Whether or not you realize it, you are an athlete! In fact, everyone is. Our society holds sports and competition in very high regard. We love to watch and participate in the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Everyone wants to win. Most athletes put a tremendous amount of pressure on themselves to succeed in competition. But there is an immense competition we are all participating in, and many of us are not even aware we are competing. The competition is for eternal life; the field of play is our soul.What is the reasoning behind this line of thinking ? St. Paul tells us about our role as athletes, our opponents, and the importance of winning in Ephesians 6:12:

“For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.”

St. Peter echoes this sentiment from St. Paul in 1 Peter 5:8:

“Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour.”

It couldn’t be clearer. Our Church Fathers are telling us this is a real competition! They are saying “I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing.”; this isn’t practice, someone else is punching us back! 

Further, in 1 Timothy 4:8, St. Paul tells Timothy just how to fight a good fight:

“Train yourself for devotion, for, while physical training is of limited value, devotion is valuable in every respect, since it holds a promise of life both for the present and for the future.”

There are many parallels between spiritual training and physical training for a competition. If we take this competition seriously, we need to have a spiritual training plan.

Spiritual matters can seem very abstract and theoretical. As such, many people are looking for simple and practical steps they can take, right now, to get closer to God. Wherever your starting point is, these practical tips will lead you to the ultimate victory in the most important competition. St. Paul makes these analogies for all Christians. That is why he uses them repeatedly. We are all runners, wrestlers, boxers and more. We are athletes for Christ.

In Ephesians 6:10-17, St. Paul again stresses how we must understand the battle and the importance of training for it:

“Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil.”

So what is the game plan? How should we, as spiritual athletes for Christ, train for the battles ahead? Here’s a quick workout plan to help build spiritual strength:

• Admit you are in the middle of an ultimate competition, whether you like it or not.
• Accept that the devil and demons are real; and they come to steal, kill, and destroy everyone and everything, including the people you love.
• Recognize you are called to TRAIN and WRESTLE.
• Know if you train and wrestle God’s way, you will WIN!