This morning, while walking my dog and talking on the phone with a friend I was charged by a loose pit bull!

I had headphones in my ears and was focused on a conversation with a close friend. As I rounded a corner, still in conversation, I heard someone yelling angrily from my left side. I had my dog on my left side too and I looked up to see a neighbor’s pit bull, usually on a lead, charging fast and furiously toward us, NOT on the lead.

Without thinking, I instantly swept my dog behind my left leg as I turned to face the rushing pit bull, stepped toward him and yelled, “NO!” I had my hand out, making the STOP sign (aware not to let the dog get ahold of my hand) and yelled again as I squared off toward the dog. He slowed, looking back and forth between me and my dog, a little confused. By the time he got close enough to decide whether or not to fight us, his owner came running and grabbed his collar from behind, apologizing mightily.

The posture and action I took didn’t happen by chance. I have been walking this neighborhood for a couple years. There are lots of dogs along the way and occasionally loose dogs too. In my mind, I have been training for this day. Today, even though I was distracted, that training paid off.

The Lord has been bringing up training for a few months. For those who don’t know me, the Lord put training in my DNA. If I am learning or have learned anything from cooking to gardening to spiritual practices…anything really, I will be training someone in those things shortly.

Recently the Lord brought to mind some training I received as a child. When I was around 10 years old, Dad thought it was important to teach me basic self-defense and awareness. As part of that, one of the lessons he taught me was how to fall properly. He made it fun, stacking lounge chair cushions out on the lawn in the summer shade. First it was “the shoulder roll” where, rather than fall flat and catch yourself with your hands forward, you could tuck your head, roll over you shoulder and stand up immediately again. That was kind of fun, but I couldn’t really believe I could do it in the midst of a real fight.

Next came the backward fall, in which, instead of falling painfully to your back, you slammed your hands down hard to absorb much of the impact. This one was really hard for me to make myself do. I was certain I wouldn’t get that one, but I wanted to try because Dad thought it was important.

Well, those summer days came to an end and school started. One day I was standing in the lunch line talking with my friends. The line was out the door and there was a raised section of concrete cause by the roots of the big oak tree growing in that square. I was wearing all white that day and as the line moved forward I suddenly tripped, tucked my head, rolled over my shoulder and stood back up without a speck of dirt on my white clothes! My friends applauded and we all laughed. No one was more surprised than me! That training I thought would never help, was plugged in; ready for action.

More than 40 years later, this winter, we had “a big snow” for South Carolina. It actually stayed on the ground for a few days! One night I was walking down the slope of my backyard and suddenly tripped on something hidden by the snow! As I fell forward, rather than put my hands out to catch myself, I suddenly tucked my head, rolled over my shoulder and stood up again, already walking down the hill again. I laughed and laughed and thanked my Dad (who is now in Heaven) for that training he put in me all those decades ago. The training, which I thought about many times over the years, was locked.

Training does not happen by accident. Dad had to be intentional to bring things to my intention, help me to consider it and give me practice at it. I had to intentionally think through a dog attack so that I would not panic in the moment.

Spiritual training is the same. Years ago, I learned some important truths about spiritual warfare. If you know me, you know I have had opportunity to put it to the test over the years. But a decade ago, the Lord was teaching me some new (to me) and powerful ways of dealing with the enemy. He revealed the truth to me about how “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God, for the pulling down of strongholds.” 2 Corinthians 10:4. That is a King James translation. So what does that really mean in modern English?

It means we don’t fight like the enemy fights. We train to use heavenly, more powerful weapons that disarm and dislodge the enemy from his bunkers.

Back in the mid-90’s in the early days of MMA fights, my husband, teenage son and nephew and I would watch those fights together. Almost immediately a guy came on the scene who seemed to be unbeatable! Royce Gracie. If you have ever heard of Gracie Ju-jitsu, this is the guy who brought it to the USA. Most fighters at the time were “stand-up fighters,” boxers, kick-boxers or karate practitioners. Royce Gracie would stand up against those guys just long enough to get ahold of them and take them to the ground. He wasn’t doing a lot of punching and his style was not bringing bloody wounds to his opponent. He simply bound them up and held them until they submitted and the fight ended in his victory. His opponents, big, muscle-bound men, well trained in their own style, had no answer to his Ju-jitsu. He frustrated them to no end! Today, MMA fighters would never consider not being trained in both stand-up AND ground fighting.

In the Kingdom of God, our fighting style is completely opposite of our enemy’s style. Our enemy, big and muscle-bound, craves attention and fear. He loves to intimidate, hoping to make us cower and hide. He hopes, in fear, we will forget our authority over him.

As the Apostle Paul told us, “You are the servant of the one you submit to.” We don’t have to yell, or throw punches to conquer our enemy. We don’t have to be big and muscle- bound. We have to know WHO we SUBMIT to and we have to know who we ARE in Him.

Instead of fearing the enemy, we are overwhelmed and in AWE of our God and who He is; His power, His holiness, His perfection. The enemy, by comparison, is nothing. We can laugh with our God at the plans of the enemy. And our lack of fear reminds the enemy of his puniness when compared to our God.

A decade ago, when I began learning how to battle with the weapons of joy, peace and love, it was just like when I began learning to fall. I didn’t think I would be able to do it in an actual fight. Then, after I had been training myself and others in these truths for a few years, when I least expected it, when I had no other option but to put these weapons to the test, a battle ensued and the Kingdom of Heaven was victorious. The woman who the enemy used to attack us was forgiven, healed and restored to the Father. The evil plans she had been implementing were undone by love, disarmed by joy and saturated in peace.

Training. Daily training – fixing our minds on Christ, on His holiness, His might, His love. This is what it means to not be like the patterns of this world but to be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of YOUR MIND.

The training happens in our minds.

Training. Beholding Him throughout our day, in our imaginations, so that we become like Him. This is training. We become what we behold!

Whether you realize it or not, you are training your mind by what you watch, what you listen to, what you spend time thinking about.

Training. Daily training your mind in recognizing the lies of the Accuser, because the Truth is so clear to you. You tear down lies and replace them with TRUTH.

Training. Practicing in your mind and imagination the TRUTH about who we are IN CHRIST.

Training. Remembering the truth that, if you are saved, you died and you are now a NEW CREATION in Christ. You ARE holy, blameless and pure before the Lord. That your Father delights in you. That “your Creator is your Husband, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is His name.” Isaiah 54:5

This is the training we do in the Kingdom. This is what will make you ready, so that, when you least expect it, you will not fall, but tuck your head, roll over your shoulder and stand on your feet again or the firm foundation of Jesus’ Truth and love.

If you are wondering when you might need any of these skills, please open your eyes and look at the world around you. We are living in a more and more obvious spiritual battle every day. No matter what nation, named groups, affiliations etc. there is really only one fight. The battle between darkness and light.

We are living in the time of Matthew 24:24 when “false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive if possible even God’s chosen ones.” Train so that you are not among those who are deceived.

I bless you to be strengthened by His love. I bless your eyes to see, your ears to hear and your heart to understand. I bless you to not wait, but start today to train yourself in Truth. Your good Father will encourage you and make it fun and make you ready. The battle will come. Be trained. Live in joy. Be ready.