The Silent Wars Within…

“In reading world history,” wrote Harlan House, “we are impressed by the exploits of daring men leading mighty armies and conquering great nations. Yet how often do we consider the magnitude of those silent wars that rage within the individual in his campaign to master himself…”¹ It is those silent wars that rage within that are the cause of much concern. It is the war within that often weakens and wears us away. True, there are outside struggles, physical obstacles, unfriendly conditions, quarrels, and contentions – but even these come partly from our inward attitudes. Too often there is within us the battle of jealousy, envy, resentment; the feeling of wanting to cut someone down to size, our size perhaps. There is the silent wearing inner war when we burden ourselves with wrong-doing, with the friction of an unquiet conscience. There is the war of stubbornness, resistance to counsel, rebellion against even the most reasonable restraint. There is the silent inside struggle that tells us we are doing more that our fair share. There is the silent inside war within that cannot reconcile itself with sorrow, the loss of loved ones, with irrevocable events. These silent inner struggles deep in the human heart may be more destructive than all the wars on the battlefield of history – impairing as they do the peace, the health, the happiness of countless people – the wars that know no time or season, and rage against an enemy unseen. “Who hath a harder battle to fight,” said Thomas a’ Kimpis, “than he who striveth for self-mastery? … Oh, if thou knewest what peace to thyself they holy life should bring to thyself, and what joy to others, me thinketh thou wouldst be more zealous for spiritual profit…”² Blessed is he who has conquered envy, appetites, and the warring inner enemy. Blessed is he who has made his peace and found a quiet conscience, and relief from the silent wars within the human heart.