The Way of the Warrior Quotes

“Peace comes when you stop trying to control the world around you and instead take responsibility for the world within you.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“The warrior has peace of mind because they know that there is always a way to find light, even in the midst of the greatest darkness. They know that there is always hope to be found, even in despair. Peace can exist in the midst of turmoil only if you believe in the beauty of the future. Peace sees the beauty everywhere. When you walk in peace, you are overwhelmed by the wonder of the universe and the beauty of life.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“We all know the old adage about why an elephant with all its power can be held in place by a small rope and peg. This is because elephants remember when they were babies and did not have the strength to pull the peg out of the ground. In short, elephants remain captive because their memories lie to them. They tell them that their past is their future—that what they experienced before will always be the reality that is before them.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“If you find yourself living in a world where there is only cynicism, negativity, and distrust, you need to realize that it’s a world of your own making. There is a more beautiful world out there to be known, but you have to be able to see it. You have to want it. You must be willing to risk, to step outside of what you know, to live in a more extraordinary unknown.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“It may seem completely counterintuitive, but in my experience, depressed people are the least likely to be willing to change any of their life patterns. In other words, people who hate their lives are the least likely to change them. When you love your life, you are more open to change. When you somehow find yourself in a life you never wanted, it has a paralyzing effect. It becomes a subtle version of Stockholm syndrome, where you develop an unhealthy relationship to your captor and disdain for anyone trying to set you free.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“To blame others is an act of cowardice. We blame in an attempt to hide our shame. This is not the way of the warrior. The warrior understands that to blame is not simply an abdication of responsibility but a relinquishing of power. You cannot change what you do not take responsibility for.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“The warrior knows that their imagination is not a place to escape but to create.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“The warrior does not need a crowd; they need a tribe.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“most people would rather live in the predictability of captivity than risk the uncertainty that comes in a fight for freedom.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“We will never know peace if we lose the present because we are trapped in the past and paralyzed by the future.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“Jesus provides a perfect example of why ownership is not about taking possession of what’s in front of you but about taking responsibility for what has been entrusted to you. The men who multiplied the master’s wealth were not the owners of that wealth, but they did take ownership of it.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“Ownership is not about possession; it is about responsibility. What you own matters far less than what you take ownership for. What you take responsibility for is far more important than what you think you own.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“It is no small thing that Paul says that only with this new mind can you become a new you. So often the will of God is described as something to be received rather than something that must be perceived. Paul tells us that when our minds are renewed, it is then and only then that we are able to test and approve what the will of God is. When we see the world from this new mind, we will see that God’s intention for us is good and pleasing and perfect.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“We do not see the world as it is; we see the world as we are. A heart filled with violence will never see a world filled with peace. You can bring hope only if you have found hope.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“But if you choose the way of the warrior, living a life of service, it will demand of you the best you have. You may not need to be great, but the world needs your greatness. Whatever God has placed within you that could ever be described as great was never meant for you, anyway. It’s a stewardship that has been given to you. Greatness never belongs to the one who carries it; it belongs to the world that needs it.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“The future awaits those with the courage to create it.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“The way of the warrior is not free from pain, it is not free from disappointment, and it is not free from failure. The warrior knows well the struggles that come with fear and self-doubt and even despair. The warrior knows there are no victories that are not first won - within. Never forget who you are.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“The warrior lives to fulfill God's intention that the world would reflect all that is good and beautiful and true.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“It is defeat that strips you bare and forces you to see your truest self. Success allows you to maintain the illusion of who you are. It is in failure that you come to know yourself best. When you face defeat, all you're left with us yourself. It is then you will face your greatest battle.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“See Him everywhere. His fingerprints in every page of human history. Feel him move in the wind, hear his roar in the ocean, know his presence in every breath.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“The way we store energy is through our desires, values, passions, hopes, dreams, and aspirations, and ultimately our greatest capacity for energy storage is through what we love.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“The way of the warrior is a path toward ownership. The warrior takes responsibility for their life, their actions, and the world around them. The warrior knows that they own nothing, so they can risk everything. The warrior knows that the measure of their success is not in the outcome but in the intention. The courage to face the challenge is the victory. The warrior is not afraid to be exposed by defeat. Defeat does not diminish the heart of the warrior, for they do not fight for their own fame but for the freedom of others.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“There is only a good fight and a good death for the one whose life is given to the noble.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“Hope cannot exist in the past. That’s called regret. Hope can exist only in the future. Faith connects us to the future. It also shifts the parameters of our limitations. When we have assurance in things seen, we are limited by what we have, by what we know, and by what we can prove. When we have assurance in things not seen, we now add to our resources everything that exists in the realm of mystery, uncertainty, and endless possibilities.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“The warrior remembers but does not look back. The future is coming from only one direction and that’s forward. The warrior has learned that if their mind is lost in the past, they will lose their future.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“The warrior trains their mind to know the good and beautiful and true.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“Ambition, competition, and greatness can, and in fact must, exist in the same universe as humility, selflessness, and servanthood. Greatness cannot be achieved without sacrifice, and true servanthood is not the outcome of subservience but of passion. You can choose both humility and ambition. You can choose both competitiveness and selflessness. You can choose both greatness and servanthood. The truth that Jesus is trying to drive us to is that when these are brought together, we see ourselves best and most fully. In Buddhism, the ultimate end is the elimination of all desire. In the way of Jesus, our highest expression of being human is a life consumed with passion.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“Greatness is never found; it is gained. Greatness never comes easy; it’s always the outcome of great discipline and hard work. If you’re comfortable with where you are, if you’re complacent, you will never discover the greatness that lies within. Complacency is like pouring water on coals. It is so important not to misunderstand the words of Jesus. Remember, he never said, “Don’t be great.” In fact, his invitation was for only those who aspire to greatness: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”49 You will never know the power of servanthood until you know the fire of greatness.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“Servanthood is not a stage of life; it is a posture of the heart.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

“The spirit of a servant is to sacrifice one’s own life for the good of those they serve.”
― Erwin Raphael McManus, The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace