The Spirit, Soul, and Body of Man

Before we begin our series of discussion on Spiritual Warfare it is important for us to have a good understanding of how the devil can send his evil spirit to oppress, obsess, and if possible, to possess mankind. And in order to understand how demons and evil spirits can affect mankind, we need to understand the difference between the spirit, soul and body of man. We also need to understand that if you are born again by the Spirit of God (regeneration), your spirit is quickened and made alive by God's Spirit so that demons and evil spirits cannot affect you spirit. They can only trouble your soul and your body, but your spirit will not be touched by the devil because God's Spirit is in you.

Rightly dividing Man

The Bible clearly indicates that God distinguishes the difference between the spirit, soul, and body of man. And yet you do not hear much sound preaching in the Local Church concerning this very importand subject.

Paul said, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:23, NKJV, emphasis added).

Paul was writing to Christians in the Church at Thessalonica. This is of great significance because for the born-again Christian his spirit is born again or recreated by the Spirit of God. And so Paul hoped that these Christians would be found blameless at the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ if they are able to divide the whole man.

The writer of Hebrews said, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12, emphasis added).

It is easy to distinguish between the body and soul of man because that difference is obvious - the body is visible but the soul is invisible. It is difficult to distinguish between a man's soul and his spirit because both are invisible. But the writer of Hebrews tells us only the Word of God can divide between the soul and spirit of man just as it divides joints and marrow of our body.

As you read on you will discover that man is a spirit being; he has a soul and he lives in a body. Very briefly, these are the functions of the spirit, soul and body of man.

1. The spirit of man relates man to the spiritual realm. It give man the ability to know and relate to God (1 Cor. 2:11, 12). Someone said the spirit of man is God conscious. The function of the spirit of the regenerated man is threefold - intuitive knowledge, conscience and communion with God. These three terms will be explained later on.

2. The soul of man relates man to the intellectual and emotional realm. Someone said the soul of man is self conscious. The role of the soul in man is to relate his inner, spiritual being to his body - his outer flesh and blood being. In other words, the soul incarnates man's spiritual life in bodily (material) form and expression. The soul also has a thressfold function - the mind, will and emotions.

3. The body of man relates man to the physical realm. It relates to the world with the five senses. Someone said the body of man is world conscious. It is also the temple of the Holy Spirit.

The Soul of Man

James said, "Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls" (James 1:21, emphasis added).

James wrote his epistle to Christians - to people whose spirits had already been recreated when they were born again. But here James told these born-again believers that their souls were not born again yet; their souls would only be saved after they have the Word of God implanted (rooted or engrafted) in their souls. In other words, the Word of God engrated into the soul of man has the ability and power to change or "save" man's soul.

The saving of the Soul

According to James the implanted Word takes time to be rooted in the soul of man and therefore the saving of man's soul is an ongoing process throughout a person's walk with God.

The word "save" in James 1:21 comes from the Greek word "sozo" which also means to deliver, protect, heal, preserve and make whole. That means as you actively feed on God's Word, it saves, delivers, protects, heals, preserves, and makes whole your soul, which is one of your greatest defenses against Satan. That also means believers themselves have to do something about the saving of their own souls. This is confirmed by both Peter and Paul:

1. Peter wrote to Christians: "Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, ..." (1 Peter 1:22, 23, emphasis added).

Notice that after having been born again, the soul (mind, will and emotion) of the Christian needs to be purified (saved, renewed, protected, healed, preserved, made well and made whole) through (by receiving and by doing) the Word of God. That is the responsibility of the Christian if he wants to stop Satan from making an inroad to him through his own unsaved soul. As he undergirds his soul with the Word, Satan won't have an open door of access to him.


The major way a believer closes the door to the devil is to get his mind renewed with the Word and by practising the Word.


2. Paul wrote to the Roman Christians: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:1, 2, emphasis added).


The mind is a function of a man's soul. The Christian mind needs to be renewed, renovated or to restored. The only way to have the mind renewed is to "present the body as a living sacrifice" to God. God wants submitted bodies and transformed minds. And it is our duty to do that. when our mind is renewed by the Word, our thinking is transformed. When our thinking is transformed, our decision and action are transformed. When our action is transformed we (our entire life) are transformed. The result is the revelation of the perfect will of God. No one knows the perfect will of God without the renewal of the mind. If our mind is not renewed then we are likely to be conformed to the world and as a result we open the door of access to Satan.


