People like to say that the conflict is between good and evil.

Hear now the voice of Don Miguel Ruiz, who spoke with the clarity of one who has looked into the heart of men and seen their struggles: “People like to say that the conflict is between good and evil. The real conflict is between truth and lies.” These words cut like a blade through the fog of confusion, for they reveal that our greatest battle is not fought only against external forces, but within the chambers of our minds and the fabric of our societies. For good and evil are vast concepts, debated endlessly by philosophers, priests, and kings—but the contest between truth and lies is immediate, practical, and lived each day.

The ancients knew that deception is the serpent that coils around the heart. A man may believe he is virtuous, yet if his life is built on lies, his good intentions rot into ruin. Nations may boast of justice, yet if they hide truth beneath falsehood, their glory crumbles into dust. The struggle, then, is not distant or abstract: it is here and now, in every word spoken, every vow kept or broken, every silence chosen when courage was required. Truth is the foundation of freedom, while lies are the chains of bondage.

History offers us a stark vision in the tale of the Soviet Union under Stalin. The state was built upon layers of lies—false trials, fabricated numbers, propaganda that painted famine as prosperity. Generations were imprisoned not only in camps of stone and ice, but in prisons of falsehood, where reality itself was denied. The conflict was not merely between “good” leaders and “evil” tyrants—it was between the light of truth, which a few brave souls dared to speak, and the darkness of lies, which was enforced with fear and blood. And when the weight of those lies grew too heavy, the empire itself collapsed, for no edifice built upon deception can stand forever.

But we must also remember those who wielded truth as their shield. Consider Nelson Mandela, who faced decades in a prison cell rather than bow to the lie of apartheid. He knew that to accept even a sliver of that falsehood would be to betray his people and his own soul. When at last he walked free, he did not emerge chained by bitterness, but lifted by the unshakable power of truth. His life is testimony that though lies may reign for a season, truth endures, and in the end, it liberates not only the oppressed but also the oppressor.

The lesson, then, is clear: our daily choices determine which side of this eternal struggle we stand upon. Every time you repeat a lie, even a small one, you lend strength to the darkness. Every time you speak with honesty, even when it costs you, you fortify the citadel of truth. Do not think the battle belongs only to leaders or heroes. It is fought in the home, in the marketplace, in the heart of every man, woman, and child. To guard your tongue and your heart from falsehood is to wield a sword in the greatest of wars.

So let us not be lulled by the illusion that the world is divided neatly between “good men” and “evil men.” The sharper vision sees the true battlefield: truth and lies wrestling for dominion over every soul. The question is not whether you stand with angels or demons, but whether you stand with honesty or deception, with reality or illusion. The gods themselves smile upon the one who clings to truth, for such a soul cannot be bought, broken, or bent.

Therefore, children of tomorrow, mark these actions: speak only words that are clean of lies. Test every belief, every teaching, every story against the light of truth. When fear tempts you to deceive, remember the fate of those who built their empires upon falsehood—they fall. When courage calls you to speak honestly, remember the freedom of those who bore the burden of truth—they endure. In this way, you will not only live rightly—you will live victoriously, as a warrior of the eternal flame of truth.