War Leaders—Physically and Spiritually

The Russia-Ukraine War is escalating. Russia has threatened to use nuclear weapons. Our number one problem today is the question of human survival. Jesus Christ prophesied that all human life would be extinguished in this end time if He didn’t return to save us! (Matthew 24:21-22).

Man is incapable of bringing peace. The ultimate goal of war is peace—but war only pushes peace further out of our reach.

God promises to protect His very elect from physical warfare if we engage in spiritual warfare! Spiritual warfare is so encouraging and exciting.

As war on Earth increases, we need to consider valuable lessons from war leaders—physically and spiritually. Physical war has failed to bring peace; spiritual war will bring peace to this world.

Winston Churchill was our greatest warrior in World War i and World War ii. “Historians in democratic times do not take account of great men who dominate vast events, but rather show vast events dominating the masses of men,” writes Algis Valiunas, referring to the observation of French historian Alexis de Tocqueville (Churchill’s Military Histories: A Rhetorical Study). Churchill showed that a great man certainly can dominate vast events! This is a positive aspect of history—though tyrants have dominated events in a negative way as well.

Churchill believed that World War ii was unnecessary—if only the nations had stopped Adolf Hitler soon enough. He understood the need to fight for peace. Queen Victoria said the same thing in 1879: “If we are to maintain our position as a first-rate power … we must with our Indian Empire and large colonies be prepared for attacks and wars, somewhere or other, continually.” This is always the case with a great empire, and the British Empire was the greatest empire ever. The fruits prove it.

“The improvement of the British breed is my political aim in life,” Churchill wrote in The River War. He realized that Britain had to remain strong in character and willing to fight to preserve the Empire. Small wars would prevent the bigger, more destructive wars.

Queen Victoria talked about the need for relentless visionary manliness to protect poor natives and to regenerate the entire continent of Africa. Such endeavors by the British Empire were a blessing to the world! Churchill thought the highest goal of all was to establish an empire with the strength to help and protect nations that couldn’t defend themselves.

All empires have flaws. It is beyond man’s strength to make an empire operate like it should. Churchill worked all his life to sustain and enhance the Empire, yet that Empire is gone today.

What is wrong with the mind of man that we cannot solve the problem of war and achieve peace? Only God truly understands the human mind because He created it. He knows its abilities and limitations. He has a lot to say about the way of peace.

Exceptional men make the difference in massive wars. But even the best physical war leaders ultimately fail because they don’t bring God into the picture. What we need most of all is exceptional spiritual leaders.

Churchill emphasized British character and vision. He worked to build up the British people. Toward the end of his life, he was depressed because the British Empire was fading away. War victories didn’t make him happy in that respect. No one is afraid of Britain today. No one is afraid of the United States either, for that matter. The Gentile nations can see when the nations of Israel are weak, and they always attack at times like this.

In war, a certain type of soldier is needed. The account of Gideon’s army in Judges 7 shows how God pared 30,000 Israelite soldiers down to just 300 men who were eager to do battle. They were eager because of their faith in God! They won wars by trusting God! Their army was small, but 300 were plenty with God behind them.

Churchill was an epic historian and warrior. All of us need epic goals like his. How can we deal with the prodigious scale of events in our lives? We must meet the challenge somehow, but we can’t do it alone! Man is not qualified to rule over man! God trains His leaders for a prodigious scale of events. We must become capable of winning massive spiritual battles—and do so consistently.

To fight spiritual wars, we require spiritual help. God’s very elect have His Holy Spirit, which combines with the human spirit to win wars.

“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:1-3). God commands His soldiers to be strong and tough, and to teach others how to become spiritual warriors. As a good soldier of Jesus Christ, you will have to endure hardness because Satan rules and deceives this whole world, stirring up enemies to come after you. But you can and should conquer those enemies!

“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. … If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (verses 4, 21-22). We fight for God’s truth against the devil, the father of liars and murderers (John 8:44). We must come out of the world to experience peace. How desperately we need peace!

You might be shocked to discover the kind of people God calls and prepares to wage spiritual war and eventually rule the world. “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). God calls the lowly of the world because He can’t work with people filled with vanity and deceit!

“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (verses 30-31). God chooses His spiritual war leaders. The glory belongs to Him. We must be humble and teachable!

“At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes” (Matthew 11:25). God works with the humble, those who are teachable like little children (Matthew 18:1-3). He transforms us into exceptional rulers. What an amazing accomplishment!