Cowboys vs. Redskins - Howdy

One of my favorite TV commercials of all times was the American Express commercial with former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry when he gets surrounded by Redskins (Washington players) and coolly turns to them and says “Howdy.”

I know this may seem as if it is somewhat lacking in spiritual depth to some, but that scenario played out in my head last week as I listened to Randy Harvey, Senior Pastor of The Crossing Church and devout Cowboys fan. I thought how much we could relate to football fans if we could put the spiritual warfare in the context of a football game. Pastor Randy talked about what all winners have in common. It is that they think positive thoughts. Since God calls believers “more than conquerors” I think that safely means we can call ourselves winners too.

So enter both teams from their respective locker rooms. These two teams couldn’t be bigger rivals. The rivalry has been brewing for years as if it has gone on longer than time itself. On one side you have the good guys, riding in on their horses. On the other side you have the bad guys with their angry red colors and warrior symbols. This is going to be a battle for the ages. These two teams will fight as if they are fighting for all of mankind.

As the battle begins, the bad guys strike first, right out of the gate. They have some really deceptive plays in the their playbook and the good guys fall for one on the first confrontation. You could hear the coach warning them but they decided they saw something their coach didn’t. So the good guys are behind and will play the entire game from that perspective. As the game goes on the bad guys keep pulling one deceptive trick after another. The good guys are warned by their coach just before or right in the middle of each trick play. Sometimes his players hear the warnings and don’t fall for the tricks and sometimes they recognize it only after it is too late.

An interesting thing has happened in the crowd too. Originally, they were overwhelmingly for the good guys, but they have started to cheer for the bad guys. They now enjoy the trickery and even the times when one of the players from the good guys gets taken out. In some parts of the stadium, the faithful fans of the good guys are starting to hide their faces and deny which side they are on.

But then the game changer happens. Coach Landry standing just as cool as can be during this entire game sends in the player that the bad guys didn’t know he had. Into the game he comes. Oddly enough, only a few of his players understand who this guy is. As the new guys starts to call out the trick plays from the field instead of the sideline, the players begin to listen to him and they begin to thwart the trick plays. The good guys are still behind but now they have hope and they begin to see the pathway to victory. The new guy says in the huddle, “I know you don’t know me but I am the way to victory. If you are tired of being tricked and ready to find victory, follow me. I am the only way.”

The miracle comeback is on. The good guys begin to all call out the trick plays and the enemy keeps getting more frustrated. As the gap closes and the good guys begin to redeem themselves, the crowd starts to turn back onto their side. It is as if the crowd is a heard of mindless sheep that seem to follow the side that has the upper hand. As it becomes safer to root for the good guys, the faithful followers step into the light and begin to lead cheers for their team.

The momentum has clearly shifted and the bad guys are on the run. They too bring in their secret weapon but the team is already to fired up and wise to be deceived. It is only a matter of time before the bad guys are overtaken and the good guys win. Just as predicted, the game comes to an end with the good guys being the only ones standing.

A reporter runs up to coach Landry and asks him how he kept his cool when it looked so bleak for his team late in the game. The crowd can be heard still praising their team as they file out of the stadium as the coach gives his answer. “I kept my cool because I know who wins in the end. I knew once my guys believed they would win, they wouldn’t be distracted by the setbacks along the way. The secret weapon who came into the game was my son. He knows all of the enemy’s tricks and I knew if he was on the field with the rest of the guys, they would hear him much better than they could hear me.”

How many of us have recorded our favorite sporting event only to watch it later. But the curiosity kills us so we look at the results before we watch the game? If we know our team wins in the end, it is much easier to stay cool when they are way behind in the first half. If you are a believer, I have good news for you. WE WIN IN THE END! God’s son is already in the game and he has given us all of his insight and power. So isn’t it time that you play with confidence and stop letting the small setbacks discourage you? Now that you know that you win in the end, put your pads on, pain those black stripes under your eyes, lace your shoes up tight and get out there and hit somebody with the good news.

And when the enemy shows up in your part of the field and surrounds you, just look at them and say, “HOWDY!”