What Paintball Taught Me About Life's Battles

I played paintball for the first time with my CG during Labour Day. We went to Danga Bay in JB, Malaysia. 100 paintballs for only 60 ringgits! Bargain sia... :)

Anyway, it was really my first time. When the siren sounded, we all rushed out. I ran and took cover behind some barrels... and gosh, hearing all those pop-pop-pops, I felt like I was really in some battle.

And I started wondering, while my teammate was feverishly firing away, is this what a real war really feels like, in a very small sense? One hit, and you're out. And for a very short moment, all those stories I had read of first-time conscripts "facing the elephant" came to mind. In a very tiny way, I felt that sense of uncertainty, and even panic, under merciless fire.

And I wonder how it felt for those conscripts on D-Day, under the murderous MG-42 fire, taking cover behind anything they could find... not daring to stick out their heads, and some huddling and wailing for their mothers.

Because while I could always play again if I got hit, they wouldn't play again.

Then the loud shout of "I'm hit!" of my teammate awoke me from my thoughts. He held up his hand, and the referee ran over to shield him from more incoming paintballs.

Gosh. So there I was, all alone, lying prone behind a couple of barrels. It was a pretty good position, actually, as there was a tiny nook for me to aim and fire. All in all, a very good sniping position.

I popped off a few rounds, and then ducked back for cover. And a fusillade of paintballs slapped themselves loudly against the other side. Sheesh. I quickly peeked out and saw nobody in front. Ducked back again under cover, and held up my gun over the barrels and popped off a few more rounds.

Suppressive fire! At least, in theory.

Then, as I peered out again, I saw a few moving black figures in the shadows of the room. Popping off a few more rounds, I tried to get a clearer sight. Suddenly I saw a lone figure stand up from somewhere and start firing away.

Well, I was returning fire, though the angle was awkward, and popping away steadily... when suddenly I felt a loud whack on my sternum.

I looked down. My "armour" was stainless. I looked at my coveralls. Gosh. One lone little paintball had managed to fly all the way through the crack to slip right under my armour, even though I was lying prone... to smack me just below my throat.

Gosh. If that were a real bullet...

So I went back to base again, wiped myself clean and ran out again.

This time, I decided to be John Rambo. I ran out into the firing lines madly... and before I saw anything else, one paintball smacked me in my midriff. And then, half a second later, an entire volley, a fleet, a battalion of bullets all started whacking me from all around.

I yelled, "I'm hit! I'm hit! Enough!" Apparently they still didn't hear very well... :) So much for Rambo!

Then another game... Huaqiang and I were trying to outflank Shawn and Boy, one Malaysian we got to know. As I was trying to keep up with Huaqiang, my shoes were quite worn-out, so I kept slipping on the floor, wet from exploded paintballs and gelatinous goo. I started wondering if I would end up knocking myself out... something more stupid than friendly fire is own fire...

Anyway, to cut a long story short, Shawn saw me and blasted me dunno-how-many-times... I still have two "war wounds" - one on each arm. Whoo-hoo! I tried to hit him, but darn it! He was wearing a black helmet and in the shadows, while I was in the light, wearing a bright blue helmet that said "SHOOT ME"... =)

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In the Bible, we read about the armour of God as so important in our daily spiritual struggles and warfare. While it sounds really evocative (especially for men), and a favourite passage for all aspiring spiritual warriors, it really is a very important piece of advice.

That's why the paintball battle is such a great object lesson for me in helping me understand Ephesians 6:14-15 better:

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

(AMP)

14Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God,

15And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the [a]firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness [b]produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.(B)

When I put on my "breastplate" (a thinly-padded vest), it came with a very limp, well-worn Velcro belt. I tried it on, and well, it put on a very good imitation of holding its act together... and when I turned my attention elsewhere, it instantly let go and went for kopi-break.

It made my "breastplate" hang loose and hindered my mobility and ensured that the armour didn't hold on to me well.

Which goes on to the next. Since my armour was so loose, it went out of place... just a teeny-weeny little bit. Only one nanometre. But that was enough for one tiny paintball (about a picometre) to zoom through the narrow crack all the way down through the armour to my chest. Luke Skywalker, meet thy match!

So likewise, it's really crucial to have the belt of truth buckled around our waists properly. It really does help hold the armour in place correctly. Not just so - having a well-buckled belt ensures that some of the heavy load of the armour is transferred properly to the hips, thus taking a great deal of stress of the shoulders.

Without a tight and sound grounding in the truth, everything begins to hang loose. We feel burdened by our heavy armour and weapons, and even worse, they may slip off in the heat of battle. And an enemy could easily slide in his sword underneath a loosely dangling armour.

How many times have we been loose with the truth? How many times have I compromised on obeying God's word? Have I adjusted God's absolute truth for my life, in order to make things more convenient for myself - a relaxed fit as it were?

The looser I am with the truth, the more space I give for the enemy to slip in his sword underneath all my armour.

Also for the breastplate. Does it cover every exposed area well? To put on the breastplate of righteousness in place means that EVERY vulnerable area must be covered. It takes only one well-placed bullet or sword-tip to end it all. I still can't forget how that tiny paintball managed to slip all the way to my chest!

And... the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Very often, in combat, we will be fighting on terrain that is definitely not easy ground. Probably it's wet, muddy, slippery... or full of spikes and thorns... or even burning oil or napalm...

Like how I kept on skidding and slipping around while wearing my worn-out shoes. Definitely I wasn't in the best state of readiness to do any proper fighting - not as long as you're spending more time picking yourself off the floor than actually firing!

Likewise in life, we often go through difficult terrain. Have we experienced family troubles? Job insecurity? Financial recession? Disease? Hardships? Persecution?

If we do not have the peace of God within our hearts, we will never be able to gain a steady foothold on the ground we traverse across. We will be spending much more time picking ourselves off the ground than effectively fighting.

(And probably Satan has already seasoned the battleground with soap, oil, thumbtacks and what not... remember, he's a wily veteran and a devilishly clever foe!)

I think personally for me, this is a struggle I face with so many times. Maybe that's why God allowed me to slip so many times while playing the paintball game. Perhaps He wanted to teach me about my own life here. I often have worries about whether I'll find the right sister, or about my parents, whether I can support them in their old age, or whether I will be able to serve well in this particular ministry, or what other people think of me... and so, often I struggle with melancholy and disappointments, because I do not choose to seek God in prayer, and so letting His peace that transcends all understanding guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

So I need to purposely check my soles (sole, soul.. get the pun?... never mind) regularly. To allow the Good News of peace to be fitted well onto my daily life. So that I can spring like a deer, race like a gazelle and jump like a mountain goat, no matter what life's weather and terrain brings for each day, as long as it is called Today.

Malachi 4:2-3
2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. 3 Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I do these things," says the LORD Almighty.

We need peace in our hearts, every day. And only Jesus, the Prince of Peace, can give you and me the peace that the world cannot give.

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Dear friends, would you like that peace from God today, that is freely available for anyone who needs to fight life's battles daily? A peace that strengthens, equips and empowers you and me? Look no further - Jesus is very near!

Amen!