Pretty much the only place in the world where I hear encouragement to be disciplined and work hard is in athletics. Athletes do unbelievable things to get in shape and prepare for competition. They give everything they have for the pursuit of victory.
This single-minded focus athletes have is why Paul tells us to copy them. We compete for an eternal crown, they only do it for a temporal crown. How much more should we discipline ourselves and bring our bodies under control (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)?
But we don’t.
See, because we are saved by grace! We don’t have to do anything! We can sin and waste time, live it up in comfort and entertainment because I’m saved, I’ll go to heaven when I die! Take it easy, man! Christ said He finished it, relax, take a seat, don’t get carried away into fanaticism and potentially legalism. Chill down here with us!
I’ve heard this message so many times in Christianity. It’s nauseating. It’s sickening and it’s so foreign to Scripture. But since Christians are taking it easy and chilling, they aren’t reading the Bible enough to know what it’s talking about.
Athletes do all this to defeat other people. I’ve heard a number of athletes say “I train all the time because I know there’s someone else out there working on it right now and someday I’ll face that guy. Better stay disciplined so when I do face him, I win.”
Our job is not to defeat other Christians. You don’t seek spiritual discipline to show up other people or be impressive. You do it to win, but you have to know who the enemy is.
“We wrestle not against flesh and blood.” We know this, but we also don’t know what to do with it. Usually when this verse is brought up it delves into some weird thing about spiritual warfare.
And granted it is talking about principalities, powers, and demonic forces. It is. But it’s not some weird out there thing; it’s incredibly real. Keep reading the context of Ephesians 6.
Paul says to put on the armor of God to withstand the wiles of the devil (6:11).
We do this because we wrestle against spiritual forces, not humans (6:12).
Take up the whole armor of God so you can withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand (6:13).
So stand (6:14)!
There is an evil day coming. The evil day is not death or Judgment Day. The evil day is when evil things happen to you, what will you do? Did you use your off time, days when nothing terrible is happening, to prepare? Or did you take it easy, watch some tv, and chill with the rest of Christianity?
Armor has to be tested. Remember David with Goliath? He didn’t use Saul’s provided armor because David hadn’t tested them. He went with what he had tested.
Are you in the Word? Are you hiding it in your heart? Are you seeking righteousness? Are you battling sin? Are you mortifying the deeds of the body?
If you aren’t doing this on the off days, what makes you think you’ll stand strong in the evil days when life falls apart?
There’s a day coming when you’ll face the enemy who hasn’t taken one day off. Every day Satan is out there training, practicing, doing his thing, paying attention to how to derail you and defeat you.
He’s out there every day sharpening his arrows to bring you down. What will you do in that day? It probably depends greatly on what you’re doing today.
Don’t let the ease of today fool you into thinking some tomorrows aren’t going to have an evil battle for you. Train like there’s a battle coming.
You won’t hear this much in Christianity. I’ve been told every time I’ve brought this up that I’m being legalistic and treading on dangerous ground and denying grace and all manner of other things summed up with, “Dude, come chill with us.”
No thanks. I’ve watched many of those people who’ve said these things to me over the years. I’ve seen them in the evil days they’ve faced: they collapsed. Their house on the sane fell flat. I don’t want that for you or me.
The Bible tells me to be disciplined like a champion athlete and prepare for the day of battle. I’m going to go ahead and do my best to do that.
anti-itch meditation 