by Darren Starwynn, O.M.D.

The term spiritual warrior may evoke many images and ideas, some of them fanciful and idealistic.  I’m compelled to share a very real and practical explanation of spiritual warrior in this post because clarity is very, well, clear.

There’s a famous saying by Edmund Burke:  “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men (people) to do nothing.”  If there was ever a time when good people need to bravely take a stand for love, justice, truth, consciousness and all the trimmings this has GOT to be it!

In past times we have seen so many people courageously rally to fight for what they believed in while they were often personally full of self-doubt and self-hatred, and were often acting abusively to people close to them.  That model doesn’t cut it anymore.  The evils of our world are based in dualistic thinking, so heroes caught up in their own inner dualities like that can only help to a limited extent.  I like the phrase from Joni Mitchell’s song Woodstock “we are caught in the devil’s bargain” for that all-too-common experience.  The devil’s bargain is when our ego mind tempts us to exchange our freedom, Sovereignty, love and self-knowledge for its fake rewards of mostly-illusory advantages, avoidance of fears and addictive experiences.  In other words, giving up the truth of one-ness for the seduction of duality.   One of the top priorities of the ego mind is to keep us at a lower vibration of consciousness where it can assert its power and keep us engaged in the dualistic “dream” of our society.

I know, so many times when the demons of self-doubt, feelings of abandonment or poverty consciousness have beckoned to me in the past I have succumbed to my addiction and bowed down before them, letting my precious Power leak away into the gutter.  Then have to do so much effort and work to build it back up.  Wearying stuff!  Now I know I don’t have to do that anymore.  I’m done.

Now the real action is within.  Our external actions of service will only help save the world to the extent that we are stepping out of the devil’s bargain within ourselves.  And that is fuc–ing hard to do because we are ADDICTED to those negative thinking patterns.  Do you have any idea how hard it is for a hardcore heroin addict to try to quit cold turkey?  Or for an alcoholic to walk away from a drink?  Or for a work-a-holic to sit and do nothing on vacation?   A spiritual warrior needs to learn how to do that with his or her negative thinking – courageously letting go of those persistent inner compulsions to indulge in doubt, fear, loneliness, resentment and the like and choose Love, Truth and One-Ness over and over.  This is the #1 way to build Power, and become a force to be reckoned with.  So you can use your consciousness vibration as an accurate barometer.  Any time you feel it to be low, and caught up in fear, doubt, over concern with ego, etc, know that you have been accepting the devil’s bargain.  Don’t worry or beat yourself up, just immediately choose Love and Truth.

If there is any gift that our current crop of corrupt leaders are giving us, and that global warming is giving us, and the wildfires, floods and superstorms are giving us, is to know, so deeply, that now is the ultimate time to take our courageous stand and bring out our spiritual warrior.

The beauty, one-ness and Love of our God Self – I Am Presence is always present and offering us the choice to be the Light and refuse the devil’s bargain.  So here’s the practical low-down of how to be a spiritual warrior – know you have a choice, and be utterly committed to making it over and over and over.  Do whatever you need to do to cultivate your direct awareness of your I AM Presence and keep choosing love and truth.  It really helps to spend time with other people who are developing their spiritual warrior.  Meditation is essential and gratitude is golden.  Acts of kindness, service and courage are where it is at.  And practice love and forgiveness for self and others, whether they “deserve” it or not.  It’s all about taking back our Power and Sovereignty.   To the extent we do that we can take effective external actions with real positive impact.

I welcome your comments and reactions to this post, and if you like it, please share it.