The Battle of the Little Bighorn is one of the most iconic battles in American History. Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer thought he was pursuing a few hundred warriors with their families who had left their designated tribal territory. He split his force into three units so his opponents would have less of a chance of slipping away from him undetected.
The Crow Indian Scouts working for the Seventh Cavalry brought back word that the combined force of Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Indians numbered in the thousands and not the hundreds. One scout reported that in all his years in the West he had never seen a Native American gathering so large. Custer thought the scouts were exaggerating. He chose to ignore the scouts’ reports until it was too late.
Riding into Disaster
Early on the morning of June 25, 1876, Custer led a detachment of 216 soldiers through a wood near the Native American encampment. He decided on a bold frontal attack. He figured if he captured the women and children in the village, the warriors would be forced to surrender to protect their families. A brilliant victory here might propel him into a political office later. The attack had scarcely begun before a thousand mounted warriors appeared on all sides. The Native Americans quickly routed the troopers. They drove them in panic and desperation to a hillside where they made their famous Last Stand. Every soldier lost his life in the short, brutal fight. They were later buried on the hillside where they had fallen.
When interviewed years later, a warrior who participated in the battle said, “The fighting was over in less time than it takes to eat a meal,” meaning the battle probably lasted less than an hour.
Lt. Colonel Custer made a great mistake in presuming he could easily defeat his opponents. This presumption cost him his own life and the lives of his men. It was a heavy price to pay. A lot of people alive today, likewise, are making a similar presumption which will cost them far more.
Dangerous Presumption
They presume that all will be well with them when they meet the enemy of death, never having entered into a relationship with the God who made them. However, the Bible contains serious and clear statements that show how wrong that is. The following are just a few of the warnings:
If they accepted these warnings, they would see their need for the Savior. But when they hear the good news, they think that such a message is not for them. They think they are wiser, stronger and more capable than to need help and assistance. Believing in Christ might suit others who are weak and lack confidence, they might think, but I am confident and full of strength. I tend to get what I want by my own efforts.
They feel they can face whatever happens to them at death boldly and bravely and come out ahead.
Everyone Has a “Last Stand”
However, those who die in their sins will be far from okay. The instant a person dies, they will meet God’s overwhelming power and hatred against sin. “Our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:2929For our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:29)).
There will be no escape for people who refused to repent in this life. They will come into judgment for their sins and be sent out of God’s presence to spend eternity in the place of endless weeping and sorrow known as hell.
Are you presuming that God will never judge you for your sins? Are you thinking you don’t need to have your sins washed away in the Savior’s blood? Are you thinking you don’t need to be saved by God’s grace? Then you are making a great mistake.
It is presumption of the worst sort to think you can get into heaven without the Savior. It is a presumption that will bring you into eternal sorrow and pain after death.
Each one of us must make a “Last Stand” when we die and pass out of this world. When you die, what will your last stand be like? Will you die looking forward to being with the Lord Jesus who gave His life for you? Or will you die unforgiven, only to find out your presumption has landed you in hell?
If Custer had it to do over again, he would certainly have believed those Crow scouts’ reports and never divided his forces and initiated an attack. But he doesn’t get to do it over again. Nor does anyone who dies in their sins get a do-over. If you are trusting in your natural strength of character or your own innate goodness to get into heaven, think again. Those things will not save you from the eternal judgment your sin deserves. Instead, bow your heart to the Savior of sinners, and trust in Him who died and rose again. God sent Him into the world so that you and all others might be saved. Only faith in Him can bring deliverance from the power of death and make a sinner ready for heaven.
Don’t presume you will be fine at death if you die a sinner’s death. Instead, come to Him who died and rose again and defeated the power of death to give eternal life. Come to Christ, so that one day you might come home to heaven and live with Him forever!
A wonderful lesson of love is taught in “I Thought We Were Enemies?”