Almost daily I watch aircraft being launched from a carrier of the United States Navy; and if the wind is breathless, the planes are catapulted from the flight deck. This means an incredibly high rate of speed is induced instantaneously. The pilot must brace himself securely to minimize the jolt involved in take-off. Recently, while I watched an aviator position his body in the cockpit of his fighter as a last minute preparation prior to the expulsion which would bounce him into the air, my thoughts strayed back to the first known use of the catapult. I believe the Roman dictator, Julius Caesar, was one of the first to employ a crudely constructed wooden contrivance which catapulted iron missiles at his enemies.
Twenty centuries have elapsed since Caesar's time, and it is obvious that the catapult has been immensely improved in design and function. Likewise, history records the same comparable degree of advancement for all weapons of warfare. Today's armor-plated tank has replaced the simple chariot, and the soldier's new carbine now substitutes for the poisoned arrow. Our conversation is often monopolized by talk of the latest weapons. Every day finds us working with weapons; daily we read about weapons; and almost hourly our ears listen to rumors concerning secret weapons. But how much thought is given to the oldest, the only infallible, and the most accessible weapon of all, namely, intelligent prayer? Each time the smoke •drifts off the battlefield a progress in things material can be noted, but mankind has yet to find the basis for lasting peace. Why is this?
The answer was seen by a contemporary of Rome's Caesar, who changed his name to Paul when Truth was revealed to him. If he were here today, he would doubtless declare, as he did centuries ago (II Cor. 10:4), "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds." Here Paul indicated the spiritual weapons or forces which could end war and establish enduring peace.
