In the mid-1980s, Stryper enjoyed their most successful period beginning with the release of To Hell with the Devil, which achieved platinum sales status.

In 2013, they signed a multi-album deal with Frontiers Records and have since released Second Coming, which includes 14 re-recorded songs from their first three albums; No More Hell to Pay in 2013; Fallen in 2015; God Damn Evil in 2018; Even the Devil Believes in 2020; The Final Battle in 2022; and When We Were Kings in 2024.

[2] Stryper's drummer, Robert Sweet, also created a backronym for their name: "salvation through redemption, yielding peace, encouragement, and righteousness".

[6] The album received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group, Choir or Chorus.

[9] However, when the promotional photos for the album were being shot, Gaines returned to the band and subsequently participated in its successful world tour.

[1] Stryper's fourth album, In God We Trust, released on June 28, 1988, also went gold, and the song "Always There for You" briefly entered the lower levels of the pop charts, peaking at No.

In addition, the image of the band was moving even closer to the glam metal look of the era,[11][12][13] giving fans something else to criticize.

As with the previous album, Tim Gaines did not participate in the recording (Brad Cobb once again played bass) but later rejoined the group for another world tour.

[14] On August 21, 1990, Stryper released the controversial album Against the Law, which drastically changed the band's image and lyrical message.

[15] On July 20, 1991, after being signed to Hollywood Records by label exec Wesley Hein (who had originally signed them to his Enigma Records), Stryper released a greatest hits collection called Can't Stop the Rock, which featured two new songs, one of which was the Gulf War inspired "Believe".

[17] In early 1993, the band played several more European dates as a trio with their last show on March 27, 1993, in Sportzentrum, Greifensee, Switzerland.

The former members of Stryper first reunited in 1999, when Michael Sweet and SinDizzy were invited to play at a summer rock festival in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.

As an encore, Sweet joined Oz Fox and Tim Gaines on stage and played several Stryper songs.

The band played 36 shows in the United States and finished the tour in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

[19] Stryper's next album, Reborn, was released on August 16, 2005, and was the band's first full-length CD of original material in 15 years.

[20] With a more modern sound incorporating aspects of alternative rock and grunge, along with fewer guitar solos, the new record updated their style while keeping the Stryper identity.

[21] In 2006, the band released the DVD Greatest Hits: Live in Puerto Rico with Music Video Distributors.

Sweet also stated that bassist Timothy Gaines was taking time away from the band to deal with personal issues.

[39] On February 9, the band released "Take It to the Cross" as a single for the album, featuring Matt Bachand of Shadows Fall.

During the 1980s, Stryper represented the popular glam metal style of the time,[11] characterized by highly visual performances, twin guitar solos, Michael Sweet's high-pitched, multi-octave screams, and big hair.

The number of the stripes represented in various stage props and costumes increased during the show, leading up to In God We Trust.

The band explained the symbolism of the stripes—a direct reference to the whiplash scourges given to Jesus by Pontius Pilate—and draws wording from the King James Version of the Bible's Isaiah 53:5 that relates to the motif of the suffering servant.

[42] A trademark of the band's stage act was drummer Robert Sweet's practice of turning his enormous drum kit sideways to the audience so that the crowd could see him playing.

The Los Angeles Times reported in 1985 that "the band gets sullen fans of Twisted Sister cheering and poking stubby 'one way' fingers heavenward—a refutation of the double-fingered 'devil horns' salute of many metal groups".

[44] Stryper was the first openly Christian heavy metal band to gain recognition in the mainstream music world.

[1] Mark Joseph states, "The Yellow and Black Attack was propelled by the group's success in Japan, which was largely due to an endorsement of the band by famed rock critic Masa Itoh, the man who ruled the Japanese hard rock/metal scene, who many fans looked to for his evaluation of bands.

[47] Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart was a particularly prominent critic, likening Stryper's practice of distributing the New Testament at their shows to "casting pearls before swine".

A 1985 CCM magazine article by Chris Willman, who was also writing for the Los Angeles Times, stated that "Stryper was the target of scattered picketing, boycott threats, and righteous denunciations".

[5] This, combined with a notable shift in tone in the band's lyrics, led to Against the Law being banned from many Christian bookstores.

[51] In his autobiography A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex, professional wrestler Chris Jericho mentions that, as he got into heavy metal music as a teenager, Stryper was one of his favorite bands, and during the very beginning of his wrestling career on the Canadian independent circuit, his ring attire was black and yellow, which he purposely did as a tribute to the band.