--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...I once thought I defeated the evil in…" description: "\"“...I once thought I defeated the evil in my heart. I learned something: We can face our demons, burn them up, stomp them into the ground. I turned min..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/ted-dekker-1605_face-demons_i-once-thought-i-defeated-the-evil-in-my_1954891.jpg" --- # ...I once thought I defeated the evil in my heart. I… ![“...I once thought I defeated the evil in my heart. I learned something: We can face our demons, burn them up, stomp them into the ground. I turned mine to ashes. But even if you destroy the evidence of evil, you can't heal your heart. Not by yourself.” quote by Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/ted-dekker-1605_face-demons_i-once-thought-i-defeated-the-evil-in-my_1954891.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/ted-dekker-1605_face-demons_i-once-thought-i-defeated-the-evil-in-my_1954891.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/ted-dekker-1605_face-demons_i-once-thought-i-defeated-the-evil-in-my_1954891.jpg) > ““...I once thought I defeated the evil in my heart. I learned something: We can face our demons, burn them up, stomp them into the ground. I turned mine to ashes. But even if you destroy the evidence of evil, you can't heal your heart. Not by yourself.”” [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes confronting inner evil, destroying it, yet realizing that healing requires more than elimination; it needs external help or deeper work. **In simple terms:** Destroying evil isn’t enough to heal. Key Takeaway Seek support beyond self‑destruction. Themes redemption inner conflict healing Mood somber hopeful reflective Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - therapy - spiritual retreat - support group - personal reflection Key Concepts psychological resilience spiritual growth Questions to Reflect On - What support can you seek? - How do you rebuild after loss? A Different Perspective Self‑destruction may cause further harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defeated Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeated-evil-2851039/) [Demons Burn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demons-burn-3194744/) [Evil Heal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-heal-3194743/) [Evil Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-heart-2340155/) [Face Demons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face-demons-414413/) ## Related quotes > [“When I say 'hero', do not picture someone with strength to fight and conquer evil – because evil is not something that can ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayao-miyazaki/when-i-say-hero-do-not-picture-someone-with-strength-to-fight-and/) [Hayao Miyazaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayao-miyazaki/) > [“ Good had defeated evil, people proclaimed, a justification for atrocities best left forgotten. They would cling to this oversimplified truth while trading pats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristina-mcmorris/good-had-defeated-evil-people-proclaimed-a-justification-for/) [Kristina McMorris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristina-mcmorris/) > [“He defied Heaven to keep her, he defeated evil to save her, but if her soul wants another... will he be able to let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbi-glines/he-defied-heaven-to-keep-her-he-defeated-evil-to-save-her-but-if-her/) [Abbi Glines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbi-glines/) > [We cannot give up in the face of evil. God is Love and he has defeated evil through Christ’s death and resurrection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/we-cannot-give-up-in-the-face-of-evil-god-is-love-and-he-has-defeated/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [I wanted him to reawaken the Evil in my Heart...I wanted him to return me to the way I was...BEFORE!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragon-ball-z/i-wanted-him-to-reawaken-the-evil-in-my-heart-i-wanted-him-to-return/) [Dragon Ball Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragon-ball-z/) > [“The evil heart is patient, cross her fingers, palms together, hope, pray and act with faith, that all your hard work may come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dew-platt/the-evil-heart-is-patient-cross-her-fingers-palms-together-hope-pray/) [Dew Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dew-platt/) > [But those with an evil heart seem to have a talent for destroying anything beautiful which is about to bloom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rylant/but-those-with-an-evil-heart-seem-to-have-a-talent-for-destroying/) [Cynthia Rylant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-rylant/) > [Alas," said Aslan, shaking his head. "It will. Things always work according to their nature. She has won her heart's desire; she has unwearying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/alas-said-aslan-shaking-his-head-it-will-things-always-work-according/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“They can keep me out 'Til I tear the walls 'Til I save your heart And to take your soul For what has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-welch/they-can-keep-me-out-til-i-tear-the-walls-til-i-save-your-heart-and/) [Florence Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-welch/) > [The root of all evil is the heart of a black soul. A force that has lived all eternity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slayer/the-root-of-all-evil-is-the-heart-of-a-black-soul-a-force-that-has/) [Slayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slayer/) > [“I hold no evil in my heart...This evil does not touch me. More may come, but not this. Not here. Not now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/i-hold-no-evil-in-my-heart-this-evil-does-not-touch-me-more-may-come/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [But length of days with an evil heart is only length of misery and already she begins to know it. All get what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-length-of-days-with-an-evil-heart-is-only-length-of-misery-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A king is he who has laid fear aside and the base longings of an evil heart; whom ambition unrestrained and the fickle favor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/a-king-is-he-who-has-laid-fear-aside-and-the-base-longings-of-an-evil/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [“The evil heart which still remaineth in the Christian, doth always, when it is not attacking or obstructing, still reign and dwell within him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon/the-evil-heart-which-still-remaineth-in-the-christian-doth-always/) [Charles h. spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon/) > [so your father told you once that you were his princess you won't see the castle you cannot find your prince and now you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayley-williams/so-your-father-told-you-once-that-you-were-his-princess-you-won-t-see/) [Hayley Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayley-williams/) ## More by Ted Dekker > [Grow up? Get herself straightened out? Her mind reeled from the verbal battering. No matter what she did, her father would tell her she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/grow-up-get-herself-straightened-out-her-mind-reeled-from-the-verbal/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [My idea for 'BoneMan's Daughters' came from the loss of my own daughter when she left home to live with a monster at age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/my-idea-for-boneman-s-daughters-came-from-the-loss-of-my-own-daughter/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [And does man simply choose evil, or does he create it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/and-does-man-simply-choose-evil-or-does-he-create-it/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [Who’s to say that it takes something like a drug to mess with your perception of reality? How did Hitler deceive a nation? How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/who-s-to-say-that-it-takes-something-like-a-drug-to-mess-with-your/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [“doing good required taking risks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/doing-good-required-taking-risks/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [“Pape called Basil his sanctuary. In truth we all exist in our own sanctuaries-but I don't mean cathedrals or prisons. I'm talking about our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/pape-called-basil-his-sanctuary-in-truth-we-all-exist-in-our-own/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [“The physical power of real love is staggering, because real forgiveness is staggering...