How to Defeat the Evil Inclination: Winning the Inner Battle with Truth

“Rabbi Chanina said: Everything is in the hands of Heaven- except for fear of Heaven” (Berachot 33b),

“The Holy One, Blessed be He, does not come with excessive demands upon His creatures” (Avodah Zarah 3a).

In these two statements, the Sages reveal to us two foundational principles for navigating life:

Principle 1: A person is judged in life solely based on their fear of Heaven (i.e., their spiritual and moral choices); everything else is out of their control.
Principle 2: G-d never places a person in a challenge they cannot overcome.

Although many of us are familiar with these teachings, they aren’t always internalized. The majority of people, for most of their lives, fall into mediocrity and give up the battle at the very heart of life’s spiritual challenges. The most common excuse of the evil inclination: “Look, if I had the kinds of challenges that other people have, I’d definitely overcome them. And if they had my struggles, they would’ve collapsed ages ago. What can I do? My challenges are just too hard- they hold me back. Honestly, I’m doing great compared to how others would handle this.”

Know Your Enemy

Every soldier knows that to win a war, you must first gather intelligence about your enemy. If that’s true in physical battle, how much more so in the greatest battle of all- the battle with your own yetzer hara (evil inclination) and its army.

Your yetzer hara is your most dangerous, relentless enemy and it fights you with cruelty, cunning, and stubbornness. It’s embedded in your psyche, constantly lurking and waiting to trip you up, aiming to destroy both your world and your next.

Its most powerful weapon is waging war inside your own thoughts. It works hard to make you doubt truths you already hold, and fills your mind with false ideas and foolish confusion.

Most enemies, once defeated several times, will retreat. This is not the case with the yetzer hara. Even if you defeat it a hundred times, it will still return to attack- again and again- until your last breath. As the Sages said: “Do not trust yourself until the day you die” (Avot 2:5).

It’s no coincidence that the yetzer hara is called “the old and foolish king.” Each word hints at its tactics:

• King – It tries to convince you that you are the king, that your pride and honor are above all.

• Old – It brings feelings of hopelessness and emotional fatigue.

• Fool – It entices you into ridiculous and irrational desires.
  (From “In the Garden of Wisdom,” p. 153)

Beyond that, the Ohr HaChaim explains: “The yetzer hara has a deep inner desire to cause a person to sin, just as a person naturally desires honor, wealth, or pleasure.” The yetzer hara craves your downfall just as you crave comfort or success. (Genesis 4:7)

Can We Even Win?

Considering how ancient and experienced this spiritual enemy is (it has been operating since the days of Adam), how can any ordinary, flesh-and-blood human stand a chance?

Despite all its apparent strength, the yetzer hara is actually weaker than you. This is because it fights for falsehood, and you fight for truth. Even a little bit of truth is stronger than a mountain of lies, just as a tiny flame can drive away great darkness.

Once you recognize this weakness and commit to the battle with all your heart, you are promised success. You will be able to overcome it and push back its arrows. (Based on “Lev Tov” on Chovot HaLevavot, Gate of Unifying Action, Ch. 5)

In His wisdom, G-d gave truth and falsehood equal strength, with truth having a slight upper hand- just enough so that humans can prevail with effort.

A Parable from the Torah

We learn this from the story in Parashat Va’era. When Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and it turned into a serpent, the Egyptian magicians did the same with their staffs. But then: “Aaron’s staff swallowed their staffs.” (Exodus 7:12)

Aaron- representing truth- performed a miracle, and so did the magicians- representing falsehood. How could an observer know which side was right? Truth always has the final word: Aaron’s staff swallowed theirs.

The same message appears in the first parasha of the Torah. After Cain murdered Abel, G-d told him: “If you improve yourself, you will be lifted up. But if not, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you can master it.” (Genesis 4:7)

Rashi explains: “You can master it- if you want to, you will overcome it.”

The Choice Is Yours

If you truly want to, you have the strength to overcome your yetzer hara and win the battle of life. The battle is not about being perfect, but about choosing to fight, to want and to believe that even a little truth can overcome lies.

You are not alone or helpless. Your test is tailor-made for your unique strength. All you need is the will to rise.