Photo by Olia Gozha
Elevation Worship is a rock band that dominates the airwaves. Forming in 2007, they are a force to be reckoned with, releasing 19 albums and 8 EP’s.
Elevation won two GMA Dove awards last year. These include Spanish Language Album of the Year (Aleluya (En La Tierra)) and Worship Recorded Song of the Year (The Blessing (Live)).
Also, check out my other seventeen Elevation Worship reviews.
Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site! Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review. I strongly encourage you to consider the potential blessings and dangers of this artist‘s theology by visiting Resources.
1. What message does the song communicate?
The song starts by speaking God’s ease in performing miracles. It then compares the raising of Lazarus to our “coming out” of sorts. This could be interpreted as:
- God causes us to become born again, or
- God removes all struggles and distress from our lives.
Examining my own life, and the Christians around me, it’s not hard to see that we struggle with our warring against the flesh, the world, and the devil. Yet, some lessons cannot be learned without overcoming hardship. If God were to remove all wrestling, how can we learn to become compassionate, generous, loving, and forgiving? Therefore, the second interpretation doesn’t make sense.
The song moves into Pre-Chorus, where Elevation Worship states that God will “come through again”. Its placement directly after Verse 1 and Verse 2, both of which I concluded is about becoming born again, communicates that God must rescue us again from spiritual deadness. This is a blow against the finished work of Christ, that we must crucify Him all over again to be saved.
If Elevation Worship meant to say miracles, there’s also the problem that some will interpret Chorus also as miracles, concluding that God will not fail to do miracles in our lives. This interpretation can lead many to the “word of faith” movement, which promotes that if God doesn’t heal you, then there’s something wrong with your faith, robbing people of great joy that comes with perseverance under trial.
Chorus makes more Biblical sense if we interpret it as God sustaining us through life, under the power of the Holy Spirit.
Score: 6/10
2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?
Assuming we interpret “tomb of every Lazarus” to mean “dead in sin, alive in Christ”, then this song is mostly Biblical. There’s an issue within Pre-Chorus, that might suggest we must become born again, again.
Lyrics posted with permission.*
[Verse 1]
Miracles when You move
Such an easy thing for You to do
If God can create the universe by speaking (Genesis 1:3-27), then what miracles are impossible for a God like that (Genesis 18:14, Jeremiah 32:17, Jeremiah 32:27, Zechariah 8:6, Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27, and Luke 1:37)?
Your hand is moving right now
You are still showing up
At the tomb of every Lazarus
Your voice is calling me out
The “tomb of Lazarus” comes from John 11:1-44. Lazarus was the brother of Martha and Mary, whom Jesus had previously visited in Luke 10:38-42. They came to Jesus warning that Lazarus was sick. Jesus was interrupted on his way to Lazarus, who died before Jesus could arrive. Jesus wept. Ordering the tomb to be opened, Jesus rose Lazarus from the dead.
In the same manner, God raises up people who are spiritually dead to become alive in Christ (Romans 6:1-11, Romans 7:4-6, Galatians 2:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:11, and 1 Peter 2:24). It is a miracle in the truest sense of the word, that is, divine intervention into human affairs. It is God who causes us to become born again (1 Peter 1:3). He is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
[Pre-Chorus]
Right now, I know You’re able
And my God, come through again
God is able to do what? I don’t think Elevation Worship is clear about what they mean by that.
At best, it is about performing miracles. if so, see commentary on Verse 1, lines 1 and 2.
At worst, these lines don’t make sense in the context of Verse 1 and Verse 2. If Elevation Worship is made alive spiritually (John 3:3), and received a heart of flesh (see Verse 2), why would God need to come through again? After all, Jesus died once and for all (Hebrews 7:27, Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:26-28, and Hebrews 10:10-14). To suggest that God must “come through again” is to crucify Christ all over again (Hebrews 6:6), which is unbiblical.
