How to win a gunfight with an unloaded gun

If you’ve never played paintball with junior high kids, u have to. Seriously. Its like playing basketball against me. Its easy, fun and you can do it with your eyes closed.

And yea, yea, I know, I’m black and I should be able to ball, but the truth is, I’m awful and I admit it, although I do appreciate being picked first by strangers when I play against all my white friends. But that's a whole different blog.

Anyways, few years ago I 'paintballed' with some junior high kids. Pretty sure I shot 5 kids within 5 minutes. But then I ran out of bullets. My gun was unloaded and I was out-numbered 3-1. I didn’t stand a chance, until I remembered the ‘surrender or die’ rule...

You see there is this rule in paint ball where you can’t shoot a guy from less than 10 yards [for obvious reasons], so if for some reason you get that close without them noticing you, you are required to yell surrender or die.

Your opponent then has 2 options. They can yell die, at which point they have to turn and run away [they can’t shoot at you] and you get to shoot them at close range. The other option is to throw their hands up in the air and yell surrender.

It was a crazy idea but it was my last option so I flanked my opponents and once I had position on them I ran towards them screaming ‘surrender or die’ as loud as I could...

You’d never guess what happened. All 3 of them said surrender for fear of being shot. All 3. It was unbelievable. I just won a gun fight with an unloaded gun.

All bark and no bite.
Its an age old strategy.
The same one ‘our enemy’ uses. If only more Christians knew his gun was unloaded.
I really think thats what Jesus was trying to tell the disciples in John 17.

“In this world you would have many troubles, but do not be afraid because I have overcome the world”.

Its like Jesus was saying hey I know things are going to get scary. Things are going to be hard sometimes. Cancer. Death. Divorce. Depression. Loneliness. You name it. There’s gonna be trouble.

But don’t worry, we already won. The battle is raging but we win. I have overcome the world. The enemy will come after you but his gun is unloaded. You don’t have to surrender because we win. We win. WE WIN.

Fill in the blanks.

I currently have trouble with __________ [relationships/finances/health/depression e.t.c] but i won't be afraid, I will trust God because Jesus has overcome the world and in the end, we win.