Fighting the Shadow

Many of life’s battle grounds are within our own head. Wars wage on unseen. However, I have found that it is in the resisting, engaging in the wrestle, that we build strength. It is through resisting gravity that we build muscle, pulling against the downward force acting on a weight. And similarly I find that we build emotional and spiritual strength as we resist the forces acting upon us.

C.S. Lewis said, “You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. … We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it:”

I know the battles we all face are varied and the mental fortitude with which some of us must carry on from day to day is intense. Some may wonder why they must struggle so, and while I don’t have all the answers, all I know is that the battle can be a catalyst for growth. 

14" x 18" original oil painting on panel