Preparing Your Mind For Battle

Mesquite Country Team Meeting

2 Timothy 2:4 “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”

Ephesians 6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

In the Greek this is saying that everyone of us will be drawn into a conflict with spiritual forces. There is no way around it.

Greek word for wrestle is Palay.

The People during the time of Paul would have immediately understood this word in ways we don’t normally. It was a part of their culture. It would be like us saying football. We think about how every school has a football team. People spend their Friday nights, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and even Thursdays watching football. It is a part of our culture.

Palay- is part of the word Palestra

Palestra was an athletic complex in every Greek city.

It means a house of combat or a house of conflict. This was not a gym where other sports were found. No this was different.

A palestra was a place where serious combat took place.

3 types of combat in the palestra

Boxing

Wrestling

Pancratea

Boxing and wrestling were very different than what we think of today.

In these sports, they fought naked because they did not want any clothing hindering their movement.

The goal in each of these events was to drive your opponent into submission. There were very few rules and it was exceedingly horrible.

Boxing- Each combatant would have straps of leather hide some as long as 16 feet long. They would wrap it around their arms, wrists and hand. Along the knuckles this hide would have small nails.

They did not just punch. They gouged and cut. Greek vases from this time depict fighters missing noses or body parts and bleeding profusely.

They were so committed to winning and not submitting that they would do almost anything.

One example that was found was of a boxer who was struck so hard that he lost several of his teeth. Rather than spitting them out and allowing his opponent to know he had hurt him, the boxer swallowed his teeth and kept fighting.

Wrestling- Wrestling was horrific. They would use their thumbs to gouge eyes. Bones could be broken. There was an attitude of do whatever you have to do in order to win.

Pancratea- Pan= All Cratos= Power

These were the most powerful combatants. They were the survivors of the boxing and wrestling competitions. They would use clubs with nails. Bags full of rocks. There is no sport in the modern world in which to compare to this.

The devil is serious! When the people of that day read about wrestling with spiritual forces they understood that the devil isn’t playing games! He will do anything to make you submit! He wants to weaken you to a point that you will surrender!

He wants you to be so discouraged about your health that you stop believing for healing!

He wants you to fight your spouse so you won’t fight him so that you will give up on your marriage!

He wants you so beaten down in your finances so that you won’t be sowing into the kingdom. He doesn’t want you tithing. He doesn’t want you blessing others! Why? Because he doesn’t want you reaping the harvest of what you are sowing!

He wants you to give up on yourself!

He wants you crush your will to fight!

He wants his knee on your neck tapping out in surrender because he does NOT want you surrendering to God!

1 John 4:4 “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

1 Peter 4:12-13 “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.”

Get ready for battle!