If you like albums with God-focused worshipful lyrics, musical diversity and engaging female vocals with a lot of range, then you'll want to check out Rita Springer's new album Battles. Vocally and musically, some of the songs on the album have a raw and guitar-centric worship style that might remind you of Kim Walker-Smith and Darlene Zschech, and other times during the album Rita's vocals and songs have an ethereal sound resembling Michelle Tumes. 

Rita Springer has said that her personal mission statement is "to make the Lord famous in whatever I do with my worship and relationship with Him." Kalley Heiligenthal from Bethel Music, who wrote and sang "Ever Be," appears on two of the new album's songs, including "Every Battle." Sharing the theme of the project, Rita explains, "We count trials as joyful, not because the trials make us feel that way, but because our God has already given us the power to defeat them." I had the chance to speak with Rita about "Every Battle."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

Honestly for me in my writing seasons, I'm always asking the Lord what it is that He wants me to say based on what I'm seeing in the church and personal reflection. For me, my life has had so many up and down fights. As Christians, we don't just fight the daily stuff, but big things as well. I've been connected with people who were fighting for their lives. There's a pastor here at Gateway who I've known for quite a while who is an amazing human being who conquered breast cancer. Right before this song was written, she was diagnosed with cancer again. I remember that I was in my kitchen, and I was just mad and fed up. I wanted to see healing come, not just for the sake of healing, but that even the delivery of bad news would come differently for us so that fear wouldn't be the first thing that grips us. 

I felt like the Holy Spirit was asking me to contend for victory before even knowing what the battle would be. With all the fights we have, for myself personally having lost both of my parents to cancer, enduring for the sake of the calling and just living life, I've never walked in the perspective of walking into a battle already aware that God owns it. God owns every battle. You can get off the battlefield. You aren't that good at fighting it anyway, so let God fight the battle, because that's what He does best. The reality is that honestly if you have any relationship with the Lord at all, you know that there isn't one fight He doesn't win. Even praying for sick people with disease and when you don't see the healing we are praying for, doesn't mean that God doesn't heal. It may not be the way we were asking Him to heal our way, but isn't living an eternity with God ultimate healing?

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

Psalm 18:39 (NIV): "You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me."

Psalm 55:18 (NIV): "He rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me."

2 Chronicles 20:17 (NIV): "You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.'"

Matthew 6:32-34 (VOICE): "Outsiders make themselves frantic over such questions; they don't realize that your heavenly Father knows exactly what you need. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all these things will be given to you too. So do not worry about tomorrow. Let tomorrow worry about itself. Living faithfully is a large enough task for today."

Romans 8:28 (NIV): "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

Romans 8:31 (NLT): "What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?"

1 John 4:18 (NKJV): "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love."
 
Philippians 4:13 (NKJV): "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

What is the takeaway message?

Regardless of how the battle goes, there isn't one thing about the Lord that is a losing factor if we go into battles with the mindset that nobody can stand against Him. He doesn't have an imposter who can rise up against Him. That's the concept of this song. I was thinking of our precious pastor, who had an onslaught of a diagnosis thrown at her by the Enemy. It's another time where God can show how He will defeat the Enemy. There's no imposter or contender who can compare to the Lord. 

I felt the Holy Spirit telling me that I needed someone to help me write the second verse, and I was drawn to Kalley from Bethel who wrote and sang "Ever Be." She's awesome. It's been fun to meet women who remind me of my younger self with a passion for the Lord and to encourage them. I have that relationship with her. She wrote and sang the second verse of this song. I flew to Bethel, and we finished the song. I couldn't be more pleased with how the song turned out.

The battles belong to the Lord. He tells us that throughout Scripture. When we talk about battles and the Enemy being defeated by God, I thought about how God tells us that these aren't our fights to fight. For God to say that to us, it makes me pause and think about what He is saying. It's like He is saying, "what are you doing trying to fight this on your own?" 

God didn't make us to fight on our own. He brought in partnership right from the beginning. Aloneness is not what God wants for us. God did not make us to go through things alone. Why do we think we need to take on cancer, or financial or relationship issues, on our own? That's not God's plan for us. I'm hoping to create a mindset for victory over our battles in these songs.

Lyrics:
Every imposter, every contender
Will fail to compare with You
There is no other kingdom
Authority, power like Yours

No one more royal, no other loyal
Then one God, one truth
No other kingdom, no other freedom
Like Yours

You are high, high and lifted up
Strong and mighty enough, You are King
I hide, covered by Your wings
It's there You fight for me
Every battle, every battle is Yours

No greater rescue than when You come through
With strong love, strong love
All my accusers silenced and scattered by You
Your people arising, we realize it is finished
It is finished
Stand in the promise, it is accomplished in You

You are high, high and lifted up
Strong and mighty enough, You are King
I hide, covered by Your wings
It's there You fight for me
Every battle, every battle is Yours
No gods or idols, no princes or powers
Will have my worship
No threat of darkness, no fear of failing
Will steal my purpose
You're my Surrender, Protector, Defender and
Every battle, every battle is Yours

You are high, high and lifted up
Strong and mighty enough, You are King
I hide, covered by Your wings
It's there You fight for me
Every battle, every battle is Yours

This is a great song about having faith that God participates in the lives of His people. We need to have faith that God participates meaningfully in our lives as followers of Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit inside of us, He's with us during our battles. Jesus commands us to trust God's Word completely, no matter our circumstances.

The song represents life and includes some great challenges to step out in faith and trust in God, even when you want to give up or can't see where you're going. We aren't the source of the power to overcome our challenges. In our weakness, God's strength is perfect! Remember that if God is for us, who can be against us?

This song represents the victory that we have over our battles before we even know the earthly outcome by trusting that God is going before us and He wins. We can face our daily battles with more courage and strength because we know that whatever the outcome, based on His promise in Romans 8:28, "God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

You can sincerely pray these words along with Rita and Kalley. It is a moving offering of praise to Jesus. His love is never-ending, and He is our refuge and our strength. If you are looking for a firm foundation in your life, make these lyrics your personal prayer: "No threat of darkness, no fear of failing, will steal my purpose. You're my Surrender, Protector, Defender, and every battle, every battle is Yours." Amen to that!