Biblical Lessons to Learn De-Escalating Skills
You’ll always prevail against a threat if you’re able to avoid the threat. Proper execution of situational awareness positions you to be aware of warning signs in advance of perilous occurrences, which in turn allows you to maintain enough physical distance as much as possible to stay in control of the outcomes. In his ancient book, The Art of War, late 6th century BC Chinese general, military strategist, writer, and philosopher Sun Tzu wrote, “The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.”
[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of being Aware ]
Practicing situational awareness applies to the verbal confrontations you might face as much as to the physical surroundings you encounter every day. The oral skill-set required to keep a heated argument from becoming a deadly altercation is known as de-escalation. It involves knowing what to say and not say, when to say it, and how to say it. That means the coordinated use of our brains and tongues can be just as important in our self-defense strategy as performing defensive shooting drills at the range. An excellent article on the subject is “The Truth About De-Escalation” by John Bostain, president of Command Presence Training, published in Michigan Police Chiefs.
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The world’s most influential book, the Bible, has plenty to say about the words that come out of our mouths. Consider the following Scripture verses as a framework to help you in building your de-escalation mindset.
▶ Death and life are in the power of the tongue…. Proverbs 18:21
▶ Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. James 1:19
▶ Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. Proverbs 29:20
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Gentle Response De-Escalation Training for Church Security Teams ]
▶ Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Proverbs 17:27
▶ Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. Proverbs 13:3
[ Read the SemperVerus article, on Concealed Carry Daily Prayer ]
Staying on mission means you remain committed to your objective—no matter what temptation, disruption, or distraction you encounter—until you accomplish what you set out to do.
19th-century military strategist Carl von Clausewitz was a Prussian general who fought against Napoleon. In 1832, his book 
The pastors of Ada Bible Church, Grand Rapids, MI—senior pastor Jeff Manion and teaching pastor Aaron Buer—delved into the Bible book of