It’s a strange word—surrender.
One we don’t like to touch, let alone use. It feels like failure, doesn’t it? Like waving a white flag while the enemy smirks and moves in for the selfie. We’d much rather say ceasefire, or truce, or negotiation, thank you very much.
But surrender? No, that sounds like we lost.
And yet, the more I’ve been thinking about it—especially while working on my yet-to-be-released book Hi Society—the more I realise that surrender may be the only word that truly counts.
There’s a conversation in the book that’s stayed with me. It’s between Dr. Swu, a young doctor from Nagaland, and Kamalamma, the society’s no-nonsense pump-woman with a laugh that could startle pigeons off high-tension wires. Kamalamma is facing a challenge—and Dr. Swu, instead of offering a lecture or a list of solutions, simply says, “I’m planning to form a prayer warriors’ group.”
Kamalamma bursts out laughing. “Warriors?” she chuckles. “What are they bringing? Spears? Trishuls? Guns loaded with hallelujahs?”
Though I wrote it, later, her line made me laugh. But it also made me think.
Because Dr. Swu replies—not with sarcasm, but with something far more disarming: “These prayer warriors are not warriors because they fight. They are warriors because they surrender. Their first act is to say they are too weak to win the fight, and that they need God's strength.”
That line, I must admit, wasn’t just written for the character. It came from somewhere deeper.
We’re wired to believe that battles are won by strength. That the one who fights the longest or shouts the loudest, or posts the angriest tweet comes out on top. But in life’s real wars—those that rage quietly inside us—victory often comes when we admit we can’t win alone.
In fact, I’m beginning to think prayer itself is the ultimate act of surrender.
Not a resignation, but a recognition. That we need help. That we’re not invincible. That strength doesn’t come from flexed muscles or clever strategies, but from falling on our knees and saying, “I can’t. Please, step in.”
I’ve seen prayer warriors—men and women who’ve stood in the gap not with weapons, but with words whispered in faith. Not with power, but with humility. And they’ve moved mountains.
So today, if you’re facing a personal battle—a decision, a diagnosis, a disappointment—don’t just hold out for a ceasefire. Don’t negotiate a truce. Maybe, just maybe, it’s time to surrender.
Not to defeat.
But to the only Commander who never loses.
Because in His army, the bravest are not those who fight the hardest. They’re the ones who kneel first.
Yes, in God’s army, battles aren’t won by drawing swords—but by dropping them, lifting hands, and whispering, “Over to You...!”
The Author conducts an online, eight session Writers and Speakers Course. If you’d like to join, do send a thumbs-up to WhatsApp number 9892572883 or send a message to bobsbanter@gmail.com
