Consistency in Training = Spiritual Ammunition

I am currently reading Outwitting the Devil by Napolean Hill. I've read the book before, but it seems as though this time I'm reading with a new, fresh perspective. That's the amazing thing about books. A few years of experiences and growth can make it feel as though you're reading a book again for the first time. Outwitting the Devil is a provocative and insightful book written in 1938 but unpublished until 2011 due to its controversial content. The book is framed as an imaginary conversation between Hill and "the Devil"—a metaphorical figure representing fear, procrastination, and self-doubt.

In this dialogue, Hill interrogates the Devil to expose the psychological and societal forces that keep people from achieving success and fulfillment. The Devil reveals that his greatest weapon is causing people to become "drifters" : those who move through life without purpose, direction, or control of their own thoughts.

The core message of the book is that definiteness of purpose, independent thought, and spiritual clarity are the antidotes to fear and failure. Hill challenges readers to confront their inner limitations and reclaim control over their mind in order to outwit the “devil” within.

Chapter 4 of this book, where the Devil distinguishes between drifters and non-drifters, has been one of the most thought-provoking passages I've read in some time. The Devil explains that a "drifter" is a person who lacks definiteness of purpose, is easily influenced by external forces, and does not take control of their own mind. Drifters go through life reacting rather than acting. They are vulnerable to fear, procrastination, and distractions, making them easy for the Devil to manipulate.

On the other hand, a "non-drifter" is someone with clear goals, self-discipline, and mental control. These individuals think for themselves, make decisions quickly and firmly, and take consistent action. Because of this, the Devil admits he has no power over them.

Here are 10 quotes from Chapter 4 that caught my attention and led to pauses and reflection:

"I cause people to drift through life with little or no purpose. I infect their minds with fear and doubt, and I make them believe that failure is inevitable. Once I get a person to drift, I can lead them anywhere I choose."
"Drifting is the most common cause of failure in every walk of life. It is the tool I use to enter the minds of people and to dominate them without resistance. A drifter has no plan, no goal, and no sense of direction. That makes him mine."
"I control the minds of people through habits. Once I get a person to form a habit of drifting, I can lead them straight into the gates of hell. Habits become a prison — and I am the jailer."
"The majority of people begin to drift as soon as they meet with opposition. Not one out of ten thousand will keep on trying after failing two or three times. I take control of their minds the moment they give up."
"The drifter cannot focus his mind on anything for any length of time. He starts a thing and quits it before finishing. He moves through life like a leaf on the wind — no direction, no power, no purpose."
"I fasten on to every one who does not use his own mind. I make use of that mind as if it were my own. I influence the thoughts, shape the habits, and create the fears. The moment a person stops thinking independently, I take control."
"Drifting is nothing but another name for lack of definite purpose. People who move with purpose never drift. They know what they want, why they want it, and how they intend to get it. That makes them dangerous to me."
"The person who thinks accurately and does not let fear or superstition control him is beyond my reach. My tricks don’t work on a thinker. I lose all power over those who discipline their own minds."
"People who think for themselves never drift with the tide. They may go down with the ship, but they do so with dignity and decision. They chart their course and sail it, regardless of the storm."
"I can best define the word 'drift' by saying that people who think accurately never drift, while those who drift never think. Thinking is the enemy of fear, and fear is the fuel that drives my machinery."

While reading, I continue to come back to the mantra Jordan Goldstein and I formulated during a 1 on 1 call last year:

Consistency in Training = Spiritual Ammunition

I have this written on a white board in my workout room. I look at it often before and after workouts to remind myself that I'm spiritually and mentally at my strongest when I'm remaining consistent in my physical training. It provides purpose to the workouts and an abundance of significance to the finish lines. What I'm realizing while reading Hill's book is that consistency in training keeps me firmly on the non-drifter side of the the enemy's battlefield.

Check out this chart I've put together to help myself make sense of all of this. Where do I fall on each section of the chart? What about the people I'm associated with? These are questions I've wrestled with in the last week.

Trait / Drifters / Non-Drifters

Purpose / No definite purpose; aimless / Clear, definite purpose and direction

Decision-making / Indecisive, procrastinates / Makes quick, firm decisions

Mindset / Controlled by fear, worry / Exercises control over own mind

Discipline /Undisciplined, passive / Self-disciplined and proactive

Influence / Easily influenced by others / Influences others; resists external control

Habits / Engages in time-wasting habits / Builds positive, productive habits

Learning and Growth / Avoids thinking deeply; fears new ideas / Constantly learning; embraces new challenges

Responsibility / Avoids responsibility; blames others / Accepts full responsibility for outcomes

Spiritual Awareness / Lacks understanding of higher purpose / Possesses spiritual strength and moral clarity

Control by the Devil / Easily controlled by the Devil / Immune to the Devil's influence

I can confidently say that, when I'm consistently training and conscious of my goals (both short-term and long-term), I fall on the non-drifter side. Not only that, but also the clarity that training brings allows my mind to understand, intervene, and mitigate the circumstances when I'm starting to drift. As "the Devil" states in the book, he has 98% of the world's population firmly on the drifter side. He "wins" them over into his control, which influences their children and their grandchildren into falling victim to generational waywardness. It's cyclical in nature. The decisions we make today in the physical, mental, and spiritual realms have generational consequences.

I think this is why I've been drawn to endruance. It seems as though those who seek out doing the hard things naturally fall into this 2% category we see on the "non-drifter" side of the chart. The training lends itself to the positive aspects of these traits.

Clear goals. Self-discipline. Mental control. Non-drifters.

Tonight is an incredible reminder that commitment to training reveals much more than positive physical effects. Consistency in training provides us with the mental and spiritual ammunition to win all of life's battles in both the realms of the seen and the unseen. The attacks of the enemy come at their hardest when momentum in our lives is at it's peak. He is trying to pull us to the side of the drifter because he is threatened.

Ephesians 6:11 : "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."

Paul wrote this verse while imprisoned in Rome. He had every excuse to turn back to the way of the drifter. If you know his story, he was the ultimate drifter turned non-drifter. He writes this as a non-drifter who is alert, intentional, disciplined, and spiritually fortified, with the intent to encourage his fellow believers to arm themselves with divine truth and purpose.

We are called to do the same.

"The Truth is in the training."

Indeed.

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Consistency in Training = Spiritual Ammunition

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