Introduction 

“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.” (Ephesians 6:12) 

Yet, those powers act through people in positions of power: bosses, church leaders, government officials. Jesus said, “But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44) He meant the people out to steal what is yours, kill you and yours, and destroy what you stand for. it makes sense to me to use kung fu vs. the spirits, tai chi vs. people.

Enjoying Kung Fu Entertainment

I have always enjoyed martial arts TV shows and movies, from Walker Texas Ranger to Bruce Lee movies, to Karate Kid 1-3. Now, as an old fogie, I have joined Silver Sneakers. I practice with the online tai chi classes to gain the benefits of movement, flexibility, and peace. Then I learned that slow, “park” tai chi comes from tai chi quan, the martial art form.

Martial Arts in Spiritual Warfare

Many kung fu movies show blocks of students practicing the various katas, strike or kick techniques. They learn how to move to direct the power of chi against attackers through fist and foot.

With various videos, I learned that tai chi quan absorbs and redirects attacks to render them harmless. As the video shows, the defender maintains contact with the attacker to maintain control of the attacker’s movements. Here’s another example of defensive, stop-the-fight tai chi quan.

Paul wrote about wrestling. This was an ancient, European form of man-to-man combat. It was head-to-head, grappling of limbs, levering of body weight. The wrestlers were hot, sweaty, maybe oily, and eye-to-glaring- eye. The point was to render the opponent unable to move or simply put him flat on his back.

Yet, Paul also wrote the Love Chapter, how to embrace the person with peace and positive regard. He wrote that God wants to embrace each of us, who are naturally hostile to Him. (Colossians 1:21-22)

So,  use kung fu vs. hostile spirits, tai chi vs. people. When a spiritual enemy attacks, use the shield of faith to protect against fiery lies and push back. Use the sword of the Word to counter the lies with God’s truth. Strike back with God’s Chi to “destroy the devil’s work.” (1 John 3:8).

However, with people, absorb and redirect their attacks. “Instead, speaking the truth in love…” (Ephesians 4:15), accept and come close to them while turning aside their lies. 

Tai Chi of the Civil Rights Movement

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, black people of the South (and some Northern whites) took a stand against the bigoted culture and laws of segregation and “Jim Crow” in the Southern states. Their spiritual leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., required them to “fight” non-violently. Those oppressed people showed that they were the better citizens. They chose to respond by peacefully taking the violent attacks. The oppressed shamed the oppressors in the eyes of the world. Their refusal to strike back (kung fu) redirected the people’s mindsets (tai chi) toward such policies as the civil rights act of 1964. Today, such bigoted thinking is anathema to most Americans.

Questions 

Do you have God’s Chi to help strike back against the Enemy and to destroy his work?

Do you have God’s tia chi quan to embrace your human enemies and redirect their lies toward truth?