About the Sport Principle
Judo is all about exploiting your opponents’ ‘weak lines’. Put simply, if the objective is to topple an object or person, where there is a prop or support, there is strength, and the objective becomes very difficult to achieve. Picture a simple plastic chair, of the sort seen in a typical school classroom: it would be possible, but very difficult, to knock that chair over when it is firmly propped up by four strong lines – its four chair legs. Nothing but an almighty kick would suffice. But simply move that chair onto two legs (removing two strong lines) and experience how easy the task becomes. In fact, if the chair can be balanced on one leg, which can be done with one finger (I’ve tried it in my own classroom) it is the easiest thing in the world to topple the chair with just your big toe!
The judo player is essentially trying to achieve the same thing with a human being. Where there is a prop (a leg), there is strength, but tilt a player slightly with your hands, move him off balance with your feet, attack where there is no leg to keep your partner upright, and you will achieve the ‘efficient way’ to the floor!
In judo, at least in theory, your size should not matter. Good judo players are capable of playing to their strengths while exploiting their opponents’ weaknesses. And so must we.
Application to Life
If you ever feel like someone is out to get you that’s because there is. Jesus was very clear that we have an enemy of our souls: the Devil’s objective is to “steal and kill and destroy.” But the good news is he is a very predictable opponent, and we can therefore defend against his attacks super effectively. He always attempts the same techniques to exploit our spiritual ‘weak lines.’ Rather like the cat and mouse in the classic cartoons, the devil watches for predictable patterns of behaviour that create a trail of gunpowder everywhere we go. All he then has to do is casually light the end of it and watch as our lives explode, (or implode – come crashing down around us) usually very publicly, often at the time of maximum negative impact individually and sometimes even corporately for the church, especially in the case of higher-profile Christians. The church leader’s extra-marital affair is a typical case in point. How much-untold damage has been done over the years to the cause of the Kingdom of God by men who simply could not control themselves! The defence against this is simple: Narrow down the weak lines in your life, the Bible calls this not “giving the Devil a foothold.” Stay close to God, read His word daily, pray constantly and remain plugged into the church around Godly people, who will stand with you against the Devil and his schemes.
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
James 4:7
Image Credit: Joshua Jamias
