We finished watching the Joe Rogan episode with Chadd Wright this morning. It took another “three days to resurrect” the topic, as we are stupidly busy closing down one of our shops.

What a phenomenal second half of a show! I am grateful I was nudged to watch and listen with my husband. We paused the show a few times because we both had details to clarify. He now understands why I couldn’t stop picturing something holy and hilarious to me.

Jesus doing jiu-jitsu with a scarlet red belt.

Now before you laugh me off the mat, hear me out.

Despite much talk of aluminum and carbon bows, Navy Seals, two types of Land Rovers and more—-the only image of Jesus in my spirit is this one of Him preparing for jiu-jitsu.

It’s the kind of nudge that compels me to learn more about whatever topic I believe is being given by the Holy Spirit.

In jiu-jitsu, the goal isn’t to overpower your opponent with strength. In fact, the objective is to stay calm, keep your balance, use the attacker’s own momentum against him, and look for the moment to turn defense into victory.

And suddenly, I realized — that’s exactly what Jesus does with us… and for us. 💜✝️💜

The Ultimate Counter-Move

When the enemy came swinging in the wilderness (Matthew 4), Jesus didn’t meet force with force.

He met temptation with truth — quoting Scripture, redirecting every attack back toward its source until the devil had no footing left.

That’s spiritual jiu-jitsu:

The enemy lunges with pride, and Jesus answers with humility. The enemy strikes with fear, and Jesus counters with perfect love (1 John 4:18). The enemy chokes with accusation, and Jesus slips free with forgiveness (Romans 8:1).

He never panics.

He just pivots.

“Be Strong in the Lord…”

We don’t fight flesh and blood — we spar with lies, discouragement, and spiritual exhaustion. The best offense begins with a great defense. I’m not sure who said it first, but I hear it a ton from my hubby and son during football season.

The more time we spend on the mat with the Master, the more we learn His moves. The best defense is being grounded in His Word. What a precious reminder of the two-edged sword of truth.

He teaches us how to roll when life throws us down, how to breathe through the struggle, and how to come up standing again.

Turning the Enemy’s Weight

Romans 8:28 says,

That’s divine reversal — turning the enemy’s own weight into the very leverage that lifts us higher.

Every hardship, every insult, every test becomes another lesson in spiritual technique.

It’s not about aggression.

It’s about alignment — heart, spirit, and will positioned beneath His.

Training Notes from the Mat

Stay grounded — Know where your footing is (Ephesians 6:15). Breathe grace — Control your spirit before your circumstance (Proverbs 16:32). Use the Word — It’s your counter-move every single time (Matthew 4:4). Tap out pride — Strength made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Celebrate the win — Joy is the victory stance (Philippians 4:4).

Champion in Christ

I believe the best champions are those who get knocked down and keep training with their teachers or coaches.

In the Kingdom, even a takedown becomes testimony.

Every roll on the mat of faith makes us more like Him — calm under pressure, rooted in truth, quick to forgive, impossible to defeat.

I really need to sit with all the jiu-jitsu truth that the GrandMaster Jesus is beginning to teach me on new ways.

Yessir, Master of the Universe. It makes perfect sense the red belt can represent salvation and truth for many Biblical reasons. Still, it is no coincidence that only GrandMasters in jiu-jitsu wear red belts.

I see what you did there. #ISWYDT.

I utterly adore you for holding everything together, including me. Thank you for making my phone say JOY JITSU every time I was hunting jiu-jitsu factoids. You make learning , loving and EVERYTHING joyful. I love you. 💜✝️💜