For Today – Devastator

Heavy metal band For Today began in 2005 and ended in 2016.  They released six albums and two EP’s:

• Your Moment, Your Life, Your Time (EP, 2006)
• Ekklesia (2006)
• Portraits (2009)
• Breaker (2010)
• Immortal (2012)
• Prevailer (EP, 2013)
• Fight the Silence (2014)
• Wake (2015)

Also, check out my review of Bitter Roots.

Lyrics can be found at https://genius.com/For-today-devastator-lyrics.

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.

1. What message does the song communicate?

The word “hell” has two meanings, depending on translation and context.  It could either mean the “realm of the dead” (hadés) or the “lake of fire” (geenna or gehenna).  Since Verse 1 clarifies this as the “gates of hell”, which the word “hell” is translated from “hadés”, I’ll interpret this as the “realm of the dead”.

For Today believes that hell ought to fear them because they will defeat it.  This doesn’t make sense.  Hell doesn’t fear anything.  Satan and his minions don’t come from hell.  Their kingdom is of this world, not in hell!  Besides, even if that were true, it is the name of Jesus that Satan and demons fear, not For Today.

Anyways, For Today exalt Christ as Savior, the One who destroys the Devil’s kingdom.  They are subject to Him.  They will lose the war against mankind and will be thrown into the lake of fire.  For Today is asking God for this promise to become reality.

Score: 6/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

Some of the song is Biblical.  As mentioned in section 1, hell doesn’t fear For Today nor will For Today’s act defeat it.

[Verse 1]

Lines 1-3: For Today is incorrect.  It is not their name nor their acts that hell should fear nor bring them down.  It is Jesus who lives in them (Galatians 2:20) that destroys Satan’s works (1 John 3:8).  Apart from Him, they can do nothing (John 15:5).

Besides, what does it mean to say that hell fears For Today?  Satan and his army of demons don’t rule over it.  Jesus does (Revelation 1:18).

There was an account in Acts 19:11-17, where the seven sons of a Jewish priest attempted an exorcism in Jesus’ name.  The demons knew Jesus and knew of Paul and did not know these sons, overpowering them.  This passage tells us that they are aware of Paul, but does not say that they feared Paul.  Rather, they fear God (James 2:19).

Line 4: For Today is part of the war against spiritual forces of darkness (Ephesians 6:12).

Lines 5-8: Repeats lines 1-4.

[Verse 2 (Genius link incorrectly says “Verse 1”)]

Line 1: The gates of hell are mentioned in Matthew 16:17-19, where Jesus explains to His disciples that these gates will not prevail against them.  As mentioned in Verse 1, it is not For Today’s name, but the name of Jesus, that should be feared.  However, I applaud For Today for exalting Christ (Matthew 2:11, Matthew 14:33, Matthew 21:9, Matthew 28:8-9, Matthew 28:16-17, and Luke 24:50-53, John 12:13, and John 20:28).

Line 2: Jesus purchased For Today’s lawbreaking with His sacrifice on the cross (Isaiah 53:1-12, Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, John 1:29, John 3:16, John 19:30, Acts 4:12, Acts 20:28, Romans 5:6-10, Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 1:3-4, Galatians 3:13, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 2:14, 1 Timothy 2:6, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:15, Hebrews 9:22, Hebrews 9:26, 1 Peter 1:17-21, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 John 1:7, 1 John 2:1-2, and Revelation 5:9).  Scripture also tells us that those of us who persevere will be given a new name written on a white stone (Revelation 2:17).

Line 3: Repeats line 1.

Lines 4 and 5: It is through the name of Jesus that demons are cast out (Mark 16:17, Luke 10:17, and Acts 16:18).  The foot of the cross represents humility, surrendering to God’s will.  When the demons are cast out, they are forced due to Christ’s power. Thus, they are placed as the “foot of the cross” where Jesus hung (Acts 5:30 and Galatians 3:13).

Lines 6-8: Satan’s kingdom is his temporary residence on earth (Ephesians 2:2), yet, His Kingdom will be overthrown when Christ returns (Matthew 24:43, Acts 1:9-11, 1 Corinthians 11:26, 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4, 2 Peter 3:10, and Revelation 16:15).  After all, the Kingdom of God is the Gospel Jesus preached (Matthew 4:23, Matthew 9:35, Matthew 24:14, Mark 1:14-15, Luke 4:43, and Luke 16:16).

[Pre-Chorus]

That is, God’s elect (Exodus 33:19, Deuteronomy 7:7-8, Deuteronomy 9:4-6, Isaiah 65:1, Matthew 22:1-14, John 15:16-17, Romans 8:29-39, Romans 9:10-24, Romans 11:1-6, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Ephesians 1:3-14, Colossians 3:12-14, 1 Thessalonians 1:2-5, 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15, 2 Timothy 1:8-9, 2 Timothy 2:10 James 2:5, 2 Peter 1:3-11) will fight the good fight (1 Timothy 6:12).

[Chorus]

Lines 1 and 2: A battle cry to rally the troops against Satan and his army.

Line 3: Repeats line 1.

Line 4: That is, the gates of hell will not prevail.  See commentary on Verse 2, line 1.

Line 5: Repeats line 1.

Line 6: See commentary on Verse 2, line 6.

Line 7: Repeats line 1.

Line 8: That is, we will enter into the fully realized Kingdom of God (Revelation 21:1-27).

[Post-Chorus]

Lines 1 and 2: Repeats Chorus, line 1.  Combined with a sound of excitement.

[Verse 3 (Genius link incorrectly says “Verse 2”)]

Line 1: That is, For Today asks God to bring to fruition His prophecy to send Satan and his army to the lake of fire (Revelation 19:19-21 and Revelation 20:7-10).

Line 2: That is, we are free from slavery to sin, made alive in Jesus (Romans 6:1-11, Romans 7:4-6, Galatians 2:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:11, and 1 Peter 2:24).

Lines 3 and 4: As adopted sons and daughters of the Most High (John 1:12-13, John 14:18, Romans 8:14-17, Romans 8:23, Romans 9:1-8, Galatians 3:26, Galatians 4:5-7, Ephesians 1:3-14, Ephesians 2:11-22, Hebrews 9:15, and 1 John 3:1-3), we become heirs of God’s Kingdom (Romans 8:17).

[Outro]

Line 1: See commentary on Verse 3, line 1.

Lines 2-8: Repeats Verse 1, lines 1-4.

Score: 6/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Unbelievers will probably conclude it’s Christian given its references to Jesus, the cross, and hell; However, they will receive conflicting messages.  What does “defeating hell” mean?  Is it their strength that will defeat hell or Jesus?  How does God’s justice bring back what was stolen from us?  There’s a lot of confusion and misinformation that won’t help unbelievers come to correct Biblical truth.

Score: 2/10

4. What does this song glorify?

While it glorifies God as the One who will defeat Satan and his army, it does not glorify Him when For Today errs on hell’s fear of them and subsequent defeat at their hands.

Score: 6/10

Closing Comments

For Today’s Devastator is a hot mess.  While they are correct in that we should follow Jesus, that He purchased our salvation, will destroy Satan’s kingdom, and establish His own, they are incorrect that hell will fear them or that they will defeat it.

I cannot recommend this song for corporate worship.

Final Score: 5/10

Artist Info

Track: Devastator (listen to the song)

Artist: For Today

Album: Breaker

Genre: Heavy Metal

Release Year: 2010

Duration: 3:40

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Updates:

03/24/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement.