Badgers, Buckets, And Getting Back Up

The Sentence To Stand On

Throughout Romans 12, Paul is brilliantly describing the Christian life and calling us to a Gospel-infused distinctiveness for how we move through our days. It’s a wonderful chapter of Scripture that fires me up every time I go through it.

At the end, in verse 21, he summarizes it like this:

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Succinct, proverbial, and oh so powerful. It’s a summary sentence to stand on. 

THIS is what the Christian is called to live out down here in this sinful, broken world. This is part one in a short series about this one verse. Part two coming soon. For now, the first half.

Positions And Posture

As a longtime fan of the UFC, I’ve seen my fair share of fights in the Octagon. The way fighters try to use various martial art disciplines to their advantage fascinates me. As the sport has grown, I can’t help but notice how today’s UFC fighters are much more skilled and well-versed in the various disciplines than when I began watching back in 2005. 

Occasionally, as we watch the matches, it will happen…. one fighter manages to get his opponent in a really dangerous position. Maybe through wrestling or a take down. Maybe he rocks him with a punch on the feet and the opponent stumbles to the ground.

Whatever the case, it becomes a pivotal moment in the blink of an eye.

One fighter now in a very advantageous position. His opponent now in a posture where defeat can come instantly.

Buckets Of Badness

Perhaps a helpful way to think of the “evil” that Paul is describing in verse 21 is to break it into three simple buckets.

Evil Done BY You – your sin, first and foremost. The things you choose instead of the glory and goodness of God and His Word.

Evil Done TO You – the wrongs others have inflicted upon you. Their sin and it’s impacts on you.

Evil All AROUND You – the pathways to greater and more sinful evil that surround you in this world and culture.

And if you’re honest, sometimes it can be difficult to not succumb to all of that evil and sin. 

Let’s take it a step further because this is the reality you’ll encounter every single day. The world around you is not neutral – it will seek to tempt you and “overcome” you with evil any chance it can get. 

How about three more buckets to help describe?

Evil Done BY You = the world says REMAIN. Who’s to say what’s actually right or wrong, sinful or not. Just live “your truth.” Do what makes you happy. REMAIN.

Evil Done TO You = the world says REPAY. Push back, fight back, take back. Hate, hurt, hold on to bitterness. REPAY.

Evil All AROUND You = the world says RECEIVE. Live it up now. Take whatever you want. Don’t let anything stand between you and temporary happiness. RECEIVE.

This is the tension you feel every day. This is why Scripture exhorts you. If you accept the advice of the world around you, this sin will overcome you. The corrupting, corrosion of sin will bring damage untold.

Do NOT be overcome by evil.

A Badge(r) Of Honor

The Honey Badger is one of God’s greatest creations. They aren’t very large (30ish lbs) but it matters not. They are fearless, ferocious fighters.

I remember watching a National Geographic special and this Honey Badger was fighting a Puff Adder, one of the deadliest snakes. The Puff Adder bites the Badger but the Badger eventually kills the Puff Adder. I figure with the amount of venom in the Puff Adder’s bite, this will be ruled a “Draw,” as neither side wins.

Sure enough, the Adder lies dead and the Badger starts to get real still on the ground.

But hold up, what’s the Nat Geo guy with the heavy accent telling me now? Two hours later, this Badger is waking up and proceeds to eat that dead snake. WHAT! Buddy has super powers! Don’t mess with him!

The Honey Badger will take on seemingly any challenger. Even full grown lions. They are un-intimidatable if I may create that word for them. 

This level of fearlessness and fierceness is inspiring. The call of Romans 12:21 is to be a spiritual honey badger – to NOT back down, NOT be overcome. 

The Sentence Is A Mindset

Back in my early days of UFC fandom, I couldn’t help but notice a certain phrase the announcers would use. This phrase would inevitably be used when one of those dangerous moments I described above would happen.

One fighter now in a very advantageous position. His opponent now in a posture where defeat can come instantly.

“He can’t accept this position!” the announcer would cry as the tension rises.

He “can’t accept this position,” are you kidding me? What does that mean? What’s he supposed to do, turn and tell his opponent, “Hey, I’ve noticed you put me in a really bad spot….but I just want to tell you that I refuse this. Now, if you’ll get off me, I’d like to stand back up.”

What? He “can’t accept this position.” What’s that all about?

The truth of what is being said is this: the mindset of the losing fighter has to change immediately. He’s been rocked or put on his back or maneuvered into a possible submission hold. It’s bad now. It’s maybe as bad as it can get for him. Defeat might be seconds away. 

So… he can’t accept this. He cannot stay here one more moment. He can’t let this continue. 

It’s a call to flip the mindset and take action. Yes, there will be more things to consider once he’s back on his feet again, maybe changes to strategies, maybe adjustments to be made…but that comes later. For now, just get up.

Don’t be overcome by the opponent. Don’t accept this position.

Get Up

If a fighter is to get back up in those pivotal seconds, he must embody that Honey Badger. Reject the possibility of losing. Tenaciously fight for any way out. Turn the aggression up to maximum. 

He can’t accept that position.

It’s the same with Christians and the buckets of sin. Do not be overcome with evil. Do not accept that position. Do not compromise. Do not settle for half-measures. There is so much at stake.

Fight for your faith. Fight for what matters.

Find a way to get off the mat. There will be more things to consider once you’re back on your feet, but for now, just get there.

Set your heart and mind to rising up again and know that the Lord will see you through it.

Psalm 37:23-24

The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him; though He may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand.

Proverbs 24:16

For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again.

Micah 7:8

Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness the Lord will be a Light for me.

Do not be overcome with evil. Whatever you do right now, do not accept that position.

Thanks for reading.  Your comments and insights are always welcomed.  If you enjoyed this, please share it.  Want more content?  Check the archives, my youtube channel, or listen to me on the Cross-Cutting Culture Podcast.