Summary:

As human beings, we are comprised of three parts. We each are spirit beings at the core; we each have a soul, and live in a physical body (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Everything we need in this life, we possess within our spirits. However, if we do not understand the functionality of our make-up—spirit, soul, and body—we will not achieve spiritual maturity and understand how to tap into the powerful resources located within our spirits.Understanding our make-up unlocks the spirit realm so we can experience who we are and what we have in Christ.

Our Spirit:

Our Soul:

Your soul is your mind, your will and your emotions. Spiritual growth is determined by how much your soul has been changed by the Word of God. Nothing is wrong with your spirit if you are born again; the life of God is in there. You are indwelt by the Holy Ghost. But you are hindered from living a spiritual life by a soul (mind) that thinks like the world instead of like God. This is true because your soul (will) also determines your actions.

Our Body:

Your Body Is Just Your “Earthsuit”

Life Lessons:

When you become a Christian, you are sustained from the inside. Your spirit is steady in adversity. You are upheld and maintained by your spirit man and not by your intellect or reasoning. “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” (Hebrews 4:12).

God’s Word divides (distinguishes between) the soul and the spirit. Nothing else can cause you to recognize whether you are being led by your soul and natural thinking or whether you are following your spirit which is led by the Holy Spirit.

Every problem, weakness or difficulty you have could be solved immediately if you knew the mind of God. But it takes effort, dedication and faithfulness to renew your mind. Mind renewal is not like the new birth. It is a process and doesn’t come overnight. Though your spirit is reborn and transformed, your soul must be constantly renewed by the washing of the Word in order to function in harmony with your reborn spirit and God’s Spirit (Ephesians 5:26-27).

The Scripture says that God energizes and creates in us the power and the desire to will and to work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13, The Amplified Bible). He works from the inside out, not from the outside in. He takes the image of the Word that is in our spirit and grafts it into our soul as we behold Him. Only then can we outwardly express the image of Jesus that we inwardly possess.

But this takes conscious effort. If you are just going to give God a couple of hours a week, your mind will not be renewed. The Word won’t be implanted in you. You might know some of it with your head, but it’s the Word in your soul, coming out your mouth that changes you. It’s the Word of God that controls your thinking and transforms your life.

So, take the time to get away from the world and study God’s Word. Meditate on it and let it change you from the inside out. Draw nigh unto God and He will draw nigh unto you. Make a conscious effort to graft the Word of God into yourself. Only then will you begin to understand His Word and His will. Only then will you be on your way to Understanding the Soul.

Scriptures:

Ephesians 4:24
Proverbs 23:7
Ephesians 4:24
Romans 8:29
Romans 12:2
II Corinthians 3:18
Hebrews 4:12
Ephesians 5:26-27
Philippians 2:13