In my previous postings I have mentioned many times that in our Christian walk we need to have our soul and body come under the control of our recreated spirit. Jesus and Paul have a lot to say about our soul and body.
The Teaching of Jesus
Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it" (Luke 9:23 and 24, NKJV, emphasis added).
"Life, soul and mind" in the King James' translation derived from a single Greek word "psuche".
The phrase "deny himself" can be translated as "deny his soul". The phrase "his life" can be translated as "his soul".
When a person denies himself he essentially says "no" to himself or says "no" to what his soul dictates him to do. That means his soul life is completely yielded to God.
Figuratively speaking, our will and God's will represent two pieces of wood for building the cross. When these two pieces of wood are placed parallel to each other, we are not walking in the will of God. To "take up his cross daily" means to "let his will and God's will cross at the meeting point daily". In other words, the disciple has to do God's will on a daily basis.
So, the above verse can be paraphrased as below:
"If anyone desires to be My disciple, he must say "no" to his soul, do My Will daily and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his soul will lose it, but whoever loses his soul for My sake will save it".
In other words, in order to follow Jesus and be His disciple, a person's soul life must be surrendered to Him, bring it to the cross to be crucified daily. If he does that, his soul shall be saved in eternity.
The Teaching of Paul
Paul's epistles are written to Christian Churches for individual Christians and all his teachings are meant for Christians. Here is a sample of Paul's teachings related to the topic of our discussion.
Submitted Body and Transformed Mind
Paul wrote to the Roman Christians:
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:1 and 2, NIV, emphasis added).
The above passages of Scripture is Paul's instruction to Christians on how to close the door to Satan in their lives. Paul told them they would have to do something with their bodies and minds (souls). He was telling believers if they offer their bodies as living sacrifices to God as an act of worship He will see to it that their minds are renewed. There will be a transformation of their whole personality when their minds are renewed. Satan would not be able to confuse or deceive them. And as they keep their bodies subject to their recreated spirit, they will be able to discern God's perfect will for them.
Paul said our mind is Satan's battle ground:
"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ..... bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:4 and 5).
With every thought of our mind taken captivity by the spirit man there is no way Satan could deceive us through our soul realm.
God wants submitted bodies and He wants transformed minds. He knows that is our greatest defense against Satan.
The Spirit brings the Body into Subjection
Paul wrote to the Church at Corinth:
"But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others I myself should become disqualified" (1 Cor. 9:27, NKJV, emphasis added).
The word "I" means the real spiritual man inside Paul. He called his body "it". Paul was saying his inner spiritual man had to bring his body into subjection. In other words, Paul would not let his body do everything it wanted to do. Paul knew that his soul could not discipline his body and bring it into subjection. If Paul failed to bring his body into subjection by his recreated spirit then his soul would take over and he would not be qualified to preach to others. Paul knew that his preaching must come with the revelvation of God's Word and God's power (1 Cor. 2:4). He must not preach according to the wisdom of man. Soulish and compromising preaching would not be acceptable to God because it could not minister to the recreated spirit of the hearer. Neither could such preaching convict the natural man (unbeliever) of sins. Soulish preaching were more likely to condemn sinners instead! True Biblical preaching ministers directly to the spirit of the hearers.
If the contemporary Church is to adhere to Paul's standard strictly, not many of us are truly qualified to preach!
Instruments of Righteousness
Paul wrote to the Roman Christians:
"Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God" (Romans 6:13, emphasis added).
The word "members" derives from the Greek word "melos" meaning members of our body - Our five senses, our hands and feet etc. The word "instruments" derives from the Greek word "hoplon" meaning our armor or weapons. The phrase "alive from the dead" speaks of the born again or regeneration experience. When a person's dead spirit is regenerated or recreated he is made alive again. He is now able to take control of his unregenerated soul.
Therefore, according to Paul when a person is born again he has the ability to make the members of his body as weapons of righteouness to God. His recreated spirit enables him to take control of his soul and body to do righteous acts for God.
Consequences of not heeding Jesus' and Paul's teachings
One amazing thing about the Scripture is that many things are prophetic. God, being the creator, knows the human heart. He writes the scenario for His people and for His Church. He knows that in the last days, most of His people would find the conditions He laid down for righteous living quite unattainable.
Paul, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, wrote two epistles to Timothy to warn him about what is going to happen to the Church in the days to come. Paul's words are prophetic. These things are now happening right before our eyes!
"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth" (1 Timothy 4:1 to 3, emphasis added).
Why do Christians depart from the Christian faith and follow doctrines of demons? There might be many reasons for this. But, I believe the main reason being Christians become soulish and fail to have their soul and body under the subjection of their regenerated spirit. Satan has no difficulty in planting his foothold on the unredeemed soul and body of God's people!
Paul's other message to Christians is:
"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come; for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unforgiving, slanders, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away" (2 Timothy 3:1 to 5, emphasis added).
Paul listed 18 moral blemishes due to degeneration of human character, conduct and behavior. These people are not unbelievers, but are religious Christians and churchgoers who show "a form of godliness" but deny the power of holy living. This is the condition of the apostate church. Why? The reason is the same; people tend to love soulish living. Keeping the "form" of the Christian faith is considered more important than having a Spirit-to-spirit relationship with the Head of the Church, our Lord Jesus Christ.
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