When David was about to go forth to meet the Philistine of Gath, we are told, "Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail." But, the narrative continues, "David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them;" and he put them off. Here is a very impressive and far-reaching lesson for every one who would gain a true sense of disarmament; for it must be recognized that the question of arming and disarming is primarily mental, and that there can be no just appreciation or estimation of this activity apart from thought and its resultant effect. David was quick to see that the king was burdening him with the same weapons the Philistine carried; and he discerned that these outward symbols of material pride of power, vaunting arrogance, and rapacious greed, induced by fear and augmented by kingly superiority and place, were not the mental qualities which would disarm error of its audacious effrontery and aggressiveness. So, once again seeing the opportunity to prove the ever-presence and the omnipotence of God, good, David chose "five smooth stones out of the brook,"—perhaps comparable to a willingness to stand alone with God, with courage in the right, singleness of purpose, righteousness of motive, and selfless devotion to do the day's work well,—and went forth with sling in hand.
Has there ever been recorded a more convincing or complete spectacle of disarmament? The error which had terrified and mesmerized the Israelites for days had been silenced in the only way it ever could have been effectually destroyed. Here was a scientific demonstration of disarmament; for, in order correctly and conclusively to disarm, there must be a right concept of armament; and David had proved, on more than one occasion, that the weapons needed to disarm, as Paul tells us, in his second epistle to the Corinthians, "are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." And Christian Science is bringing to the world this one effectual method of disarmament, and the rule for its correct and adequate solution.
When the sensualist is racked with pain and his misery seems greater than he can bear, and in the agony of his despair and hopelessness he cries out for help, lest he perish, will either an opiate or a medicine disarm him of his anguish or rid him of his disease? Certainly not! Jesus gave the healing word; and it comes to the human consciousness to say through Christian Science, "Go, and sin no more": go and think rightly; see yourself as God's child; find good to be all there is, and evil nothing. This is the truth which, glimpsed, realized, and lived, disarms sensualism of its hold, and frees its victim.
