jesus’ blood. But, like the rest of the Bible, it does not suggest we should plead the blood.
Actually, if you look at the context of this verse, you will see that it has nothing to do with the way we pray or what we say about Jesus’ blood. Instead, it teaches that “they overcame” because of what Christ had already done on the cross, not because of how they prayed about Jesus’ blood.
So, what’s the problem?
1. Well, one problem is that the song goes beyond what the promises of scripture.
As I said above, one could make the case that we could plead the blood for our salvation, since that’s what Jesus’ blood does. But one can not make the same case for pleading the blood regarding other things, like protection, since the Bible no where—never—promises that Jesus’ blood protects our children, our cities, etc.
BUT, we can of course pray for God to protect these things!
So, what does it matter?
2. The lyrics of the song imply that if we say the right words, namely “plead the blood,” then certain things will happen. Not that they might happen, but that they will happen. This seems to imply that there is something special about pleading the blood. It seems that “pleading the blood” is more spiritually effective than other types of prayers. (…Do you think that?)
I understand that not everyone who “pleads the blood” thinks this way. Great! BUT, this is what this specific song implies. It’s very present in verse one and two.
The opening words of the song state that we can “draw a boundary” that will protect us from “the thief and his plans” and will cause him to “turnaround” when we “plead the blood.”
When we plead the blood, the song claims, “the enemy can’t take my family.”
Pleading the blood, it seems, is always effective. It makes things happen!
Even if it is unintentional, the song strikes me as having a hint of prosperity theology, but covered in more familiar and Christianeze—that is, if we use the right words and “plead the blood,” everything will go well.
Prayer Trusts in God
Unfortunately, the Christian life is not that certain. No matter what we claim, decree, declare—or plead—stuff happens. Life doesn’t go as we pray or desire. And it isn’t because we aren’t saying the right things.
Unlike such practices, when we pray, we trust in God. We certainly ask for what we want, and at times we might even plead for what we want. But, in the end, prayers are requests of God, not demands. And when we pray, we trust that God will do what is best. And when things don’t go as we pray, we trust that God will continue to be with us, giving us the strength and comfort we need to carry on.
Maybe the Song is Okay…?
I’m not in a rush to sing this song, as moving as it is.
At the same time, I do see hints in the song that “pleading the blood” still involves trust in God and a recognition that it won’t always go as we plead.
For example, those who sing the bridge plead the blood not only over their family, but even “over our schools and over our cities.” And they can’t seriously think that one instance of pleading is automatically going to bring safety and protection to every city or school they have in mind as they are singing. Does that mean pleading the blood isn’t always effective?
Also, if pleading the blood is always effective, then I don’t think we would need to “claim it over and over again,” as the bridge claims.
Perhaps, in the end, “pleading the blood” in the song is just another way to pray. Perhaps the song is only expressing hope or a desire that God will act in the way that we plead. And surely all of our prayers should involve placing our hope in God.
Perhaps every time the song says “I plead the blood,” we could simply replace it with the words, “I pray for.” If this is the case, then I have many questions and am confused by the meaning of verses 1-2, since they contradict what I am saying here. If my “perhaps” is correct, then the opening verses shouldn’t speak with such certainty. They should, instead, be more honest—honest with ourselves, and honest with God, while still rightfully placing our hope and trust in God.
And the song certainly shouldn’t make it seem like we need to (or should) plead the blood to do these things. Because the practice of pleading the blood isn’t in the Bible. But praying is.
(If you are frustrated by my blog post, please remember that it is about a specific song, so it might not apply to you.)
Click here to comment on this post, but before you accuse me of being unspiritual, please pause and ask God if there might actually be some truth to what you have read above.
You might also be interested in these posts:
- There is Power in the Tongue, but Not for Declarations and Decrees
- 10 Bible Verses You Can Legitimately Declare Over Your Life
- Stop “Applying the Blood of Jesus”…Because You Can’t
Andrew K. Gabriel, Ph.D., is the author of Simply Spirit-Filled: Experiencing God in the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit as well as three academic books, including The Lord is the Spirit. He is a theology professor at Horizon College and Seminary and serves on the Theological Study Commission for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. You can follow him on Facebook or on Twitter.
