“Thus, then, on the night of the 10th of May , at the outset of this mighty battle, I acquired the chief power in the State,” Churchill wrote in his Second World War memoirs, “At last I had the authority to give directions over the whole scene. I felt as though I was walking with destiny, and that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and for this trial.”

When Churchill finally became prime minister in 1940, he was aware that he had been prepared for this moment. He was in his 40th year as a member of Parliament. It had been 40 years of trials and tests, 40 years of God shaping and preparing the man who would save Western civilization.

The number 40 holds special significance in the Bible. It is God’s number of trial and tests—found in the lives of many biblical titans (Moses, David, Christ, Elijah). In a March 20, 2025, Key of David, Presenter Gerald Flurry said, “If you look at your Bible, that number 40 is there many times, and it is a powerful sign, a sign from God to mankind, and especially to the people of God called out of this world.”

Churchill was a prophesied watchman to the physical nations of Israel (Ezekiel 33:1-5), and God was involved in his life. But for God’s called out first fruits today, our trials and tests have an even more transcendent purpose!

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:12-13). Jesus Christ faced the ultimate fiery trial, and Christians today “are partakers” of His sufferings. Even Churchill’s life can show us how God orchestrates these trials to prepare us to serve a greater cause.

Churchill’s chaotic family life, especially his strained relationship with his father, profoundly shaped him. The First World War taught Churchill profound lessons on leadership, overcoming failure and war organization.

During the 1920s, Churchill had accumulated some wealth and experienced great political success. However, it was at the beginning of the wilderness years that a series of fiery trials changed the direction of his life. His three-year-old daughter Marigold died suddenly; his mother died; he was hit by a car in New York City, and he had an attack of appendicitis.

In 1930, Churchill went on a trip through Canada with his son, Randolph. He intended to buy property in Canada (in Quebec or Manitoba) and retire from British politics. But after going through Canada, they were in New York when the stock market crashed. Churchill witnessed a man commit suicide from the building across the street. The small fortune Churchill had amassed through writing was heavily invested in America, and he lost a large portion of it, meaning his retirement plan was no longer possible.

It is interesting that God used the 1930 financial crash to redirect the lives of Churchill and Herbert Armstrong, two men He would use to change the course of world history.

While Churchill was engulfed in these personal trials, the British Empire began to enter into a time of trouble. The socialist government of Ramsay Macdonald began to move toward granting India full independence, which Churchill deeply opposed, believing it would lead to widespread religious violence (which it did). This principled stand on India made Churchill a pariah to the Conservative Party.

The terrible strain on Churchill is seen in a letter from Clementine to Randoph on January 12, 1931: “Last night he was very sad and said that he had now in the last two years had three very heavy blows. First the loss of all that money in the crash, then the loss of his political position in the Conservative Party and now this terrible physical injury. He said he did not think he would ever recover completely from the three events.”

Shortly afterward, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party began to cause trouble in Germany, and the German threat loomed long on the horizon. Churchill’s role as the prophesied Ezekiel 33 watchman began. Through the long wilderness years, God was teaching Churchill moral courage. Churchill never surrendered in 1940, because he never surrendered during the wilderness years.

Imagine if God had not used trials to change the trajectory of Churchill’s life. The history of civilization and God’s Church would be drastically different. The intense private and public trials Churchill went through were vital to teaching him lessons and shaping his character for the war years.

Walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ is how true Christians walk with destiny. There are many fiery trials and tests, but never forget why. God uses trials to change the direction of our life, shape our character, and prepare us to be king-priests in the God Family Empire (Revelation 1:6).

One day, in the twinkling of an eye, when we are born into God’s Family, we will feel a profound sense of relief. At last, we will given our spiritual inheritance, assisting Christ’s direction over the whole scene. Our past life of fiery trials was but a preparation of this moment, this hour, when we realize our destiny.