---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a devil inside me which cries…"
description: "\"There's a devil inside me which cries, \"You're not the son of the Carpenter, you're the son of King David! You are not a man, you are the Son of man wh..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10c/nikos-kazantzakis-1116_carpenter_there-s-a-devil-inside-me-which-cries-yo_89821.jpg"
---

#  There's a devil inside me which cries, "You're not the son…

![“There's a devil inside me which cries, &quot;You're not the son of the Carpenter, you're the son of King David! You are not a man, you are the Son of man whom Daniel prophesied.&quot; And still more: &quot;The Son of God! And still more: God!” quote by Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10c/nikos-kazantzakis-1116_carpenter_there-s-a-devil-inside-me-which-cries-yo_89821.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10c/nikos-kazantzakis-1116_carpenter_there-s-a-devil-inside-me-which-cries-yo_89821.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10c/nikos-kazantzakis-1116_carpenter_there-s-a-devil-inside-me-which-cries-yo_89821.jpg)

> “There's a devil inside me which cries, "You're not the son of the Carpenter, you're the son of King David! You are not a man, you are the Son of man whom Daniel prophesied." And still more: "The Son of God! And still more: God!”

[Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker wrestles with an inner voice that equates personal identity with divine destiny, conflating mythic lineage and messianic prophecy.

**In simple terms:** Identity crisis tied to spiritual grandeur

Key Takeaway

Inner conflict between self and perceived destiny

Themes

spiritual identity mythic self inner dialogue destiny religious symbolism

Mood

introspective dramatic conflicted

Type

philosophical poetic theological

When to use this quote

- personal crisis
- creative writing
- theological reflection
- psychological analysis

Key Concepts

self-concept mythology prophecy

Practical Applications

- literary analysis
- spiritual counseling

Questions to Reflect On

- What does it mean to feel called beyond ordinary humanity?
- How does myth shape personal identity?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carpenter/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Daniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daniel/) [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [King david](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/king-david/) [Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kings/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) [Son of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son-of-god/)

## Related quotes

> [“David cuts through all the many needs, wants, and desires that may have been bouncing around inside him and essentially says, "If I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/david-cuts-through-all-the-many-needs-wants-and-desires-that-may-have/)

[Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/)

> [WHO IS LIKE THE LORD OUR GOD, WHO DWELLS ON HIGH, WHO HUMBLES HIMSELF TO BEHOLD THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE HEAVENS AND…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/js-boegl/who-is-like-the-lord-our-god-who-dwells-on-high-who-humbles-himself/)

JS Boegl

> [“When we read about the events that occurred in the lives of those individuals that God raised up as leaders, we see a pattern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paddick-van-zyl/when-we-read-about-the-events-that-occurred-in-the-lives-of-those/)

[Paddick Van Zyl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paddick-van-zyl/)

> [“But I never did escape from this plot-driven world into a more congenial, subtly probable, innerly propelled narrative of my own devising--didn't make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/but-i-never-did-escape-from-this-plot-driven-world-into-a-more/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [“In other words Jesus went into the desert to confront His enemy and throw down the gauntlet. He would prove Himself to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swindoll-charles-r/in-other-words-jesus-went-into-the-desert-to-confront-his-enemy-and/)

[Swindoll Charles R](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swindoll-charles-r/)

> [“Those that entered the ark in pairs were for the purpose of repopulating their kind after the Flood. This is why the female is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-ham/those-that-entered-the-ark-in-pairs-were-for-the-purpose-of/)

[Ken Ham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-ham/)

> [“Hunger for God compels us to seek the Lord. At times our desire for God overcomes our physical desires, and the ache for God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-feinberg/hunger-for-god-compels-us-to-seek-the-lord-at-times-our-desire-for/)

[Margaret Feinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-feinberg/)

> [“Tell this to ladies: how a hero man Assail a thick and scandalous giant Who casts true shadow in the sun, And die, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-crowe-ransom/tell-this-to-ladies-how-a-hero-man-assail-a-thick-and-scandalous/)

[John Crowe Ransom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-crowe-ransom/)

