I'm re-reading these books now for the first time since 7th Grade. The message I am getting is that evil must be destroyed even though there is great risk. I see that many times during the journey some characters think of just walking away or "hiding" the ring somewhere it won't be found for many years, thus making their lives better in the short run. Then, they realize that putting off doing unpleasant things till tomorrow will only make things worse for everyone else in the long run.
It also gives the message that the good people are not "warmongers", but people who turn to violence only when it is the last resort in destroying evil.