The white horse moved along, choosing its own trail, heading down and northward on a slant. With another appraising glance at the cloud, much nearer now, Hopalong Cassidy drew his six-shooters one after the other and carefully wiped them free of dust. They were worn silver-plated Colt .45’s, their bone handles networked with tiny cracks, their balance perfect. It had been weeks since he had drawn a gun for any reason, but he knew the price of safety was unresting vigilance. The Trail to Seven Pines, by Louis L’Amour
Duh, duh, duh, duhhhhhh!!! Louis L’Amour is one of my favorite authors, mainly for his subject matter, the west. I love the dirt, the grit, the cows, the mountains, the horses, the history. You know, how the west was won and all that jazz. I read westerns to relax. To me they are mindless reading. I don’t have to concentrate and overthink (which I tend to do) things. A really good western author like L’Amour has a way of telling a story so that you can see it in your mind’s eye. You can picture the views, the sounds, the people, the smells. when I came across this little paragraph the other night about Hopalong Cassidy, I went from mindlessness to consciousness. It was my snap to.
…but he knew the price of safety was unresting vigilance.
Dag…I kept reading that partial sentence over and over. This crazy profound thought in a book made for entertainment and pleasure. God speaks in the oddest of places. So, in order to get context, I backed up.
It had been weeks since he had drawn a gun for any reason…
Hopalong drew his gun for protection against robbers, bandits, rustlers, outlaws, wild animals, you know, the evils of his world. How long has it been since we have drawn our “gun” to protect ourselves from the evils of our world? Are there not storm clouds gathering on a day-by-day, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute basis in our lives and the world around us? How long has it been since we have drawn on our protection against that which would rob us of our peace, our joy, that which would rustle up feelings of fear, inadequacy, insecurity, or that which would hijack our heart and separate us from God?
Hopalong’s protection was a set of perfectly balanced Colt .45’s. What’s our weapon of choice against this world? As followers of Christ, we have been given the most perfectly balanced weapons in the universe. The Word of God and Words with God.
Now, I know that some of you more gentile readers of this will gasp at the comparison – gun and Bible or gun and Prayer, but there is nevertheless a connection. If we believers are doing what we’re supposed to be doing, we would be drawing on our perfectly balanced protection not just for the moments when robbers and bandits and rustlers and outlaws and wild animals are near –but we should be dusting off our weapons like Hopalong, regularly, long before danger approaches. You see, sometimes in those moments of danger, it just may be too late. We must be vigilant, our eternal safety rests on it.
Put on all God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rue this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 4:11-12
Gunslingers of the west were rarely careless with their weapons but they also understood that not using their weapons to aid them in their battle, for protection, would most certainly mean their death. Have we ever thought about our weapons in that way? You know, the perfectly balanced weapons of God’s Word and Words with God. The lack of use of the most precious weapons God has given us will most certainly mean our eternal death?
When was the last time you drew your perfectly balanced weapons for any reason? Have you been vigilant in preparing for a showdown with the rulers and authorities of the unseen world? We do not fight this battle alone, but in order to withstand the barrage of bullets hurled in our direction by the evil one, we have got to be ready. We have got to know where our strength comes from and be able to completely rely upon that Source.
Battle Belongs Phil Wickham