O Jesus, Once a Nazareth Boy

O Jesus, once a Nazareth boy,
And tempted like as we,
All inward foes help us destroy
And spotless all to be.
We trust Thee for the grace to win
The high, victorious, goal,
Where purity shall conquer sin
In Christlike self control.

O Jesus, Prince of life and truth,
Beneath Thy banner bright,
We dedicate our strength and youth
To battle for the right;
We give our lives with glad intent
To serve the world and Thee,
To die, to suffer and be spent
To set our brothers free.

In serried ranks, we fearless tread,
O Captain of us all,
Thy glory on our banners shed,
We answer to Thy call;
And where the fiercest battles press
Against the hosts of sin,
To rescue those in dire distress
We gladly enter in.

Author: Unknown

No well-known hymn writer (e.g. Whittier, Fosdick, or Benson) matches this text. The style, themes of youth temperance/pledge, and phrasing suggest it is likely from an early-20th-century American or British Sunday-school or temperance songbook and is usually listed as 'author unknown' in hymnals.