If we reinterpret Verse 1’s tomb of Lazarus to mean “my present distress” that God calls us out, then there’s another problem. Sometimes God allows bad things to happen so that we can grow (Romans 5:3-5, Hebrews 12:4-11, and James 1:2-4). Thus, by God removing all struggles, His power will not be made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Therefore, this interpretation doesn’t make Biblical sense either.
[Chorus]
You can do all things
You can do all things but fail
‘Cause You’ve never lost a battle
No, You’ve never lost a battle
And I know, I know
You never will
What does it mean for God to “fail” or to “lose a battle”? If we are to interpret this based on Verse 1 and 2, and ignoring Elevation Worship’s error in Pre-Chorus, for God to fail is for Him to lose one of His children. Scripture tells us that this is impossible (John 6:39 and John 10:28-30).
[Verse 2]
Everything’s possible
By the power of the Holy Ghost
See commentary on Verse 1, lines 1 and 2.
A new wind is blowing right now
Breaking my heart of stone
Taking over like it’s Jericho
And my walls are all crashing down
Much like the walls of Jericho fell in Joshua 6:1-20, God destroys Elevation Worship’s stony, dead hearts, implying that they received a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19, Ezekiel 36:26, Jeremiah 31:33, and Hebrews 8:10). Also, see commentary on Verse 1, lines 3-6.
[Bridge]
You’ve never lost a battle (You’ve never lost a battle)
You’ve never lost a battle (You’ve never lost a battle)
You’ve never lost a battle (You’ve never lost a battle)
You never will (Oh, You never will)
You’ve never lost a battle (You’ve never lost a battle)
You’ve never lost a battle (You’ve never lost a battle)
You’ve never lost a battle (You’ve never lost a battle)
Never, never (You’ve never lost a battle)
Essentially repeats portions of Chorus, lines 3-6.
So faithful
I know, I know, it’s who You are
As stated in Numbers 23:19, Deuteronomy 7:9, Psalm 33:4, Psalm 91:4, Psalms 119:90, Lamentations 3:22-23, 1 Corinthians 1:9, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, 2 Timothy 2:13, Hebrews 10:23, 2 Peter 3:9, and 1 John 1:9, God is faithful.
Score: 7/10
3. How would an outsider interpret the song?
It’s hard to know how an unbeliever will interpret this song.
First, it’s thick with Christianese language, which requires deeper study to understand what Elevation Worship is talking about.
Second, there’s the issue over what it means for God to “come through again” that I’ve unpacked in sections 1 and 2.
Third, those outside the camp of Christ will find it difficult to identify what it means for God to “never lose a battle”, especially if they prayed to God and did not receive a response. It will feel like a lost battle, which makes it harder for them to consider that Christianity is true.
On a positive note, I think unbelievers will think that this song is Christian, based on its references to God and the Holy Spirit. I don’t know if that’s such a great thing, especially if it seems likely to leave a sour taste in their mouths.
Score: 2/10
4. What does this song glorify?
While it glorifies God, that He rescues sinners from eternal damnation, its unclear communication has great potential to lead others astray into the “word of faith” movement, dealing a major blow to His inherent glorification.
Score: 6/10
Closing Comments
I’m frustrated with Elevation Worship’s Never Lost. There’s a variety of issues that propagate within this song, depending on which interpretation we choose. While it’s Biblical that God performs miracles and that He rescues us from eternal damnation, I fear that it feeds into the “word of faith” movement, which teaches that miracles are guaranteed if we pray with enough faith. This unbiblical doctrine does a disservice to the body of Christ. Unbelievers will find it hard to connect with this song, especially those frustrated when God says “no” to them.
I cannot recommend this song for corporate worship.
Final Score: 5.5/10
Artist Info
Track: Never Lost (listen to the song)
Artist: Elevation Worship Feat. Tauren Wells
Album: Graves Into Gardens (Live)
Genre: Rock
Release Year: 2020
Duration: 6:51
Agree? Disagree? Don’t be shy or have a cow! Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.
*Copyright © 2019 Music by Elevation Worship Publishing (BMI) (admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com). All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Updates:
09/14/2021 – Per Artist Theology announcement, I expanded the red text to encourage others to study Elevation Worship’s theology.
03/24/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement.
Comments
Michael Ramsey
I personally like this song, but a lot of songs I like to listen to I would not recommend new-Christians or non-Christians listen too because it might give them a different idea than what was intended.
Marie Wright
I came across this song by accident, in all my years as a Christian I’ve never heard of analysing songs before! I’m going thro hard times at the moment, physically and mentally. Even after reading your “analysis” I still believe God led me to this song to show me that He is battling for me and will bring me through. It also encouraged me to see so many young people worshipping the Lord with modern music. It never once crossed my mind that God was saying your faith is not strong enough as I know I am on a learning curve through these times. I just hope a young Christian does not come across your criticism as that is what it is, and is put off. I could feel the Holy Spirit moving in that place. It disturbs me that you’ve put yourself in such an elevated position to criticise (cos let’s face it, that’s what you’re doing) are you really a Christian or a theologian?
Vince Wright
Marie Wright,
Thank you for your comments!
First, I mentioned in my Criteria page that God can use songs despite my critique. In section “Final Considerations”, I said:
“On the other hand, a low score does not necessarily mean that we should stop listening to a song. For example, a song may have high marks for its biblical accuracy, but a low score on outsider. This would be a great song to hear personally, but perhaps not one to share outside of Christian circles. Also, God can use anything, despite my own views and opinions on any song.”
Second, I saw a lot of “Word of Faith” themes in this song. Word of faith is the teaching that our prayers are always answered if we have enough faith. If God doesn’t answer in the affirmative, it means we don’t have enough faith. This teaching ignores that sometimes God says “no” to us so that we can grow and become better people (See Romans 5:3-5, Hebrews 12:4-11, and James 1:2-4). Since I believe this song teaches this dangerous doctrine, I deducted points. Maybe you disagree and that is your right, but as I stated in my About page,
“Understand that my reviews are my own opinion and should not be taken as Gospel, but thoughts worth considering. I recognize that God can use anything, but that doesn’t absolve our duty to think critically about the music we listen to. I aim to remain objective, but acknowledge that I have biases that alter my objectivity.”
Third, I agree that I hope Christians aren’t put off by my review, including yourself. As I stated previously, This review is my opinion, but you have to decide if my examination is correct or not. If it’s not, then I ask you to show me from Scripture how I erred.
Fourth, while I did put this website together and shared my views with the world, I don’t understand how doing so puts me in an “elevated” position. Anyone can start a website and share their thoughts, including you. Can you explain to me how I’ve elevated myself?
Finally, while I am a genuine follower of Jesus, complete with my war against sin (Matthew 4:1-11, Romans 7:14-25, Ephesians 6:12-17, and 2 Corinthians 10:3-5), I don’t purport to be a specialist in theology. I’m a layman with some ideas that I hope you will consider. However, I don’t appreciate having my allegiance to Jesus questioned simply because I have some opinions that disagree with yours.
-Vince Wright
LaceFace
Hey so, my interpretation first verse and prechorus is this:
Miracles are still happening
He is still showing up in very real ways
Including showing up to everyone who is dead and now believes He shows up to that tomb and raises them to life
Right now I know You are able to save many more
My God come through again for more souls.
Maybe it’s because I have been praying for that for some loved ones in my life. I have been praying with full belief that He can save ANYONE. And He is able to come through again and again for those who ask. His death on the cross once for all is still saving people still wiping away sins over and over again. Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s what I thought.
Vince Wright
LaceFace,
Thank you for your comments!
Your interpretation is probably what Elevation intended and somewhat aligns with Marva and David’s comments, but their word choice, in my humble opinion, makes it hard to see this conclusion as viable.
