At first, he was known as “the reluctant king” due to his shyness, modesty, physical weakness, and stuttering speech. But by the time Albert Frederick Arthur George—King George VI—died, the United Kingdom mourned the loss of her quiet ruler. His initial modesty, originally interpreted as weakness, was ultimately revealed as a strength and determination that saw England through the darkest hour in the nation’s history. In fact, the famous “Keep Calm and Carry On ” slogan could have been written with King George VI in mind. That was the kind of king he turned out to be—quiet, calm, and carrying on.

Young Albert wasn’t supposed to be king. But when his older brother, Edward, abdicated the throne to marry an American divorcée, Wallis Simpson, Albert became the reluctant king, crowned as King George VI. And he took the throne at a moment that seemed to require everything he lacked—storm clouds of war were gathering in Europe.

The nation was patient with her new king, stammering through his initial addresses to them as they prepared for war. And he became the king they needed. He traveled to France to encourage British troops and win their loyalty in the process.

When Hitler overran France, and British troops retreated to the British Isles, the war came suddenly and swiftly to London in July 1940. The German Air Force and newly-invented rockets pummeled London with nightly air raids. After particularly brutal nighttime bombings, King George and his wife Elizabeth took to the streets the following mornings to encourage displaced and bereaved families. The royal palace was even bombed, but the couple refused to move out. They rode bicycles when possible to help conserve fuel and turned royal acreage into vegetable gardens and wheat fields to grow food. Significantly outnumbered, British pilots defeated the German Air Force—London (and all England) was saved.

After the Allies invaded France on D-Day (June 6, 1944), King George again visited British troops in France. When Germany surrendered in May 1945, the grateful citizens of the United Kingdom cheered not least for their calm king who had carried on with them through the worst of the struggle. The whole nation also cheered the royal couple’s silver wedding anniversary in April 1948, then mourned en masse just four years later when their beloved king died from a number of health problems, including lung cancer, at age 56.

Attributes of Royalty

Providence provided a right hand and a left hand, working together to lead Britain to victory with the Allies in World War II. If King George’s prime minister, Winston Churchill, was the eloquent and outspoken voice of their strength (and he was), the king himself was the quiet, steadfast, and determined figurehead the people needed.

King George was steadfast—he and his queen never left London or the royal palace in spite of the dangers during the Battle of Britain. He was humble and sacrificial—he was willing to suffer the deprivations of war just as his subjects were suffering. He was courageous—in spite of a debilitating speech impediment, he worked diligently with a speech therapist to be able to speak publicly, to encourage his subjects, and to represent the nation as their king. And he was loyal—he was a faithful husband and father as well as king.

While history has produced exceptions, they serve only to prove the rule: “As goes the prince, so go the people.” The attributes of any leader—especially one who bears the title “king”—contribute greatly to the ability of a people to “keep calm and carry on.”

Attributes of King Jesus

The United Kingdom’s part in World War II lasted just a few years, and the ferocious Battle of Britain was over after just fifteen weeks. But the Church of Jesus Christ has been involved in a spiritual battle for the last two thousand years. The apostle John put it this way: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). Just as the human attributes of the British king helped see her to victory, so the divine attributes of King Jesus are leading us to eternal victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Though it might appear that Jesus left His people right when the battle was heating up (though He did promise to return—John 14:1-3), He has been in our midst the entire time. That was the reason behind His sending His Spirit into the world to dwell in His people (John 16:5-11). The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Romans 12:3-8) are nothing less than the heart and hands of Christ indwelling each of His followers as we invade the kingdom of darkness with the kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13-14).

When Jesus was preparing to send His disciples into the battle, He told them, “And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). John Mark understood that Jesus’ physical absence was not a reason to doubt His spiritual presence. Mark 16:20 records, “And [the disciples] went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs” (emphasis added). We do not fight our spiritual battle alone—King Jesus is working in and through us to confirm the victory He won over sin and death. At least twice in Paul’s ministry, Jesus appeared to the chief apostle to strengthen and encourage him—once in Corinth (Acts 18:9-11) and again in Jerusalem (Acts 23:11). And what was true of God in the Old Testament was true of Jesus in the New (and remains true today): “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5; Joshua 1:5).

If it is true that “as goes the prince, so go the people,” what sort of people ought we to be given the nature and attributes of our King?

First, we should never doubt that Jesus knows exactly what we are going through and how we feel—and for a greater reason—He is with us. Jesus has experienced every stress and temptation that we face in our lives (Hebrews 2:18; 4:15). King Jesus is empathetic.

Second, we should boldly ask Him for “mercy and...grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). During the Battle of Britain, a London commoner could not knock on the door of Buckingham Palace and ask to see King George VI. But we have been invited to come boldly into God’s presence in the name of Jesus, at any time. King Jesus is accessible.

Third, we can be confident that Jesus has the right to rule and speak for God. While the current British monarchy goes back only to 1707, Jesus’ right to rule goes back to His forefather King David and even to Adam (Matthew 1:1-16; Luke 3:23-38). All authority “in heaven and on earth” has been given to Jesus (Matthew 28:18). King Jesus is authoritative.

Fourth, there can be no doubt about Jesus’ ability to do what needs to be done on our behalf. King George VI came to America in 1939 and met with President Franklin Roosevelt, staying with him at the White House and at the Roosevelt retreat at Hyde Park, New York, with a view toward standing together in the war against Hitler in Europe. But Jesus Christ needs no one’s help. All the powers of heaven and earth will one day bow their knee before Him (Isaiah 45:23; Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10). King Jesus is all-powerful.

Finally, the outcome of our battle is certain. King George did not know if London, and therefore the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth, would survive the German blitzkrieg, but they did. We know for certain that Jesus Christ will return with the hosts of heaven and establish His kingdom on earth and reign over a thousand years of peace and justice (Revelation 19:11–20:6). King Jesus is victorious.

No matter how dark the clouds of our spiritual battle get, we serve a mighty and victorious King. In the words of the great British Bible teacher, Alan Redpath, “Let’s keep our chins up and our knees down—we’re on the victory side!”