Two of my four children hold black belts in karate. I can attest that they didn’t achieve those overnight. Countless hours – multiple times a week – were spent in dojos. The routine of practicing form exercises and hand-to-hand strategies were sharpened and perfected each week as they trained.
Several times a year, we would travel to local, regional, or state competitions. Watching them during these intensive tournaments was tell-tale. Their drive, focus, and skills that they brought to those events were a direct result of the hundreds of hours they’d put in on the mats of those sweaty training facilities.
Trophies and ribbons they won for hand-to-hand bouts during competitions would have been non-existent had it not been for their dedication to the training every week. The mundane repetition of these exercises proved to be award-giving during the public contests.
Scriptures tell us we are engaged in spiritual warfare – an invisible wrestling match. How devoted are we to our training? When we find ourselves entangled in a heated contest with adversaries we cannot see, how effective are we? When the “going gets tough”, do we fall flat on our spiritual faces or stand our ground?
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable…for training in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3:16) We cannot spiritually grabble effectively if we aren’t familiar with our weapons and according to Hebrews 4:12, “…the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword…”
God’s Word holds the answers, the responses, and the ever-constant eternal promises that will always bring our enemies to the mat. But, training behind-the-scenes is critical. Reading our Bible daily – even when it feels like we really didn’t “get anything out of it” or understand what we read – is imperative. How else will we become familiar with its victorious contents?
Do we devote the time to study it, digest it, memorize, bookmark, and highlight pertinent parts of it that apply to our present circumstances?
The fact is, we are all part of a daily wrestling match – a fight not being waged in the flesh (2 Corinthians 10: 3&4), but in an invisible daily arena against “…cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces…” (Ephesians 6:12)
How successful we are in these matches is reflective of our devotion behind closed doors – in the quiet of our training – as we learn the value of God’s Word and the techniques of using it to wrestle and overcome spiritual opposition and strongholds.
“Come…and learn from Me,” Jesus said in Matthew 11: 28 & 29. He’s the best trainer and coach!
Until next time, Grace and Glory!
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Exactly 💜, I often feel like I am
reading and doing the same things, but, if I don’t spend time with God, I feel lost and out of focus 😀!
Love you Kristen ❤️!!
Almost done reading Priscilla Shirer’s book fervent… exactly on this topic!
Incredible book!!