The mystics tell us, our goal in life is to overpower form over substance, the soul & spirit over the coarseness of our body. This is an ongoing life battle. While the soul and spirit would like nothing else but to grow and express itself in spiritual and G-dly matters, the body on the other side, in this tug of war, desires to pull the person down, engulf and swallow itself and the soul in trivial bodily pleasures.
The bible describes our actions, as a compulsory war and/or a voluntary war.
The necessary and unavoidable war, plays itself out when the evil inclination within, openly challenges our G-dly soul. We feel tempted to do something we know is immoral or unethical for the immediate gratification it brings, and the temptation is strong. It is not in vain that our sages tell us,”who is strong, he who overcomes his inner evil inclinations”. At this time and without much choice, we must draw the strength of the intellectual G-dly soul with which to over power the emotions that are attempting to derail our life. Mind has an inherent advantage over the emotions like light over darkness.
The other way we address this battle is through a proactive and voluntary war. The best way to win an enemy is not by fighting and risking lives, but by avoiding the war to begin with. The G-dly soul strengthens itself with the G-dly light, the strength of Bible study and the performance of its’ commandments to such a point, that it becomes beneath the person to even consider despicable unthinkable acts. We strength the good side and accustom ourselves in upright behavior to such a degree, that the enemy, animal soul, would not even dare challenge the person.
A person elevates and raises his manner of thinking, speaking and acting to a point where he feels it’s beneath him to stoop so low as to give in to the animal soul.
In the book of the Zohar it tells us, that “the time of prayer is the time of war.” “Serving G-d with all your heart” is performed through prayer, which is “with the heart and in the heart.” The emotions that come from the heart, is where the animal within projects itself. It is these bad emotions, feelings and temptations that take control of our G-dly given strength to think logically and avoid those things we know are bad for us. During prayer when a person meditates on the greatness of G-d and the influence G-d has in the world and in a person’s life, we have the opportunity, to elevate ourselves and strengthen the light and the good side, so later on in the day we should have less temptations from the evil animal soul who dwells in the heart.
Prayer when done properly, is the golden opportunity to strengthen the G-dly soul for the rest of the day.
We all start out in life as children, with the compulsory and unavoidable war, faced with the temptations glaring in our eyes. When we mature, G-d grants us at adulthood our G-dly soul, and then, we can strengthen the good side and G-dly soul to the point where the temptations dare us less frequently, and not as gross as when we where immature.