The Patented Devil Kung Fu Judo Flip

I’m certainly no expert on how sin gains the upper hand in our lives; but after falling prey to the temptation to regularly act selfishly for the majority of my grownup life, I’ve got a pretty good idea. A revelation struck me one Saturday afternoon.
This was a notable day since I had been baptized the previous Sunday. I even fasted and prayed for three days prior to my baptism. Despite my hunger pangs, I behaved nicely toward my family the majority of the time. Being nice to strangers has never been a big accomplishment for me, but being nice to my family when I’m feeling a little distracted—now that takes godly intervention. Needless to say, I was feeling especially, uh, sanctified.
My wife suggested we go shopping at a nearby mall. As I got out of our car, I was careful not to undo the halo that gravitated around my newly sanctified and somewhat enlarged cranium. We entered a clothing store and approached a clearance rack. I picked up a vest and asked a clerk the price.
“You’ll have to go ask over there—I’m busy,” she said, pointing to the long checkout line.
“Ma’am, I was only curious.” I said it condescendingly, then hung the vest where she was working, my nostrils flaring as I glared at her. I doubt others noticed this brief interaction, but that didn’t make it any less important.
My wife motioned it was time to go. As we walked out, I asked if she heard my discussion with the clerk. She was oblivious to the celestial battle that took place.
I proceeded to describe the situation—all 15 seconds of it—and concluded that I fell prey to the infamous “devil-kung-fu-judo-flip.” In other words, the devil used my strength, my pride, and my own forward momentum—with minimal effort—to flip me flat on my back. At that moment, I knew I’d fallen to my sinful nature.
That aura of sanctification to which I’d recently grown accustomed dissipated into nothing more than a pleasant memory and later—once the rage left me—into a desire to be better. For despite my sudden fall, my goal remained: to be holy as our Father is holy (Leviticus 11:44).
I’d been flipped so often, I didn’t even realize when it was happening. I made it a point to pay closer attention to the circumstances under which I was getting flipped so I could prepare more suitable defenses. I realized that I  could not – and need not – fight these spiritual battles alone. Come, Lord Jesus.