-Vince Wright
David
Hi Vince,
thank you for continuing to devoting into examining songs as well taking the time to analyse areas where most people cannot discern or understand. My interpretation of the song will be in partial agreement with Marva L Taylor. The song does celebrate God’s victory over death and re-affirming our faith in Him. The Pre Chorus is not talking about another born again experience. It is actually talking about God raising the dead again similar to that of Lazarus.
I am in agreement with you that there are elements of Word of Faith theology injected very subtly in this song. If the authors of the song emphasize on the cross, then I would worship this song in good conscience. Major subtlety for me is the gospel, R&B arrangement –the sound really seduces people’s minds from thinking critically. It almost did with me but I felt something that was slightly off.
Vince Wright
David,
Thank you for your comments and compliment!
I don’t think that interpretation of Pre-Chorus makes sense of Verse 1. Upon re-examination, it’s probably meant to communicate spiritual revitalization, but I still think this point could be clearer.
-Vince Wright
Michelle S Harewood
Hi everyone, I am enlightened by this forum. I actually stumbled upon it as I’m planning to minister this song as a solo and I’m glad to share my interpretation, so here goes 🙂
I see Vs 1 as a reminder:-
Lines 1-2: God easily does what seems impossible.
Lines 3-4: He remains present, even during our worst situations.
We often refer to our dire situations as dead or Lazarus situations. Truth be told, Christian or not, we all face them: bad relationships or being deep in debt, depression or in sin…when we’re in so deep we may not perceive God.
Lines 5-6: So even in the worst situaton, He’s there to bring us out…It’s up to us to answer/heed His call. However, I can’t agree, Vince, that “God removes all struggles and distress from our lives” & I don’t see the song saying this. I see that He resurrects/revives us, as it were, but no promise of life of no struggles/distress…that’s not real/biblical.
Prechorus: A cry of faith to be saved/delivered, so it applies to both unsaved & Christian
Chorus is Reassurance: Jehovah Sabaoth Who fights for us wins every battle
Vs2 is a Renewed attitude: fresh submission to God, as we give place to Holy Spirit breaking down those personal barriers of stubbornness we have built up in our lives, like only He can.
The repetitions at the end are a Reinforcement that The Lord God Who Fights for Us never has, does and or will lose a battle… So we know that we know that we KNOW we can always depend on Him… He is ever faithful, ever sure, Hallelujah!!! (Ok, not meaning to preach, lol)
So in Summary: It’s a heart cry of hope & a proclamation of faith in our faithful Warrior God.
Vince, I think your comment,
“Much like the walls of Jericho fell in Joshua 6:1-20, God destroys Elevation Worship’s stony, dead hearts, implying that they received a heart of flesh” was a bit pointed though. Although written by Elevation Worship, let’s not pin the interpretation as relating only to the scope of Elevation Worship. Even if it is so, the reach is much wider, as it can relate to anybody’s restoration.
As a Worship Leader, would I lead this in corporate worship? No, I wouldn’t either… but I know it would be more effective as special ministry since it would allow for more retrospection and reflection, hopefully leading to deliverance from any current dead situations. I also see it as timely.
Thanks so much for helping me to analyze this song, it’s something I usually do before I minister any song but I’m glad we can look at each other’s perspectives & do this together.
Looking fwd to your feedback.
Joy & peace!
Marva L Taylor
Wow. The message of this song clear. I am filled with unhappiness on your behalf as a result of your inability to celebrate this song as it was intended. God has NEVER lost a battle. This song celebrates God’s victory. This concept encourages the faith of believers. In the life of the believer it is very important to remember the victory we have in God. Being in Him guarantees that we win in the end. ALL things work together for the good….you know the rest. The book of Revelation reminds us that even in the end God wins. A non-believer hearing this song song would receive the message as it was clearly delivered….HE has N E V E R lost a battle and He never will. (Pumping my fist in the air as I type) :o) Live in Love, Friends!