Man-to-Man Defense
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To be a good basketball player, you need to be able to play through a man-to-man defense. You have to be able to handle uncalled fouls and you need to stay focused on running the offense. Your defender will more than likely push you around a bit and they will definitely try to keep you from getting the ball. When you just can’t seem to shake this persistent defender, your coach will probably have a teammate of yours set a screen for you so that you can get free. This is the exact play God ran when he sent Jesus to us. Satan was guarding mankind in a tight man-to-man defense; he wanted to keep us under control. And no matter what we did to try to beat our defender (whether it was with a jab-step or v-cut) we just couldn’t do it on our own. So our coach sent a player into the game who could set a screen like no one else could. This player was like a brick wall. And the coach knew that no one could get past this pick. So while Satan was fouling us and keeping us contained (“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.” John 10:10a), Jesus set a screen and took the blow for us so that we could be free. John 8:36 “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” So just from this one screen we are free to get the ball and our defender no longer has the ability to have any control over us. We can run freely to the ball without a defender to slow us down. Now this is an amazing thing, but God had more to this play than what we thought. He is always looking out for us. After Jesus set us free with a screen, He rolled to the basket. This “screen and roll” gives us the option to pass the ball to our teammate so that they can score and secure a victory. See, on its own the screen was great! The Son of God set us free and we were no longer held by Satan, but then he took it one step further. A play within a play. He defeated our defender, then He came to our aid to help us have victory through Him by His resurrection and the gift of free salvation. So when you feel like Satan is constantly trying to keep you from a victory, remember Jesus already set you free of your defender. He took every foul, just for you. And with this freedom, you are in store for a jaw-dropping win. So go into that battle knowing that your defender has already been defeated.
Karrissa Spangler
Junior Student
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