Roger Duncan II

Battlefield Promotions… There is a great leadership transition unfolding before us. Men we have rightly, and sometimes wrongly, looked to for their example have been swept from the scene. Some departures were expected: after many trips around the sun, they finished their race with the slow dignity of old saints. Others were sudden and brutal. Some fell by death… whether by a bullet that tore through flesh or by a heart that quit at fifty-six, a heart that had burned strong for the Lord until it simply stopped. Others fell by disgrace, dragged down by sins they thought they could leash. They were fathers, brothers, mentors, and now they’re gone. The battlefield of this fallen world claimed them in one way or another. And as in all wars, those left behind receive a promotion. The gaps are there, gaping like shell holes. They must be filled. We must step up. But beware. Some fell not from enemy fire but from their own weakness. That fact should put the fear of God in us. Look hard at where you are most easily tempted and starve the flesh there. To us, they seemed like giants, and if even they could fall, how much more must we guard our steps? Lord willing, we’ve already been imitating the virtues of those godly men who finished well. But this is no time for coasting. Now we must double down, even triple down, in the pursuit of holiness. May God strengthen us in devotion and discipline. He alone knows our true capacity. Many of us will never write books stacked high in libraries or stand before roaring crowds. Those things belong to His providence. Only a fool grasps for reach without the spine to bear its weight. Great transitions are nothing new. God calls men home, often sooner than we think, and what remains is not a fable but a legacy. We’ve been handed a battlefield promotion. The smoke is thick, the ground shakes beneath our boots, and the Lord of Hosts still reigns. Lord, help us to be faithful. Help us to honor You.