teenagers

So, here i am….fighting with my 16 year old…again.  Every day is a battle with this kid, and I cannot seem to rise above it….we play the battle of wills game…"i don’t have to listen to you" "you will listen to me" "make me"….blah blah blah.  The problem with this kid is that he thinks that he knows everything…….I know nothing…and I feel an overwhelming sense of helplessness with him.  I’ve got my own issues to deal with, and he resents me for that.  I keep telling myself that I only have to put up with this until he is 18, but what happens then? Is his 18th birthday the magical day? Does all of this teenage angst just suddenly stop and we smile and hug and say "whew, I’m glad that is over?" Realistically I know that this will not happen, because he has his own issues to deal with, and I know that as his parent it is my job to keep him safe and set the limits, but he pushes me past every one of those limits, and I am not elastic, I WILL BREAK.  So, I guess that the advice that I am looking for is how to deal with him without losing myself, and without losing him.