In any game, you have an enemy coming at yourself that you have

Hear these words of Hideo Kojima, master craftsman of stories and games, who spoke thus: “In any game, you have an enemy coming at yourself that you have to shoot. If you go back to Space Invaders, they shoot at you when they come at you, so how are you going to protect yourself? You’re going to shoot, and that is a typical videogame.” Do not think these words are bound only to the realm of pixels and glowing screens, for within them lies a truth as old as mankind: wherever there is struggle, there arises also the instinct to defend, to resist, to strike back against that which threatens one’s survival.

The ancients too knew this truth. In the battlefields of Thermopylae, the Spartans stood like living shields against the countless waves of Persians. As the enemies came at them, they did not surrender or flee—they raised their spears, their very lives becoming the weapons with which they answered the advancing tide. Just as in Space Invaders, where the player is forced to meet fire with fire, so too in life and war, resistance becomes the only path forward when destruction draws near. Kojima reminds us that what seems like a typical videogame mechanic is, in truth, a reflection of the eternal struggle of humanity.

Yet take heed, listener, for these words reveal not only the mechanics of play, but also the condition of the human soul. Every man and woman faces an enemy that presses upon them. Sometimes it is visible, a foe of flesh and blood. Other times it is hidden, cloaked in fear, doubt, or despair. And like the alien phalanxes descending in Space Invaders, these foes do not rest—they press ever downward, ever closer. The question then arises: how will you protect yourself? Will you stand idle, allowing the storm to consume you? Or will you, like the player of the game, find within yourself the courage to fight back?

History offers its mirrors. Recall the story of Winston Churchill during the darkest hours of the Blitz. Bombs rained upon London like fiery projectiles from the heavens, and many despaired, thinking Britain would be broken. Yet Churchill, though weary and pressed on every side, chose not to surrender. Instead, he gave words that were bullets of spirit: “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets…” Like the lone player facing wave upon wave, he did not lay down his weapon of resolve. He met each assault with resistance, and through such unyielding defense, a nation endured.

But Kojima, seer of games, also hints at a deeper reflection: that repetition, the constant cycle of shooting and surviving, is the very structure upon which human growth rests. Each enemy wave defeated prepares us for the next. Each level cleared demands greater speed, sharper focus, fiercer resolve. The typical videogame thus mirrors life’s design: a rhythm of challenge and response, of trial and transcendence. To play is to practice endurance; to endure is to practice life.

Therefore, take this lesson into your heart: do not be surprised when life sends its invaders against you. Expect them. For the universe itself is structured in conflict and overcoming. When fear shoots its arrows, raise the shield of wisdom. When doubt advances, return fire with the courage of action. When despair presses in, counter with hope. Just as in the game, your survival depends not on fleeing, but on standing your ground and answering the attack.

And let this be your daily practice: when you wake, know that the battle awaits, yet do not fear it. Prepare yourself by strengthening your body, sharpening your mind, and steadying your heart. Remove distractions, so that when the enemy comes at you, you may act without hesitation. Do not waste your fire on things that do not matter—save your strength for the true threats, the ones that endanger your purpose and your loved ones. In this way, life becomes not a burden, but a game you are ready to play with honor.

Thus Kojima’s words, born of the world of games, reveal the wisdom of the ages: that to live is to resist, and to resist is to grow. Stand, therefore, like the eternal player, steadfast at the bottom of the screen of life, firing upward into the storm. For though the waves never cease, neither shall your spirit, so long as you keep playing.