spiritual fitness – Page 18

Jeff Cooper’s Principles of Personal Defense

Col. Jeff Cooper, creator of the “Color Code” that sharpens a person’s situational awareness, is also the author of the booklet, Principles of Personal Defense, in which he describes 7 characteristics a person should strengthen in themselves to best be able to ward off a violent attack. They’re primarily technique-oriented.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, The 5 Elements of Self-Defense Law ]

SemperVerus^® has added the component of biblical insight as a foundation to each principle, in keeping with the understanding that Scripture inherently supports the right of self-defense as presented in the booklet, The Case for Biblical Self-Defense.

1. ALERTNESS — “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 (NLT)

2. DECISIVENESS — “An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways.” James 1:8 (HCSB)

3. AGGRESSIVENESS — “Be angry and sin not.” Ephesians 4:26 (KJV)

4. SPEED — “With blinding speed and power he destroys the strong.” Amos 5:9 (NLT)

5. COOLNESS — “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)

6. RUTHLESSNESS — “Hate what is evil.” Romans 12:9 (NIV)

7. SURPRISE — “Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16 (NIV)

Read in full the booklet, Principles of Personal Defense.

Invite SemperVerus^® to present its 5 life-changing success-generating components—prepare, aware, be, know, do—to your organization to inspire and motivate your members.

Join the SemperVerus Brotherhood™!

Spiritual Fitness in the USA Military

The US Air Force defines spiritual fitness as “the ability to adhere to beliefs, principles, or values needed to persevere and prevail in accomplishing missions,” according to Air Force Instruction (AFI) 90-5001.

Spiritual fitness is one of the four pillars of Comprehensive Airman Fitness, which focuses on building a thriving US Air Force comprised of comprehensively balanced individuals who strive to be mentally, physically, socially and spiritually fit.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Concealed Carry Daily Prayer ]

According to a 2013 RAND Corporation study commissioned by the Air Force, spiritual fitness “can affect an individual’s resilience and readiness to perform military duties” and “influence resilience and well-being by buffering stress.”

Paul Harvey: God Made A Farmer

Paul Harvey, the eloquent and articulate newscaster who galvanized radio listeners with his mellow voice and extended dramatic pauses, delivered a speech in 1978 at the Future Farmers of America Convention that captured the essence of responsible citizenship and sound moral behavior. Decades later it also reflects the five principles of SemperVerus living for all people, not only farmers—Prepare, Aware, Be, Know, Do—and the 17 virtues of the SemperVerus Brotherhood.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Paul Harvey: If I Were the Devil ]

The speech begins with the following words, imaginatively picking up the creation story the day after God rested:

And on the 8th day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, “I need a caretaker.” So God made a farmer.

God said, “I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the fields, milk cows again, eat supper and then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board.” So God made a farmer….

A Dramatic Example of Deciding to Act

Prisoner 5239 was captured by the Nazis at just 19 years of age. Withered after five years of death camp incarceration, while on a forced death march in 1945, suddenly, without warning, the moment of decision came. It was a five second junction, a crossroads between life and death. As they rounded a bend, he glanced back, and realized the rear guard was out of sight – and, hurriedly looking ahead, it was the same. For ten paces or so, they could not be seen. He had a choice, and he decided. Turning to a friend, he hissed: “Quick! Run! Now.”