In times of war we need certain kinds of leaders. Not all leaders are geared for leading through war. Wartime leaders are prepared differently than those who lead in times of peace. They require a different focus, a different heart and a different level of determination and resolve.God is raising up wartime leaders in this hour to lead and help His church navigate victoriously through the battle that wages in this season. The hour is tumultuous and calls for a leadership that are prepared to rise to the occasion.In ancient Israel a certain battle waged that demanded a new leadership. This battle called for a new kind of warrior. A warrior who was fearless, bold, courageous but more than anything a warrior who loved the Lord his God with all his heart. A man God named “a man after His own heart”.David’s response to intimidation was the opposite to those around him. He was indignant against God’s people being held captive to intimidation and by action and deed declared “we will not yield to an uncircumcised Philistine”.A wartime leader’s response to intimidation is different from the majority around them and their predecessors before them. A wartime leader will not retreat and will not sing the tune when the flute plays nor will bow the knee to the Babylonian GOLDEN statue.A wartime leader like David is prepared for such a time. They are prepared in the contrary place of the wilderness. Because they are called to rise in a contrary hour to bring deliverance against the flow of fear, intimidation, chaos and confusion.Those who know the comfortability of favour and esteem, are not prepared for such wars. In fact they don’t even want to go to war and would rather just submit to an unrighteous demonic principality – in the false “name of honour”, instead of facing the winds of opposition that come with standing up and fighting.The Lord began speaking this word to me in December of 2019. Throughout the summer I was just fascinated with Winston Churchill. I watched every movie about him, every documentary, I read books etc. all the while wondering why I was fixated on this part of history.I’ve journeyed with the Lord long enough to know that this was not a usual summer break movie binge. I thought no, my spirit is picking something up here. Well that was before the world is now as we know it. That was in a relative time of peace. After seeking God’s heart in enquiry on this matter the Lord said, “War is coming and my church are going to need a new breed of leadership. I am raising up wartime leaders, who will fearlessly and selflessly lead her through the darkest hour.”For two years now, the Lord has been speaking to me about wartime leaders and how the church are going to need them in this coming hour. All those who I have prepared are going to surface for such a time as this. They will lead my people as Esther did into great deliverance and victory.We know Winston Churchill lead England through their darkest hour and sovereignly and miraculously by the hand of God were delivered from the Nazi invasion. We know intercession by the likes of Reece Howel and those with him had a major role in this victory and outcome but, nonetheless, the Lord had something to work with, a leader who refused to bow and make covenants with Hitler.Churchill many years earlier smelt a rat and rat it was. Many years earlier he was a voice in the political wilderness prophesying Hitler’s totalitarian worldwide agenda. BUT. NONEONE. LISTENED. Why? Because He was an “odd” very imperfect man who had made mistakes (some ghastly), and was thought of as nothing more than a raving lunatic with an egotistical agenda.Winston Churchill wasn’t perfect, we all know that, we know he was an eccentric, scotch drinking, cigar smoking, cranky, unmannered genius. Precisely. Wartime leaders are not the norm. They can’t be the norm to lead people through a storm.Now I am not insinuating by any measure the Lord is raising up scotch drinking, cigar smoking, cranky, unmannered leaders in His church to lead her in a time of war. But what I am saying is that these wartime leaders God is bringing on the scene will look different to the leadership of this past season.They may have had an imperfect past and have been humbled by their own misfortunes. The rejection by the majority because of their mistakes only served to refine them to have greater resolve and thicker skin, purging out of them all desire for the praises of men, and selfish ambition, in turn liberating them to pursue the greater cause of the kingdom.They have a fire in their belly that makes the complacent and religious uncomfortable. Refusing to play the game and toe the line to church cultural political correctness, they challenge the systems that allow the threshing to be hidden in the winepress. They are calling out the church to stand and fight.They will confront principalities head on and having a forehead like flint, will empower the church to rise up and do the same. They will bring solace to those who mourn because the devil has been wreaking havoc in their families. They will declare the day of deliverance has come and the avenger is nigh.The word the Lord gave me for this season is that He is about to perform against the norm.These wartime leaders the Lord is raising up will not be the norm. They are not married to a system nor in captivity to reputation. They will serve the people and act as the refreshing breath of God that Ezekiel saw come on the dry bones that resurrected a mighty army, the nation of God’s people.They will invoke hope to a people once again by their fearless resolve to believe God at His word no matter the cost. They will not retreat in the face of fear. They will be persecuted, rejected, ridiculed, scorned and mocked by the cowardly, new age, antichrist serving, toeing the political demonic line pseudo church.But they are ready. They are prepared. Because they have been prepared in the contrary place. They are like a horse in a gate, biting at the bit, saying “bring it on, who shall defy the armies of the living God!”
