Indeed. Dilly Dilly dude! Spot on. The only thing we actually control in any given encounter is our response. That is pure free willl in play. The ancestor to every action is a thought... again, that's you deciding that. Master your free will and those who attack (evil) depend on your chosen reaction to be fear... but it won't be. That is their fuel. In this way, somewhat literally, they are harvesting our human energy via this model. Never be afraid. Speak truth with strength. It might surprise many that this becomes quite additctive & contageous.

...never back down. There are a whole bunch of people in the boat with you.