So you want to be spiritual? Do you want to be someone strong in the spirit? This will not happen by just focusing on your spirit man. You are not just a spirit. You are a three-dimensional being. You are a spirit, you have a soul and you live in a body. Therefore you are spirit, soul and body. All three parts matter as they sum up the person that is you. In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, all three parts are mentioned showing us that they all have a part to play in the life we live. You cannot avoid it. To be a successful believer, you have got to understand this aspect else you will keep on struggling.
Spirit
When you receive Christ, you receive a new spirit. Your spirit is perfect. You are a new creature in your spirit. This means that you have received a new life. With this life, you can be what God has created you to be. In fact, in your spirit, you are all God wants you to be. Who you truly are is in your spirit. You cannot train your spirit. It is already perfect. It is only your soul and your body that you can train. Stop spending time training something that you cannot train and do not need to train. Where you are to put your energy is getting out what is in your spirit out.
Soul
Now, most people cannot get out what God has deposited in them due to a carnal mind and a body that is not disciplined to God’s word. The reason the body is disobedient is that the mind is carnal. So once we get our mind renewed to think spiritually, then all God has put in our spirit can flow easily through our mind to our body.
When it comes to the mind, this is where decisions were made. You can decide to live by the spirit or live by the flesh. The choice is yours, not God’s. The Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth (John 16:13). It is left for you to walk in God’s truth so that you are free from the devil’s hold. Our spirit is flowing in righteousness, holiness, health, prosperity while the flesh is flowing contrary to the spirit (Galatians 5:17). You decide whether you want to live in prosperity or poverty, in holiness or uncleanness. What you are experiencing is what you have put your mind to. It is a product of what you have focused on.
Do you know that someone who is possessed by a demon can decide whether to do or not to do what the demon tells the person to do? There is a story of a witch doctor who was delivered and got born again. In the interview, he was asked this question “ Did the devil make you do anything?” He answered “Not really, you can decide to obey him or not but it got easier and easier to obey him because I had given my mind over to it.”
That is why mind renewal is important. Whatever you give your mind to, is what you will obey. God will not violate your will to make you do anything. So it is left to you to allow God’s will or the devil’s will in your life. Some people believe that you cannot live holy, that everyone is sinning and that is why grace is there to cover it. Nope! Not true. Grace is empowerment to live above sin. If you think walking in holiness is not achievable then you are carnally minded and that leads to death (Romans 8:6a).
Body
The bible is always telling us to do things to keep the world out of our lives. Such as:
- Purge yourself (2 Timothy 2:21)
- Flee youthful lust and follow righteousness (2 Timothy 2:22)
- Present your body as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1)
You are to present your bodies. God is not going to take it. It is your part to present your body sacrificially. For example, Speaking in the Holy Ghost is a spiritual exercise but you have to use your tongue which is physical to do it. Stop allowing your body to do whatever it feels like. If you live without discipline, you are already defeated. Without discipline, your body is not going to obey you. Discipline your body to do what God’s word says not what it feels like doing. You want to pray and your body is saying no. You accept all the reasons it is giving you. The one that created the body, you do not want to listen to Him? You won’t get very far with such an attitude. Let us train our mind and body to obey the word of God by every means necessary and we will see explosive testimonies in our lives.
