We all are made up of Body, Soul (mind, will, emotions), & Spirit. We all are born in sin and need to be made new. We must understand the whole man.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 (KJV)
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are born in sin and have the nature of Adam, who sinned from the beginning. That is why Jesus told Nicodemus he must be born again.
John 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
If we are going to know the difference between the soul & the spirit we must be in the word of God.
Hebrews 4:12 (KJV)
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Even though many are born again and their spirits are alive, they still act and think in their Adamic nature. They are living in the old man. They are living in the ways and the feelings of the old nature.
"The spirit of man must rule; otherwise, the soul and the body will take over." (Lester Sumrall, Spirit Soul and Body)
For the Christian, it is imperative that we understand how to walk and build up the spirit within. Jesus said in Matthew 26:41: "Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Galatians 5:16-18 (KJV)
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Colossians 3:9-10 (KJV)
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
First we must be born again so our new nature can receive the things of THE SPIRIT. Then the battle begins. Our flesh doesn’t want the things of our born again spirit unless it is ruled by our new nature. Our soul, which is our mind, our will, & our emotions. Our soul is the deciding factor. The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, it doesn’t not submit to God’s law.
Colossians 3:10 (KJV)
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
Ephesians 4:22-24 (KJV)
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Our soul - mind, will, & emotions will decide to accept or reject the things of God. If your soul is not fixed on eternal things, it will not hold steady in the time of crisis. The word of God in you controls your thinking & transforms your life.
James 1:21 (KJV)
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Romans 12:2 (KJV)
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Romans 12:2 J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS) Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.
Galatians 5:16 (KJV)
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Galatians 5:25 (KJV)
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Romans 8:13-14 (KJV)
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
We do not follow in our strength. We are led by His power. (Stay hooked up to the divine source of Power & go wherever He leads) As we surrender to the work of THE HOLY SPIRIT in our lives, He will work the miracle of renewal in our lives. When we let Him lead our flesh will be conquered.
If we surrender to the flesh we will produce the works of the flesh. But if we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us we will produce the fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:18-25 (KJV)
But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Our soul (mind, will, & emotions) can surrender to the work of The Holy Spirit or our flesh (body). If we fill our minds with the things of this world and the things that will produce the works of the flesh then we will give in to all the things that are contrary to the ways of God.
Romans 8:5-8 J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
5-8 The carnal attitude sees no further than natural things. But the spiritual attitude reaches out after the things of the spirit. The former attitude means, bluntly, death: the latter means life and inward peace. And this is only to be expected, for the carnal attitude is inevitably opposed to the purpose of God, and neither can nor will follow his laws for living. Men who hold this attitude cannot possibly please God.
Read all of Ephesians 2, We were dead in trespasses and sins. We walked according to the course of this world. BUT GOD, who is rich in mercy, for his great love changed all that. We must receive this gift.
Matthew Henry:
The mind is the acting ruling part of us; so that the renewing of the mind is the renewing of the whole man, for out of it are the issues of life, Prov. 4:23. The progress of sanctification, dying to sin more and more and living to righteousness more and more, is the carrying on of this renewing work, till it be perfected in glory. This is called the transforming of us; it is like putting on a new shape and figure. Metamorphousthe—Be you metamorphosed. The transfiguration of Christ is expressed by this word (Matt. 17:2), when he put on a heavenly glory, which made his face to shine like the sun; and the same word is used 2 Cor. 3:18; where we are said to be changed into the same image from glory to glory. This transformation is here pressed as a duty; not that we can work such a change ourselves: we could as soon make a new world as make a new heart by any power of our own; it is God’s work, Ezek. 11:19; 36:26, 27. But be you transformed, that is, “use the means which God hath appointed and ordained for it.” It is God that turns us, and then we are turned; but we must frame our doings to turn, Hos. 5:4. “Lay your souls under the changing transforming influences of the blessed Spirit; seek unto God for grace in the use of all the means of grace.” Though the new man be created of God, yet we must put it on (Eph. 4:24), and be pressing forward towards perfection.
We must frame our doings to turn. Lay your soul under the changing transforming influences of the Blessed Spirit. Seek the things of God. We must avoid being conformed to this world. Do not fashion yourselves according to this world. Do not conform to the lusts of the flesh. We must labour after the things of God.
Colossians 3:1-3 (KJV)
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Ephesians 4:22 (KJV)
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Colossians 3:9 (KJV)
…put off the old man with his deeds;
Ephesians 4:24 (KJV)
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Romans 13:14 (KJV)
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.
Be ye transformed today. Be born again, then let the that transformed life change you. You can be free from this world and its ways. You do not have to give in to the culture and the thinking that produces death. Put off the old man and put on Christ. Our bodies are in submission to our mind. The mind is the control center of our body. In our mind we determine our affections.
So our part is to set our affections, our minds, our will, our emotions, all on the things of God. Then the work begins. That work is The Holy Spirit’s work. As we do our part, He works a miracle of changing our lives. As we place our faith in what Jesus accomplished at the Cross and surrender daily to that work, we will be transformed!!!
Below is a link to a diagram that will help to understand the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
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