Fervent Records’ Chris August proved why he is quickly becoming a favorite in the genre at the 42nd Annual Dove Awards earning an impressive three awards. August celebrates his first ever Dove Award wins with the prestigious “New Artist Of The Year” and “Male Vocalist of the Year.”

“I’m absolutely speechless,” shared August. “I am truly blessed to be able to make and share music. And then to receive this recognition is quite humbling.”

While he may be considered a "new" artist, singer-songwriter Chris August is anything but a rookie in the music industry. The self-taught pianist, guitarist, and producer previously toured as the keyboard player and opening act for pop sensation Ashlee Simpson before shifting his focus to his solo career. Chris, a native of Dallas, put his refined skill set to work when he co-produced his debut record with acclaimed producer Ed Cash.

While he is not one to shy away from writing about his faith, Chris isn't afraid to embrace relationships and heartache in his songwriting. His current hit single, "Battle," is the current single from Chris' August 2010 debut GMA Dove Award winning “Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year,” No Far Away. 

I had the great opportunity to interview Chris in-person at Creation Northeast about his current single, “Battle.” Here are the answers to the questions I asked Chris.



Please tell me the background in writing the song “Battle.”

This song started where most good ideas start: in the shower. I was sitting there, well actually I was standing because I was in the shower, and I was thinking about how each day I pray to God for focus. It hit me one day that my words were wrong. I need to say, “Lord I accept Your focus.” That’s something He’s always giving us. It’s not something He starts and stops giving. We just have to choose to accept God’s direction in our lives each day. That got me to stop and think about choosing to accept God’s focus in our lives is a daily decision. We put pressure and rules on ourselves as Christians. Even just in life if you are trying to make moral decisions apart from following Christ, you have daily “battles.”

Did you base the song on any Bible verses?

Psalm 18:39: “You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me.”

... and Psalm 55:18: “He rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me.”

What's the take-away message for listeners?

I need to fight the battles with what food I eat, how to spend money... and it hit me that the beauty of all of these battles we fight is that the war was already won when Christ died for our sins on the Cross. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s about. Our human nature is that we have pride, and we hate when we mess up. The Bible tells us we’ll all fall short of the glory of God. Character comes in when you repent and what you do after you mess up. My hope is that I can keep my focus on the war that was already won by Jesus Christ in my life.

That’s where healing comes from when we face those daily battles. I would love for people to experience that same healing when they listen to this song. Take the hope given to us by Jesus and know that the Cross was for people in the midst of sin. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Live for Him.

Here are the lyrics:

There’s a battle between good and evil
And it’s raging inside of me
There’s a struggle - it’s God and the devil
It’s Love against the Enemy

Whoa no
I’m not giving up now
Whoa

Life’s a fight of wrong and right
That’s tearing me apart
Oh but what the cross has done
Yeah the world will try to battle for my heart
But the war is already won

There’s a snake that’s hiding in the garden
There’s a beautiful apple tree
There is trouble on the horizon
But I’m claiming victory
Whoa
I’m not giving in now
Whoa

Life’s a fight of wrong and right
That’s tearing me apart
Oh but what the cross has done
Yeah the world will try to battle for my heart
But the war is already won

Whoa
I’m not giving up now
Whoa
I’m not giving in

Life’s a fight of wrong and right
That’s tearing me apart
Oh but what the cross has done
Yeah the world will try to battle for my heart
But the war is already won

Here’s Matthew Henry’s commentary on Psalm 18: “This psalm we met with before, in the history of David’s life, in 2 Samuel 22. That was the first edition of it; here we have it revived, altered a little, and fitted for the service of the church. It is David’s thanksgiving for the many deliverances God had wrought for him; these he desired always to preserve fresh in his own memory and to diffuse and entail the knowledge of them. It is an admirable composition. The poetry is very fine, the images are bold, the expressions lofty, and every word is proper and significant; but the piety far exceeds the poetry. Holy faith, and love, and joy, and praise, and hope, are here lively, active, and upon the wing. He triumphs in God. He magnifies the deliverances God had wrought for him. He takes the comfort of his integrity, which God had thereby cleared up. He gives to God the glory of all his achievements. He encourages himself with the expectation of what God would further do for him.”

It is interesting to me that someone who was signed to a mainstream record label and achieved what America considers success--living in LA and playing sold-out venues--is truly reaching out and making it clear that he’s broken and giving his life to Jesus in his songs. We all need to be unashamed of our faith in Jesus, and we all need to be bold in expressing our faith. You are doing friends and family members who aren’t believers a disservice to not fully share the Gospel.

Scripture from beginning to end teaches the dreadful, present results of sin. Among these are the shame and embarrassment caused by adversity itself, if it necessarily implies sin. Attack by enemies, distressing adversity, and calamity cannot simply be viewed as happenings in a fallen world. This a great song about having faith that God's participates in the lives of His people. We need to have faith that God participates meaningfully in our lives as followers of Jesus. He’s with us and through the power of the Holy Spirit inside of us, He’s with us during our battles with sin. Amen.