In 2007, I was in Afghanistan with the 19 Regiment Royal Artillery.

My Bible: reasons to believe in the power of the Bible

‘In 2007, I was in Afghanistan with the 19 Regiment Royal Artillery. We had seen a lot of fighting. Every day we fought. Every day we were killing. From a Christian perspective that’s hard.

I was pleased when our enemy was dead because they weren’t killing us, but I got to the stage where my faith had been completely broken. I didn’t know if I was going to heaven if I was killed. I came back to our patrol base, which was a little hill with an old mud building. I stood by it, which was stupid because a sniper could have killed me, and prayed

I asked God, “Where am I headed? What am I doing wrong? Should I be in the Army?”

In the desert, there’s no background sound, except gunfire. There are no distractions. There’s nothing, just you, God and the Bible. I didn’t feel anything. I felt the absence of the Holy Spirit.

As I turned to walk off, I heard a voice say, “Read Isaiah 53.” I wasn’t an Old Testament guy — I only read the New Testament. I read it. It’s the prophecy of what Jesus will do for my sins.

It had me on my knees because it was literally awe-inspiring. Reading that and knowing that whatever I had done, I had been forgiven, and knowing that my heart was in the right place because I wanted to protect the children of Afghanistan, gave me hope.

I got medically discharged for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). War changes who you are. You become angrier. That’s why I chose a job outside. I run bushcraft courses for adults and children. Even reading those verses now makes me feel hopeful. And without hope, shamefully, I think by now I would be swinging from the end of a rope. I’ve had some dark days.’

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