During the Livonian War he served in the Swedish military and was severely wounded 1573 in a battle by the Koluvere Castle in Estonia. Fincke was then transferred to administrative duties. In 1582 he was named as the stadtholder of the Olavinlinna Castle in Savonia. In 1596–1597 Fincke took part in suppressing the revolting Finnish peasants in the Cudgel War. In the 1598–1599 War against Sigismund, Olavinlinna became the last stronghold of Sigismund's supporters as his brother Sten Fincke fled to the castle. Olavinlinna soon surrendered to the troops of Charles IX without any resistance, Sten was executed in the Åbo bloodbath and Gödik expelled of his post.