Wrestle

Genesis 32:24 (NASB)

Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.

Spiritual wrestling is an essential part of our discipleship and training. Many a time, God Himself thrusts us into situations that we weren't counting on to test our character (Genesis 39:20, Matthew 4:1, Job 1:6-22). These are situations that the saint had nothing to do with but that God had allowed for our spiritual formation. Then there are times when the saint, because of stupidity (Genesis 16:4, Genesis 12:10), gets into situations best avoided. These are times that lead to intense introspection or spiritual wrestling. A saint may wrestle with issues such as eating meat, drinking alcohol, using technology, or many other ethical issues. That introspection in prayer or wrestling with problems produces new habits and disciplines and toughens the soul. One must remember that a saint should only wrestle with issues before God. If the saint were to wrestle with God Himself, the Almighty would have to dislocate a joint to teach us humility (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).