The Last Enemy: Preparing to Win the Fight of Your Life

by Michael E. Wittmer

Researchers continue to spend time and money looking for ways to prolong life. However, the reality of the matter remains the same―we are all going to die at some point in time. Written with creativity and honesty, The Last Enemy speaks to Christians facing death or troubled by its inevitability. It brings clarity and hope to the subject of death and dying by exploring our emotions and reactions, the pain imposed by the enemy, and Jesus’ triumph over sin and death. The Last Enemy encourages readers to focus on what matters most and prepare for ultimate victory.

Genres: Christian, Death, Christianity, Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Michael Wittmer is currently Professor of Systematic Theology at GRTS in Grand Rapids, MI. He is the author of Heaven Is a Place on Earth, Don’t Stop Believing, The Last Enemy, and Despite Doubt. He and his wife, Julie, live in Grand Rapids, Michigan with their three children: Avery, Landon, and Alayna.

Reviews

[Jordan Shirkman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perspective, encouragement, courage, and hope for those in Christ as we think about and understand death.

[Jeremy Bouma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been contemplating death a lot, lately. Maybe it's because I just turned 32, and I see my young adult life quickly passing by. Maybe it's because I'm just coming out of "the land between," that murky, vacuous space where you're confused as heck about your purpose in life. Maybe it's because a childhood neighbor friend dropped dead of a heart attack a few months ago at the age of 29 on an afternoon jog in preparation for a police officer certification program—unlike your stereotypical donut-eating cop, he was in tip-top shape.

Perhaps it comes with age and perhaps it comes with greater life experiences, but I'm more aware of my own mortality and the mortality of those closest to me than ever before. Which is why I am really thankful for a new book by my friend and mentor, Mike Wittmer. For about a year now he's affectionally referred to his latest writing project as his "death book," and that's what it is, a book on death called The Last Enemy: Preparing to Win the Fight of Your Life.

Here's how this book launches into the biggest elephant in our collective rooms:

You are going to die. Take a moment to let that sink in. You are going to die. One morning the sun will rise and you won't see it. Birds will greet the dawn and you won't hear them. Friends and family will gather to celebrate your life, and after you're buried they'll return to the church for ham and scalloped potatoes. Soon your job and favorite chair and spot on the team will be filled by someone else. The rest of the world may pause to remember—it will give you a moment of silence if you were rich or well known—but then it will carry on as it did before you arrived. "There is no remembrance of men of old," observed Solomon, "and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow" (Ecclesiastes 1:11).

You are going to die. What a crushing desperate thought. But unless you swallow hard and embrace it, you are not prepared to live.

I love that last line: unless you swallow hard and embrace death, you are not prepared to live. I must say, when I agreed to review this book for Mike, I wasn't prepared for the roller coaster ride of emotions I experienced as I faced and embraced the prospect of my own demise. I mean who really is? And who really sits down to actually contemplate it? Especially in such a youth-obsesed, decay-averse culture? But that's what I did, and a few hours later I am a better person for it.

While this book isn't for the faint of heart—be prepared for an honest, probing engagement of this important subject—it's a highly accessible book that's filled with Mike's special blend of wit, honesty, and pastoral sensitivity, and it all revolves around this single reality: death is our enemy. Unlike how many in our culture and even the church—particularly in the church—speak about death as a good thing, "a passing on" or "graduation" into a "better life," Mike makes the consistent, biblical appeal that death is not a good thing. Death isn't how it was ever supposed to be; it's our enemy that we have every right to shake our fist against. But the other reality is that death has been defeated by Jesus Christ. These two realities—death as enemy and death as defeated—form the two-part structure to this well-written, highly engaging devotional style book.

The first part is called "Know Your Enemy," and focuses on the reality of death; why it exists in our world (because of sin); why we experience it (as consequence for sin); and the pain of death which we have every right to mourn. The second part, though, makes plain the reality that death has been defeated, which Mike outlines in part two, titled "Trust Christ's Victory." Here, he walks through the effect of the crucifixion, resurrection, and Jesus triumph over death; the rest we can have in the face of death because of Christ's victory; our hope of heaven, not somewhere in outer space but right here on earth (see his excellent  Heaven Is a Place on Earth for a fuller treatment of this subject); three practical chapters for those who are nearing the end of their lives on lamenting, living, and letting go; and a final chapter on finishing well.

What I love about this book is that it is written in short, easily accessible and approachable chapters in a devotional style and tone—chapters are 5 pages at the most. Then, Mike follows each chapter with 4 or 5 questions for reflection to help the read process what they've just read and their own feelings in regards to the chapter's content. Every chapter is rooted in Scripture; has just enough theological weight to keep it from becoming the typical sappy fluff that marks a lot of Christian engagement with death without getting bogged down; is filled with relevant, applicable sermon-esque stories to help drive the theme of the chapter; and engages the subject of death with incredible honesty and insight to help those nearing the end of life face their last enemy with hope.

As an almost-no-longer-young-adult, I found this book rather helpful and applicable to my own sense of purpose and destiny. There's something about getting honest with enemy death that puts things in perspective and reorients one's life trajectory. It might sound odd, but I think this could make a great gift for graduates of college or even high school, as much as a gift for grandma or grandpa, to help them honestly, yet hopefully, face deaths reality.

So buy this book not only for a friend or family member who is facing the prospect of death, but also for yourself—because the reality is one day you are going to die, and unless you face and embrace that reality, you are not prepared to live.