Spot on, Dr Gabriel! This very topic is on my short list of theological tangles I knew I wanted to tease out; your post is perfect timing. As a former follower of NAR and prosperity preaching, I recognize this phrase and bristle at it. It simply leaves no room for God’s sovereignty and higher ways with which he moves his righteous right hand. Thanks for whetting my appetite to chase down the better theology of prayer!
I’m glad you found it helpful 🙂 All the best to you in your study.
Dr. Gabriel; you are Spirit-led. “Pleading the blood”, sounds like a magical spell rehearsing. I believe the person who wrote the song, holds a Kingdom here and now view. The General Letters of the Bible, is a good reading in trails; and, we are not exempt from trails. James use Job as a model of inspiration (5:11). Peace are only in Christ; for as long as we are here on earth, we shall have trails (John 8:36; 16:33). Do not put your trust in your faith; but put your trust in the Lord. Special blessings form South Africa. Lorraine
Thanks Andrew, I’ve long felt we need to examine more closely the songs we employ in worship. Like Cheresa below, I have been impacted by NAR and prosperity theology, and have seen it begin to creep into some of our PAOC churches. I think it is significant that you would post a critique like this and would welcome more of the same. I also appreciated your conciliatory tone throughout the article in pointing out the positives and not attacking the writers or their ministries.
I was rather miraculously and powerfully delivered from heavy immersion in the New Age Movement (and the demonic activity that had begun to take over my life) in 1992 by crying out one morning in my backyard, “God of the Bible, Jesus Christ of the Bible, please come take full, complete authority over every aspect of my life and being!”. I was shocked and broken-hearted some years later, when it finally dawned on me that the spirit of anti-Christ I thought I had left behind when I’d fled the New Age movement was alive and well, in most evangelical churches, in the form of music like this, as well as “little gods” teachings that our words have some mystical, God-like creative power to “create our own reality.” An horrific, deeply damaging 14 year marriage to a man professing to share my Christian faith, who believed this garbage, and to became increasingly competitive and abusive with me over who had the “right “spirit, eventually led to my suffering an emotional collapse, and a severe depression. Make no mistake, the spirit behind this music, behind these false doctrines is satanic—-it is not harmless, it is deadly. I am fully convinced these false Christs/false Christians are the ones of whom Jesus spoke when he said they would “ depart from the faith giving ear to doctrines of demons” and these are the ones who are causing the way of truth to be maligned/evil spoken off. The greatest danger that we as Christians face today is not coming at all from the world you’re just coming, looking like an angel of light – – right out of the very heart of what we call “evangelical Christianity.”
I could see the error right away. The blood of Jesus is not a good luck charm.
Love it brother Andrew.
Thanks for the post, Andrew!
I do appreciate the attention to the detail of the theology that you have; since minor departures from cut and dried theology, can in my opinion create misunderstandings about God, even if they’re not necessarily substantial or explicit parts of our core theology. That’d be why I had issues with Son of Suffering 😃 with it’s present tense grammar – “we have a God who bleeds… God who weeps…”. Having said that, I’m sure there’s hobby horse songs that I like to lead that would be guilty of some of the same issues.
I think the most significant issue with playing Plead the Blood on a Sunday isn’t the theology necessarily, but rather the cultural relevance of the language. Most people new to the church (and maybe most of Gen Z and even Millenials that didn’t grow up in the church) would be generally confused by the language throughout. That’s probably true of a lot of our songs to some extent, but it would be very significant here. Jesus wasn’t afraid of scaring people off with weird or difficult and unfamiliar metaphors, but I’d rather leave that to Him. Then again, he did solidify in scripture that we need to eat his flesh and drink His blood. Hmm…. would we sing that on a Sunday morning?
