As powerful as is our soul's call, so potent are the forces of

“As powerful as is our soul’s call, so potent are the forces of Resistance arrayed against it. We’re not alone if we’ve been mowed down by Resistance; millions of good men and women have bitten the dust before us.” — Thus speaks Steven Pressfield, warrior of words and chronicler of the creative battle. In this mighty declaration from his book The War of Art, he unveils one of the oldest and most profound truths of human existence: that whenever the soul rises to fulfill its purpose, an equal and opposite force emerges to hold it back. This is the law of inner warfare, the eternal struggle between what we are and what we are meant to become.

The origin of this quote lies in Pressfield’s philosophy of Resistance — not as a mere feeling of hesitation or fear, but as a near-mystical force, as ancient and universal as the soul itself. He names what many have felt but few could describe: that when we strive toward creation, toward truth, toward the highest calling of our being, something within us — and around us — resists. It whispers doubt, sows delay, clouds vision. It seduces us with comfort and numbs us with fear. Yet this Resistance, though dreadful, is not evil in the sense of malice — it is the shadow that appears whenever we turn toward light. For in the act of becoming, we must always battle against what would keep us small.

Pressfield’s insight echoes the wisdom of the ancients. The Greeks called this invisible opposition daimonion, a spirit that tests the mettle of heroes. Even Hercules, whose strength was divine, had to wrestle not only monsters of flesh but monsters of will — despair, pride, temptation. The Buddha faced the demon Mara before enlightenment, and Christ was tempted in the wilderness before his ministry began. Each sacred story teaches that the soul’s ascent summons Resistance as surely as dawn calls forth shadow. It is not a sign of failure, but of significance. The greater your purpose, the greater the powers that will rise to prevent it.

When Pressfield writes that “millions of good men and women have bitten the dust before us,” he speaks not in despair, but in solidarity. He reminds us that Resistance spares no one — not the artist, not the inventor, not the saint. Leonardo da Vinci, master of infinite curiosity, left half his works unfinished, his genius entangled in hesitation. Van Gogh, aflame with vision, fought not only poverty but the darkness of his own mind. Even Abraham Lincoln, before his triumphs, was a man who sank into profound melancholy. Each fell beneath the weight of inner battle — yet each rose again, for the soul’s call, though resisted, is indestructible.

The forces of Resistance are many: fear of failure, fear of ridicule, fear of success, laziness, distraction, self-doubt. But they are all masks of the same enemy — the refusal to grow. Resistance tells you to wait until tomorrow, to seek perfection before beginning, to doubt your worth, to surrender your dream. It would rather see you safe than great, comfortable than transformed. To overcome it, one must become a warrior of spirit, as Pressfield himself teaches. Discipline, devotion, and courage — these are the weapons that pierce the armor of Resistance. The soul’s call is not a gentle song; it is a battle cry, and we must answer it with action.

Yet there is comfort in Pressfield’s words: “We’re not alone.” The struggle is universal, shared by all who have ever sought to create, to build, to live nobly. If you have been crushed by doubt, if your dream has faltered under the weight of fear — take heart. You stand among giants. Every artist, every visionary, every seeker has walked through that same valley. What separates the defeated from the triumphant is not the absence of Resistance, but the refusal to yield. Those who rise after being mowed down become, in turn, the teachers and beacons for those still fighting.

Therefore, let this be the lesson: when you feel Resistance, rejoice, for it means your soul is stirring. It means you are standing at the threshold of growth. Do not shrink back. Take one step forward — write one line, paint one stroke, speak one truth. Begin, though fear roars. Begin, though doubt mocks. Every act of courage weakens the enemy within. And when you fall, remember Pressfield’s words: you are not alone. Stand again, as countless others have before you, and continue the sacred battle.

For the soul’s call is divine, and Resistance is its shadow. The light is worth the struggle, and every step forward — however small — is a victory eternal. So rise, warrior of the spirit, and fight the inner war with steadfast heart. For the day you no longer feel Resistance is the day you have ceased to reach for heaven.