I have never liked wrestling. Have you? When I was a kid I had a girlfriend who was in “love” with some of the WWE wrestlers. She went to all of the matches in Raleigh, NC. Ricky Steamboat (pictured here) was her favorite and she watched him faithfully.

I never cared for wrestling!

Guess what? I still don’t!

Ephesians 6:11-12
Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (KJV)

Have you ever thought about this verse. The NIV states we “struggle” with these principalities, power, rulers — wickedness. I don’t know about you, but I DON’T LIKE TO WRESTLE. Who wants to struggle? Yet God’s Word states that we DO.

I would prefer taking my sword of the Spirit and slaying each demon that got near me, but wrestling?

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary gave these definitions of WRESTLE:

intransitive verb before 12th century

1.	to contend by grappling with and striving to trip or throw an opponent down or off balance
2.	to combat an opposing tendency or force – wrestling with his conscience
3.	to engage in deep thought, consideration, or debate
4.	to engage in or as if in a violent or determined struggle – wrestling with cumbersome luggage

transitive verb

1	a. to engage in (a match, bout, or fall) in wrestling b. to wrestle with – ∼ an alligator
2.	to move, maneuver, or force with difficulty

I can speak from my own experience that demons definitely try to throw us off balance.

They attack our thought life and whatever area we allow them access.

2 Corinthians 10:5
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

It is a “struggle” to capture each unholy thought. We wrestle within ourselves to keep our thoughts and motives pure. (I recently heard Ryan Wyatt say that we are “sober minded” when we capture our thoughts.)

How many times have you been working in the kitchen or cutting grass and SUDDENLY you begin to rehash old conversations or offenses in your mind? It happens to me. Before I realize it, I have re-lived an offense in my mind!

It is crazy.

Once I realize what has happened I wrestle with it and throw it to the proverbial ground! I cast it down and replace it with forgiveness and grace towards the person involved.

I am well aware that God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. But I wonder if He wanted us to wrestle so that we could build up our spiritual muscles.

Romans 5:2b-4
And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

We hopefully mature through our struggles.

We may wrestle and struggle at times, but we DO have the authority. God has not left us here without power to overcome!

Luke 10:19-20
I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

John 16:13
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

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