Anyway, Andrew mentions it borders on prosperity theology… I see it not necessarily as prosperity but closer to word of faith theology in it’s declarative language. That’s probably what you meant though. However, I know a few of our staff, of course, that really embrace the practice of declarative statements and the power of words spoken in faith that align with God’s promises – this song would definitely align with that practice. There’s several other Brandon Lake songs like that, particularly the ones that have become really popular (eg. This is a Move with Tasha Cobbs). What about “Speak Jesus” that is so popular now too? Jesus also told us to speak to the mountain. At what point do healthy declarative statements morph into word faith theology? Right around the time you associate the power with the words spoken, and not with the work, power, and authority of Jesus.
My takeaway, this song could be a great team song in settings where there is a deeper understanding and embracing of healthy declarative statements and understanding of the power of Jesus’ blood as a theological principle… so like in intercessory settings, for example… but I would be very slow to introduce it on a Sunday where it would likely cause confusion for a lot of people without specific teaching on the lyrics first.
My sense is that the song itself already goes beyond healthy declarative statements, particularly in verse 1 & 2.
Very well said and overdue. Thank You for bringing the truth into reality where the word of God (the Bible) is concern.
How about the very 1st Verse suggesting through the Exodus story parallel a wild claim that the “thief” was the physical representation of the wrath of God in Exodus. Are we saying the wrath of God is the devil? That’s exactly what V1 states very plainly.
The allusion to the Exodus story does seem to imply that. Great observation.
Very kind and truthful! Constructive criticism at it’s best. You might assume all intelligent and experienced people would express themselves this way, but they rarely do! Thank you!
Not sure when posted but I’m just reading today. Love the healthy discussion but I choose to focus on my interpretation. Not major in minors. Kudos to Written by: Patrick Barrett, Cody Carnes, Brandon Lake, Chris Davenport, Alex Pappas.
I can listen and sing with a hand on my heart. WWJD Good article hope more can read without judging.
I am always saddened when I read things like this. It is what I would do as a young seminarian. I would pick apart songs and sermons by quoting one sentence or part of a sentence and make my own sermon on it. Not unlike taking a sentence out of context in the scriptures. Most sermons last 20-30 minutes, but if you want to cover all your bases you need to preach for hours and who will listen that long. Most songs last 3-5 minutes. It can’t cover every misconception. It is said that Christianity is the only army that runs around shooting each other in the foot. Don’t think for one minute that the world isn’t noticing that about us. We are as gossipy as any tabloid covering the Kardashians. Here’s an old song for you: They will know we are Christians by our love.
To be clear, there isn’t just one sentence that is a problem in this song. Moreover, I would encourage you to reread the “What’s the Problem?” section above. I’m willing to overlook little things I would tweak. This song has bigger issues.
Something told me to search if this was a good song to praise God
I read your comment and well l am not listening to the song anymore
Thanks for the courage to speak even when some people may not agree with you
God bless you
Hi. I thought you have summarized exactly the heartache I feel when this song is sung in church. I cannot sing it. When I think of the Old Testament story of the exodus and that last sign. God sent judgement on the Egyptians the devil didn’t. The blood protected the people from gods judgement. The blood always has its greatest meaning in attempting to “placate” the Devine consequences for sinning. Jesus made that final blood offering. Not to conquer Satan and the struggled of life, but to satisfy the need of God for holiness. And then I think who is worthy to plead the blood before God for our salvation. Not me. No man. So it causes me dissonance in my soul to hear Jesus blood used for any other purpose. This last Sunday we sang that song during communion. I thought maybe the only thing the song and communion had in common was the word “blood.” I choked on the words. I could not rationalized them into an acceptable version of what the blood of Jesus had meant to me. Thanks for your comments. Teale
Thanks for sharing your comments. I’m glad you found the blog post helpful.
I don’t see pleading the blood as a prayer. I see it as a Christian Affirmation. Basically Jesus has already sacrificed for us and we are simply acknowledging the fact. No request needed.