> [“Romans 1 Greetings from Paul This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/romans-1-greetings-from-paul-this-letter-is-from-paul-a-slave-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Muhammad said that gratitude for the abundance you’ve received is the best insurance that the abundance will continue. Buddha said that you have no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/muhammad-said-that-gratitude-for-the-abundance-you-ve-received-is-the/)

[Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/)

> [“I followed Ruth's example, you know." He tilted his head in confusion. There was a Ruth in his neighborhood. But when could she have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-afshar/i-followed-ruth-s-example-you-know-he-tilted-his-head-in-confusion/)

[Tessa Afshar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-afshar/)

> [You thinkin bout shittin on fifty,save it my rhymes belong in the bible with king davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/50-cent/you-thinkin-bout-shittin-on-fifty-save-it-my-rhymes-belong-in-the/)

[50 Cent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/50-cent/)

> [“To a man without a country, He appeared a joint sojourner. To Joshua armed but afraid, He came a valiant warrior. To Moses raised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/to-a-man-without-a-country-he-appeared-a-joint-sojourner-to-joshua/)

[Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/)

> [We must do business in great waters; we must be really on the deck in a storm, if we would see the works of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-must-do-business-in-great-waters-we-must-be-really-on-the-deck-in/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Have you heard of the most evil things done by people in their lifetime? They have coveted men's wives, killed hundreds of Christians and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/have-you-heard-of-the-most-evil-things-done-by-people-in-their/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

## More by Nikos Kazantzakis

> [“We gaze with perplexity at the highest part of the spiral of force that governs the Universe. And we call it God. We could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/we-gaze-with-perplexity-at-the-highest-part-of-the-spiral-of-force/)

[Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

> [I collect my tools: sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing, intellect. Night has fallen...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/i-collect-my-tools-sight-smell-touch-taste-hearing-intellect-night/)

[Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

> [Everything in this world has a hidden meaning, I thought. Men, animals, trees, stars, they are all hieroglyphics; woe to anyone who begins to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/everything-in-this-world-has-a-hidden-meaning-i-thought-men-animals/)

[Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

> [Good Lord, how can the rich bear to die?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/good-lord-how-can-the-rich-bear-to-die/)

[Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

> [“Religion is opium for the masses”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/religion-is-opium-for-the-masses/)

[Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

> [I possess no weapon but love. With that I have come to do battle. Help me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/i-possess-no-weapon-but-love-with-that-i-have-come-to-do-battle-help/)

[Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

> [Today, any action anywhere on earth has an immediate repercussion on all five continents. News of a victory of the Eastern armies in Morocco…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/today-any-action-anywhere-on-earth-has-an-immediate-repercussion-on/)

[Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

> [“The Lord preserve us from sainthood”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/the-lord-preserve-us-from-sainthood/)

[Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

> [“You have everything but one thing: madness. A man needs a little madness or else - he never dares cut the rope and be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/you-have-everything-but-one-thing-madness-a-man-needs-a-little/)

[Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

> [“A man needs a little madness, or else... he never dares cut the rope and be free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/a-man-needs-a-little-madness-or-else-he-never-dares-cut-the-rope-and/)

[Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

> [Lions and Lambs, love and force, light and fire, good and evil: all things climb the same mountain, the mountain of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/lions-and-lambs-love-and-force-light-and-fire-good-and-evil-all/)

[Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

> [I say one thing, you write another, and those who read you understand still something else! I say: cross, death, kingdom of heaven, God...and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/i-say-one-thing-you-write-another-and-those-who-read-you-understand/)

[Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

> [“No, you're not free," he said. "The string you're tied to is perhaps no longer than other people's. That's all. You're on a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/no-you-re-not-free-he-said-the-string-you-re-tied-to-is-perhaps-no/)

[Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

> [The masses do not see the Sirens. They do not hear songs in the air. Blind, deaf, stooping, they pull at their oars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/the-masses-do-not-see-the-sirens-they-do-not-hear-songs-in-the-air/)

[Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

> [Three kinds of souls, three prayers: 1) I am a bow in your hands, Lord. Draw me, lest I rot. 2) Do not overdraw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/three-kinds-of-souls-three-prayers-1-i-am-a-bow-in-your-hands-lord/)

[Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

[Explore all 275 Nikos Kazantzakis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

## More Carpenter quotes

> [An axe at home saves hiring a carpenter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schiller/an-axe-at-home-saves-hiring-a-carpenter/)

