The Final Battle

The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."

Gen 2:16-17

For over three weeks we have written and read of the many battles that are fought in the war against Spiritual Leaders in the series, “The Battles of Spiritual Leaders”. We have seen those who survived, those who fell and those who conquered in these many battles mounted by our common enemy to disable Spiritual Leaders.

Even the one who fell in these battles can find some honor in that he showed up for the battle. He may have chosen ill in the fight. She may have fallen in the fire but they at least go into the fray. Many of those who fall will rise in humility and strength to fight another day. Some will permanently litter the battlefields having fought and died because they quit being a leader. Some will succeed and win battles by choosing the King and hiding behind him.

The Final Battle though is not a battle akin to all of those of which we have found ourselves warned. The Final Battle has no enemy in satan. The Final Battle has no battlefield or weapons. It is the final battle only because it is the “final word” or the “final determination” of the outcome of all the battles. The Final Battle does not come at the end but in every moment. It is found in the first, the beginning, the end and the last of all battles.

The Final Battle was first fought in the Garden of Eden. The Final Battle is found in freedom of choice. Each and every Spiritual Leader is free to choose whether or not he will show up for the battles of life and leadership. The Final Battle is whether at the beginning or the end of leadership, the Spiritual Leader will choose to show up for the battle or become a deserter who flees the challenge of the enemy and surrenders the territory and leadership of God’s people to satan without a fight.

Everyone is created by God to have the freedom of choice. Everyone can choose. What will you choose when the battle begins? Will you choose to fight or hide and run? Who is more important God or you? Do you have any honor? Will you hand the people over to the enemy by simply being absent for the battle?

Very few people respect France because they abandon the fight, surrender before it begins, let others fight it for them and then whine out reasons and complaints. Such is the Spiritual Leader who chose not to fight and thus abandons other leaders to fight for him. Thus is the spiritual leader who gives up the land without a fight. We must win the Final Battle before it is the Final Battle!