Lyrics of Christ and Combat by Powerwolf
Say, will you stand up for Christ and combat?
Ride, defend the kingdom of God
Alive in the conquest of Normans
Crossed the land to Byzantine shores
We storm Constantinople’s wall
Gone ahead, the army went on
Arrived at the river of Jordan
Brave the dread, Jerusalem’s sons
And one-by-one the pilgrims fall
And by the city of Siron
Their bodies lying to rot
And underneath blood and iron
Lies the promise and honour of God
Say, will you stand up for Christ and combat?
Will you fight like a rebel, a rebel in black?
Say will you stand up for Christ and combat?
Will you sanctify the dark?
Kill and pray, crusaders at heart
In 1097 we started
Lost the way and spread all apart
The Holy Roman Empire
The remaining knights prepared for attack
To honour the prophet departed
On they fought with no turning back
The kingdom rise forever more
And by the city of Siron
Their bodies lying to rot
And underneath blood and iron
Lies the promise and honour of God
Go straight to heaven for Christ and combat
Give your life for the sanctum that you never had
Take place in heaven for Christ and combat
Gone to sanctify the dark
Christ, Christ and combat
Christ and combat
Christ and in heaven we are
Christ, Christ and combat
Christ and combat
Christ and in heaven we are
Christ, Christ and combat
Christ and combat
Christ and in heaven we are
Christ, Christ and combat
Christ and combat
Christ and combat
Ten thousand men died for Christ and combat
Gone as mighty crusaders and never came back
Ascend to heaven for Christ and combat
In remembrance of the dark
Say, will you stand up for Christ and combat?
Historical Background
In short: The song is about the Crusades in the Middle Ages.
Christ and Combat – The Bloody Reality of the First Crusade
Some wars are fought for power. Others for faith. But the First Crusade (1096-1099)?
It was fought for both—a war where knights, kings, and peasants marched thousands of miles to reclaim Jerusalem in the name of Christianity.
Sabaton’s Christ and Combat throws us right into the heart of the Crusades, where faith fueled warriors, and blood paved the road to the Holy Land.
Let’s break down the holy war that reshaped history.
The Call to Arms – The Birth of the First Crusade
“Say will you stand up for Christ and combat?”
In 1095, Pope Urban II gave one of the most famous speeches in history.
- He called on Christian knights to take back the Holy Land from Muslim control.
- He promised salvation—fight and your sins will be forgiven.
- Thousands answered—from peasants to kings, all united by faith and war.
The mission? March across Europe and the Middle East, capture Jerusalem, and reclaim it for Christendom.
“Ride, defend the kingdom of God, alive in the conquest of Normans!”
The Normans, the Franks, the Germans, and the Italians all took up the cross and became crusaders.
The Long March – Death on the Road to Jerusalem
“Crossed the land to Byzantine shores, we storm Constantinople’s wall.”
By 1096, tens of thousands of Crusaders arrived at the Byzantine Empire (modern-day Turkey). But the Greek emperor feared them—these weren’t just soldiers, they were an armed mob.
Many starved, got lost, or died of disease before even reaching the battlefield.
“And one by one, the pilgrims fall.”
The Crusaders were supposed to be on a holy mission, but they burned, looted, and killed across the lands they marched through. And many of them died.
The Battles – Blood, Steel, and Fire
“Lost the way and spread all apart, the Holy Roman Empire.”
By 1097, the Crusaders regrouped and fought their way through Turkey, Syria, and Palestine.
- Antioch (1098): After a brutal 8-month siege, the Crusaders stormed the city and massacred its inhabitants.
- Siron & Ma’arra: The Crusaders were so desperate for food, they resorted to cannibalism—eating the bodies of their enemies.
“By the city of Siron, their bodies lying to rot. And underneath blood and iron, lies the promise and honour of God.”
But nothing compared to Jerusalem.
The Siege of Jerusalem – A Massacre for Christ
“Brave the dread, Jerusalem’s sons.”
By 1099, after three years of marching, the Crusaders reached Jerusalem.
- They built siege towers and breached the walls.
- They slaughtered men, women, and children—Muslims, Jews, even Christians.
- Blood was said to have flowed through the streets.
“Ten thousand men died for Christ and combat.”
The First Crusade ended in total victory—but at what cost?
Why Christ and Combat Hits Hard
The Crusades were not simple wars. They were a mix of faith, ambition, greed, and brutality.
- It was the first time Europe launched a massive holy war.
- It reshaped the Middle East and Europe for centuries.
- It proved that faith could drive men to do unspeakable things.
“Go straight to heaven for Christ and combat, give your life for the sanctum that you never had.”
To the Crusaders, this was a holy war. To history, it was a brutal, chaotic clash of civilizations.
The Lesson?
People will kill, die, and march across the world in the name of faith.
But in the end? Faith alone doesn’t make war righteous.
Because while the Crusaders won Jerusalem, they left behind a legacy of blood that would shape the world for centuries.
