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The final stand is not simply an event that will occur in the future. It is also a spiritual position every church must take. In the Book of Revelation, Jesus delivers urgent messages to seven real churches in ancient Asia Minor.
But these messages are also for us today.
They are a blueprint for what it means to be a church that is ready, strong, and victorious. Arthur J. Besler’s book, How? How? How? Jesus Can We Have Your Church Fired Up?, makes it clear: by studying these seven churches, we find the answer. We discover how to move from being lukewarm to being on fire for God. This is the ultimate confrontation between faith and complacency, and the outcome is critical.
A Message to the Churches
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches… (Revelation 2:7)
Before the final battle described in later chapters of Revelation, Jesus first addresses the condition of His own people. The seven letters in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 are a spiritual health check. They represent different types of churches that have existed throughout history and still exist today. Besler emphasizes that this is where our focus must begin. The external battles will come, but the first decisive moment happens within the church itself.
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The author states that the church must awaken from its slumber. He writes, “For the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, must begin to awake; from their slumbering, as the Father in heaven is about to shake: the whole universe.”
This awakening is the first step toward taking a final stand. An army that is forever asleep is an army forever unable to fight. As such, Jesus’s messages can only be interpreted as a wake-up call, preparing the church for what is to come by addressing its internal weaknesses first.
The Commended Churches
…Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. (Revelation 2:10)
Not all the churches received rebuke. Some were commended for their faithfulness amidst great pressure. These churches model what it means to hold the line in the do-or-die situations of spiritual life.
- The Church of Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11) faced poverty and persecution. Jesus had no words of correction for them, only encouragement to remain faithful in the face of suffering. They exemplify a church that understands the cost of discipleship. Their final stand was one of unwavering loyalty, even when it meant earthly loss.
- The Church of Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13) is praised for keeping God’s word and not denying His name. They had “a little strength,” but because they remained obedient, Jesus promised to keep them from the hour of trial coming upon the whole world. Besler highlights this promise, noting that Jesus sets before them an “open door, and no man can shut it.” This church shows that a final stand is built on persistent faithfulness with the little strength we have. It’s not about human power, but about relying on God’s.
The Corrected Churches
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. (Revelation 3:19)
To the churches that Jesus rebuked, there were also corrections. Several churches received strong warnings from Jesus, where he highlighted the dangers that weakened a church. This was to better prepare them before the real battle could begin.
- The Church of Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7) was hardworking and doctrinally sound. They could not tolerate evil. Yet, Jesus said they had left their first love. They were doing the right things, but their hearts had grown cold. Besler warns of this very danger, stating that churches can have “the form of Godliness, but [deny] the power.” A church that loses its passion for Christ may win arguments, but it will lose the spiritual war. Repentance is required to retake a firm stand.
- The Churches of Pergamum (Revelation 2:12-17) and Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29) were guilty of tolerating false teaching and immoral practices. They compromised with the surrounding culture to avoid conflict. This is a fatal error when preparing for a final stand. Besler’s message is clear: the church must be a place of truth. He stresses the need for the “five-fold” ministries—apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers—to function correctly to bring maturity and stability, preventing such compromise.
The Indifferent Churches
15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16)
The Church of Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) represents the most dangerous condition of all: tepidness. This is not a church that is being persecuted or one that is openly sinful. It is a church that is comfortable, self-sufficient, and spiritually blind. It believes it needs nothing. In a do-or-die situation, neutrality is not an option. A lukewarm soldier is a liability.
Arthur Besler directly confronts this issue, writing that Jesus considers a church lukewarm when the “Holy Spirit is being neglected and ignored.”
This happens when the spiritual gifts are not in operation and the leadership is more focused on formality than on the power of God. The consequence is severe: Jesus said He would vomit them out of His mouth. This is the ultimate rejection. The final stand cannot be made by a lukewarm church; it will be spewed out before the battle even begins.
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Preparing for the Final Stand
To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. (Revelation 3:21)
Each letter to the seven churches ends with a promise to “him who overcomes.” The final stand is not for the faint-hearted, the compromised, or the lukewarm. It is for the survivor, the one who overcomes.
Overcoming means returning to your first love, holding fast to the faith under pressure, refusing to compromise, and staying fervent for God.
Besler’s work is a call to overcome life. He envisions a church revived and empowered by the Holy Spirit. He writes “…the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, will never reach the masses: unless the ‘five-fold’ ministries are in its proper functional order…”
This functional order, coupled with the operation of the spiritual gifts, is what creates a church that can overcome. It is a church that is “fired up,” ready for the decisive moment in history.
The final stand will come, but preparations must be made now. It starts with heeding the warnings and embracing the promises given to the seven churches. It requires repentance, renewed passion, and a reliance on the Holy Spirit’s power.
Learn more about how to “fire up” the Church of Christ with Arthur J. Besler’s How? How? How? Jesus Can We Have Your Church Fired Up?.
