The church in Smyrna was suffering intense persecution from government, culture, and even former friends, and Jesus’ call to them wasn’t to fight back but to stay faithful and keep moving forward on the path of the cross. The message of Jesus pushes back against our instinct to retaliate, defend our rights, or “chase down” those who hurt or oppose us, because that instinct only pulls us off the road Jesus actually called us to travel. Instead, Jesus invites His people to “fight like heaven,” responding to hostility with faithful endurance, sacrificial love, and trust in God’s justice—just as He did. History shows that this cross-shaped faithfulness, not rage or revenge, is what truly transforms the world, and it’s still the road we must choose today.