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is something that we do not usually think about unless faced with it. Death is our last enemy. This book is for those that have been given the gift of knowing that they are going to die. A gift because they can prepare their family and reflect on their life. Death is a reminder of why Christ came and because of that, we should be thinking of it in terms of knowing our salvation, our saviour and God's redemptive plan. He starts out the book with what death really is. We have been told that death is a part of life. That is far from the case. Sin & Death when minimized and saying you have nothing to fear is minimizing the sacrifice of Christ. Death is a way to gain perspective. Instead of fretting on the things that do not matter, we see life as it really is. As poet WS Merwin observed, every year we pass unaware the anniversary of our death. Think about that for a moment. Towards the end of the book, Wittmer offers the hope that we have in Christ and what was done and how we can die well Our hope is who we belong too. That we are not own own, but have been bought with a price. Out satisfaction comes not from what we have done but rest in what Christ has done for us.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wittmer does an outstanding job of taking us into scripture on a journey of understanding and faith building in preparation for facing our Last Enemy, which is death. This book is very helpful for both pastor and parishioner alike. It is a good resource to provide for those who are biblically and theologically interested in walking through scripture to better understand their battle with human mortality. i found the text got better as it moved along. It begins with a solidly Baptist (surely Wittmer would say biblical) emphasis on the 'bad news' in order to underline the 'Good News' more poignantly. Those of the old school will certainly appreciate this, where others may wish to skip ahead at a bit faster pace to get to the part about how faith and redemption work. It ends strong, deepening one's understanding of the New Earth and redeemed creation rather than focusing on some 'otherworldly life in the clouds'. Wittmer expounds on this refreshing theology at length in his book "Heaven is a Place on Earth". The whole book is very 'down to earth' while being 'uplifting'.

[Ian Crombie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good and really challenged me on how I think about death. It goes through how Christians should view death, how Jesus defeated death and how we should live knowing death is the final enemy. It has thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter that really made me think and ponder on how I view death and life. I highly recommend.

[Don Henrikson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read and filled with biblical truth, this book is a perfect package of pastoral theology on a subject that we all need to consider: death and what comes after.

[Raphael Mnkandhla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great study on death

The topic of death is something many of us have not wanted to think deep on. This book gives a reason Christians need to not avoid or fear death but view it through the lens of the gospel.
I read this when I was engulfed by grief around the same time my mother and fathers death anniversary came around this book was of great comfort .

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking discussion of a Christian perspective of death. Based in the scriptures the topic is explored extensively. An important and timely topic for all.

[Steven Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read about preparing to die that's rooted in Scripture. I'd recommend this to someone facing their own death or is dealing with the death of a loved one.

[IrenesBookReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, The Last Enemy: Preparing to Win the Fight of Your Life, is about death but don’t let that scare you away from reading it. We may not like to think about it but death will come. This book, written by Michael Wittmer, is about learning to focus your attention on living right now for the Lord instead of living in fear of death. The author teaches that Jesus has triumphed over death and sin by dying and rising again. He stresses that if we sit and worry about the inevitable we are wasting the time the Lord has given us to spread the word of His salvation.

I found some of the book very encouraging and uplifting. Other parts of the book were confusing to me. I did like the style of the writing but got lost in some of the details. If you have been struggling with the death of a loved one or have gotten news that you have some terminal medical issue, you will find helpful information in this book. I did take one lesson away from that book and that is to be more in the moment and enjoy the time I do have left to serve the Lord.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.

[Brian Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is ostensibly about dying. The subtitle is "Preparing to Win the Fight of Your Life." While the book is about dying, it's really about the gospel, and how all our major issues in life are taken care of by Jesus' death and resurrection, and the promise of forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and the new creation--all of which come because of the work of Christ. It's a short book with short chapters, so it can be read quite easily--even as a devotional (one chapter per day). Wittmer writes well and keeps things lively. This is a good book for the lay reader, since it's not academic. I wish he had explained some terms and concepts better for non-Christians, since this would be the kind of book to hand to someone who doesn't know Jesus and is afraid of dying. Still, it's a well-written book that deserves reading.

[Kim]

This book was sent to me by a former bible study group teacher, from a church I quit attending after the suicide death of someone special in my life. This was 7 mos ago, but it feels like yesterday. I decided to read it, to figure out what his point was for sending it to me. Death sits heavily in my mind. My brother died a year before on the same day, same type of situation. You hear about all the suicides lately of the "stars". It affects everyone in some capacity and if it hasn't come to your door, pray it never does. The questions it leaves behind will never be answered. It's been interesting so far, I will update as I go.

[Trent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death has been on my mind lately. Not for any specific reason. Maybe because I turned 25 and I see my childhood fading behind me. Michael Wittmer writes well on the topic of death. I found myself highlighting many great points and debating on some of his thoughts of death and how others have presented their thoughts on death. This isn't a one-sided book on what death is and how we should handle it. I think of it more as a guidebook that allows you to see your life and how you will handle death when it comes.

[Cnidarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is definitely thought-provoking. I have realized that I frequently take life for granted, and people either see death as a horrific thing or embrace it. It's difficult to keep a balance of both: we want to be afraid of death because it certainly isn't what God intended for us when He created us, but sin caused it to happen. Even though we are dying, death is now in God's control and He uses death to bring us to Heaven to spend eternity with Him! That's something to celebrate! :)

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Wittmer doesn't lean into the typical discussions about death that focus on comfort. His book informs, encourages, motivates and comforts. He confronts death as an enemy that is part of the fall. I'm sure I'll read this one again.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book that tackles the subject of death from the Christian perspective. It is a book I highly recommend for a reminder of the hope we have in Christ.

[Jeromy Peacock · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 stars = Yearly re-read
4 stars = Re-read eventually
3 stars = Very Good
2 stars = OK
1 stars = Pass on this one.
0 stars = Couldn't finish it.

[Violet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Goodreads and Michael Wittmer for my copy.

Inspiring, this book will really make you think and count your blessings, a must read.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read book on death from the Christian worldview.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I have read in a long time. A must read for EVERYONE! Highly recommend!