[Friedrich Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schiller/)

> [Even if I wasn't in music, even if my father was a carpenter, some guy in Jamaica would go 'You're just like Bob. You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziggy-marley/even-if-i-wasn-t-in-music-even-if-my-father-was-a-carpenter-some-guy/)

[Ziggy Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziggy-marley/)

> [Raise high the roof beam, carpenters. Like Ares comes the bridegroom, taller far than a tall man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sappho/raise-high-the-roof-beam-carpenters-like-ares-comes-the-bridegroom/)

[Sappho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sappho/)

> [As regards the quietude of the sage, he is not quiet because quietness is said to be good. He is quiet because the multitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhuangzi/as-regards-the-quietude-of-the-sage-he-is-not-quiet-because-quietness/)

[Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuangzi/)

> [He came, not as a flash of light or as an unapproachable conqueror, but as one whose first cries were heard by a peasant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/he-came-not-as-a-flash-of-light-or-as-an-unapproachable-conqueror-but/)

[Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/)

> [As I've gotten old I've really listened to a wide spectrum of music, whether it's The Carpenters, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z or Lauryn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooklyn-sudano/as-i-ve-gotten-old-i-ve-really-listened-to-a-wide-spectrum-of-music/)

[Brooklyn Sudano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooklyn-sudano/)

> [This, more than anything else, is what I have never understood about your people. You can roll dice, and understand that the whole game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/this-more-than-anything-else-is-what-i-have-never-understood-about/)

[Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/)

> [It's the ones that deal with the inner fear, the unknown realms and the mysticisms that are scary. You had that in the Carpenter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/it-s-the-ones-that-deal-with-the-inner-fear-the-unknown-realms-and/)

[Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/)

> [Read, read, read. Read everything -- trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/read-read-read-read-everything-trash-classics-good-and-bad-and-see/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [“The Carpenter Shop”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/the-carpenter-shop/)

[Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/)

> [I'd rather spend half an hour in the company of a top carpenter, than three hours in the company of an average brain surgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/i-d-rather-spend-half-an-hour-in-the-company-of-a-top-carpenter-than/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [You may abuse a tragedy, though you cannot write one. You may scold a carpenter who has made you a bad table, though you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-may-abuse-a-tragedy-though-you-cannot-write-one-you-may-scold-a/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [But suicides have a special language. Like carpenters they want to know which tools. They never ask why build. Twice I have so simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sexton/but-suicides-have-a-special-language-like-carpenters-they-want-to/)

[Anne Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sexton/)

> [An ancient gnarled tree: Too fibrous for a logger's saw, Too twisted to fit a carpenter's square, Outlasts the whole forest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ming-dao-deng/an-ancient-gnarled-tree-too-fibrous-for-a-logger-s-saw-too-twisted-to/)

[Ming-Dao Deng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ming-dao-deng/)

> [There is here, what is not in the old country. In spite of hard, unfamiliar things, there is here - hope. In the old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/there-is-here-what-is-not-in-the-old-country-in-spite-of-hard/)

[Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/)

[Browse all 249 Carpenter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carpenter/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There's a devil inside me which cries, \"You're not the son of the Carpenter, you're the son of King David! You are not a man, you are the Son of man whom Daniel prophesied.\" And still more: \"The Son of God! And still more: God!",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nikos Kazantzakis"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/there-s-a-devil-inside-me-which-cries-you-re-not-the-son-of-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Carpenter"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/there-s-a-devil-inside-me-which-cries-you-re-not-the-son-of-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10c/nikos-kazantzakis-1116_carpenter_there-s-a-devil-inside-me-which-cries-yo_89821.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10c/nikos-kazantzakis-1116_carpenter_there-s-a-devil-inside-me-which-cries-yo_89821.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10c/nikos-kazantzakis-1116_carpenter_there-s-a-devil-inside-me-which-cries-yo_89821.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There's a devil inside me which cries, \"You're not the son of the Carpenter, you're the son of King David!…” — Nikos Kazantzakis",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Nikos Kazantzakis",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There's a devil inside me which...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/there-s-a-devil-inside-me-which-cries-you-re-not-the-son-of-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/there-s-a-devil-inside-me-which-cries-you-re-not-the-son-of-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