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/the-physical-power-of-real-love-is-staggering-because-real/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [“The only barrier to apprehending the truth is our own unwillingness to see the world as it is instead of how we prefer it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/the-only-barrier-to-apprehending-the-truth-is-our-own-unwillingness/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [What is pure Bill? Or excellent or admirable? The death of a million people in a flood? God evidently through so. He is incapable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/what-is-pure-bill-or-excellent-or-admirable-the-death-of-a-million/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [It's critical that we use a very dark brush to paint evil. When you bring the light into that darkness as characterized in John…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/it-s-critical-that-we-use-a-very-dark-brush-to-paint-evil-when-you/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [Sin thrives in the dungeon, but slap it on the table for all to see, and it withers rather quickly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/sin-thrives-in-the-dungeon-but-slap-it-on-the-table-for-all-to-see/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [“Elyon was restoring the Great Romance. Teeleh had stolen his first love, but now Justin had reclaimed her. The price had been his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/elyon-was-restoring-the-great-romance-teeleh-had-stolen-his-first/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [The good news is that even though we walk through this valley of death, we don't have to fear, at least not for ourselves!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/the-good-news-is-that-even-though-we-walk-through-this-valley-of/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [“We become so used to the familiar that we begin to doubt the unfamiliar, until our eyes are opened and we see .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/we-become-so-used-to-the-familiar-that-we-begin-to-doubt-the/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [Perfect, that's our plan then. But you'll have to give up being a priest first. I wouldn't want to just sit around whispering and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/perfect-that-s-our-plan-then-but-you-ll-have-to-give-up-being-a/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) [Explore all 222 Ted Dekker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) ## More Face Demons quotes > [I did a lot of struggling with my identity trying to figure out who the heck I was. I had to face my demons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carter-cash/i-did-a-lot-of-struggling-with-my-identity-trying-to-figure-out-who/) [John Carter Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carter-cash/) > [You face your demons doing Bikram. You challenge them, beat them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldie/you-face-your-demons-doing-bikram-you-challenge-them-beat-them/) [Goldie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldie/) > [Every artist has to face his own demons and evolve his own method of working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/every-artist-has-to-face-his-own-demons-and-evolve-his-own-method-of/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [“The desert is also a place where we can face our own demons and shadows and be cleansed of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-valters-paintner/the-desert-is-also-a-place-where-we-can-face-our-own-demons-and/) [Christine Valters Paintner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-valters-paintner/) > [I face my demons and embrace my fate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-bellingham/i-face-my-demons-and-embrace-my-fate/) [Lynda Bellingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-bellingham/) > [“every great leader must face his or her demons in order to overcome them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/every-great-leader-must-face-his-or-her-demons-in-order-to-overcome/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“When I write I face my demons, and defeat them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-g-mills/when-i-write-i-face-my-demons-and-defeat-them/) [Jackie G. Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-g-mills/) > [“She has her helmet, shield and sword. Does she finish him or take pity on the gutless thing before her? Does she set fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-lynn-hope/she-has-her-helmet-shield-and-sword-does-she-finish-him-or-take-pity/) [Donna Lynn Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-lynn-hope/) > [“Each pain is Unbearable / yet Trifling Seeing the TRUTH is Excruciating / yet Exquisite Through Laugher & Tears / Grinning & Fear, we face our demons.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-woodman/each-pain-is-unbearable-yet-trifling-seeing-the-truth-is-excruciating/) [Jay Woodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-woodman/) > [Everyone has to face down the demons. Maybe today, you could put the past away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/third-eye-blind/everyone-has-to-face-down-the-demons-maybe-today-you-could-put-the/) [Third Eye Blind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/third-eye-blind/) > [Everyone's got to face down the demons. Maybe today, you can put the past away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/third-eye-blind/everyone-s-got-to-face-down-the-demons-maybe-today-you-can-put-the/) [Third Eye Blind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/third-eye-blind/) > [“When face to face with our demons our destiny is in reach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/when-face-to-face-with-our-demons-our-destiny-is-in-reach/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [If you aren't willing to face your demons-if you can't find the courage to take on your fear and hurt and anger-you might as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-dickey/if-you-aren-t-willing-to-face-your-demons-if-you-can-t-find-the/) [R.A. Dickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-dickey/) > [Human beings, we have dark sides; we have dark issues in our lives. To progress anywhere in life, you have to face your demons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-noble/human-beings-we-have-dark-sides-we-have-dark-issues-in-our-lives-to/) [John Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-noble/) > [“It's just that I've learned that somebody's appearance doesn't always match what's going on inside him. You can't look at a guy's face and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/it-s-just-that-i-ve-learned-that-somebody-s-appearance-doesn-t-always/) [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) [Browse all 23 Face Demons quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face-demons-414413/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...I once thought I defeated the evil in my heart. 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