Momentum For Monday, January 22nd 2024

“For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies—the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world; and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world.” (Ephesians 6:12")

For years I’ve practiced the martial art of jiu-jitsu. It’s a combat sport that has taught me a multitude of things that not only help me on the mat, but off the mat as well. One of those things has been that while my opponent may present challenges to me, my opponent is not really my biggest challenge.

Part of the discipline of jiu-jitsu is learning to control your own body when wrestling another person. In training, the more I can control my body, it decreases the likelihood of accidentally hurting my partner. Spazzing out under pressure or to try to just escape a bad position is one of the worst things someone can do in training. When someone is new to jiu-jitsu, this often happens. So, part of the first goals of training is to remain calm.

This mindset can apply directly to what Paul is saying here, especially to matters of conflict with people. One of the best ways to de-escalate intense situations is to remain calm and keep control of yourself. This is one of the beautiful benefits of Christianity. Self-control is one of fruits of the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

Part of the challenge of living in this world is not being able to see in the spiritual realm. Understanding the tactics of the Devil helps to build a fool-proof plan battle plan by walking in the spirit according to Scripture. Keeping our wits about us in warfare is a must. If we can be rattled, then we lose our ability to keep calm under pressure. Just like in jiu-jitsu, losing control can have consequences that can be quite damaging to not only ourselves, but those around us. How we navigate and respond is the difference between victory and defeat.

“Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.”

(James 1:20)