You know that little voice you ignore? The one that says “don’t do” to the voice that says “do?”
The one that tells you it’s time to study vs. the one that says it’s time to party.
You know, the angel and devil on the shoulder.
They’re real.
No, not in the sense that there’s an actual angel and devil on our shoulders guiding our actions, but man was created with a dual nature.
The angel on the shoulder? That’s the Self-Accusing Spirit, which is the essence of God. It’s that inner voice that tells you what’s right, what’s wrong, what you should be doing and what you shouldn’t.
Then there’s the voice of the devil that makes evil fair-seeming. “Oh, you don’t have to study right now. You can always pull an all-nighter the day before the test.”
Don’t act like you don’t know the voice.
See, god and devil are always arguing, going back and forth. There’s a parable about two wolves fighting: one wolf is evil and one is good. The wolf that wins is the one you feed.
In order to identify and connect with the god inside of yourself, the angel on your shoulder, you have to feed it.
The battle between your inner god and devil is a mental one, so you need mental ammunition.
Your first weapon is truth. A verse in the Holy Qur’an says, “We hurl the Truth against falsehood, so it knocks out its brains, and lo! It vanishes.”
See, the devil wants you to submit to lies and a false reality. You know if you pull that all-nighter, you will be too tired during your test to focus properly. Deep down you know studying will get you a higher grade, but you push the truth to the innermost recesses of your mind to follow a well-dressed lie.
Your second weapon is humility. A verse in the Bible says, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”
In his album 4:44, Jay-Z talked about the ego and getting rid of it. Your friends might be pressuring you to go to that party. You’re too prideful to say, “No, I have to study. I have a test coming up.” So, your ego gets in the way of success. You go and have a good time, you pull that all-nighter, and then you wonder why you’re failing.
Lies and pride are the devil’s weapons. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Feed the god within by living off of truth and humility.
And answer honestly: which wolf do you want to win?
Great read. Very relatable to all who do read it. Based on a constant that we are struggle with. Dope!