The Spirit of Man


The role for the human spirit, restored by the new birth and empowered by the Holy Spirit, is to exercise rule and direction over the soul and, through the soul, over the body. The spirit and soul are immaterial aspects of man: that is, we do not see either of them. We know them only as we experience their functioning. I know my soul, not because I can see it or touch it, but because I am aware of its functioning as mind, emotion and will, In other words, when I put these in action - I think, I feel and I decide, then I am living out of my soul.


God wants us to live out of our regenerated spirit because He wants us to be led by His Spirit as His sons (Romans 8:14). Our spirit, like the soul, also has three different distinct functions:


1. Intuitive knowledge


The first function of the human spirit is knowledge, but it is knowledge of a particular kind. It is direct knowledge that comes intuitively - not as the result of rational, deductive mental process. It is important that we do not confuse this intuitive knowledge with the product of the mind. The apostle Paul puts it clearly:


"For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? even so no one knows the things of God except the spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God" (1 Cor. 2:11, 12, NKJV, emphasis added).


The spiritual truth is, we understand with our mind (soul) but we know with our spirit. It is important to realize that our intuitive knowledge is not infallible because it is the human spirit that receive knowledge. Because we are finite and damaged by sin, we perceive knowledge imperfectly and often misinterpret what we perceived. The accuracy of our knowledge depends on how much we know God! Only Jesus knows God the Father perfectly.


2. Conscience


The second function of the human spirit is conscience. We are all familiar with its operation although we may not have recognized that it is not to be equated with the mind.


Paul said, "To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled" (Titus 1:15, emphasis added).


Notice that conscience is not a product of the mind. Conscience also is not the voice of God, although the voice of God speaks to our conscience. Conscience has been created with the ability to "see" general moral truths such as honesty and faithfulness. Most people are willing to pay the price of keeping our promise even it is inconvenient to do so because of their conscience.


Understanding conscience


To understand how conscience functions, we must distinguish its form and its content:


1. Form of conscience


This is the same for everybody, regardless of race, sex, age, background or culture. It tells us when we are doing right and when we are doing wrong.


Paul said, "... who (Gentiles) show the work of the law written their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them ..." (Romans 2:15, emphasis added).

Notice that Paul spoke about people (Gentiles) who are not born again.


2. Content of conscience


This is the basis on which conscience makes its judgment. It tells us what is right and what is wrong. But this varies with culture, age, background and learning, so that one man's conscience may condemn him for something that another man's conscience is neutral about, or even approves.


The work of the Holy Spirit


Any troubled or defiled conscience will be dealt with when the Holy Spirit awakens (or quickens) the human spirit which brings conviction of sin that leads to repentance (Hebrews 10:19 - 22).


The conscience of the born-again Christian begins to bear witness, in the Holy Spirit, to the truth of God's Word.


Paul said, "I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, ..." (Romans 9:1, emphasis added).


3. Communion with the Lord


The third function of the human spirit is communion (communication) with Jesus Christ our Lord.


Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).

Worship is only effective if we communicate with the Lord in the Spirit because the Lord is Spirit - and we are also spirit being.


Not only do we communicate with God only with our spirit, but we communicate with one another in the same way. If I do not reach out in my spirit and somehow touch the other person's spirit, there is no real communication between us. I may transmit words and information, that may be understood, but in actual fact there is no real communication between us as persons.


A couple might have been married for years, but don't know how to communicate. It is not that they don't speak to each other. They might have said millions of words, but they failed to communicate; they failed to reach out to each other and touch each other in their spirits!


In our prayer and intercession, if we do not reach out to the people we are praying for in our spirit, there is no real communication and we are just "saying our prayer". And we failed to touch lives. On the other hand, if we reach out to others in our spirit there can be genuine communication even without words at all (Romans 8:26)!


The Body of Man


When you are born again by the Spirit of God, only your spirit is regenerated and redeemed. The new birth is a spiritual rebirth and not a "soulish" rebirth or a physical rebirth. There is no change in your soul or your body. If you were baldheaded before you were born again, you are still baldheaded now. You still sin sometimes when you are tempted. But, the difference is, after rebirth, you have the right spiritual man inside you to control your soul and your body. In other words, you still have your outward man (soul and body) to deal with. You have the power to suppress the desires of your fleshly carnal nature and the power to control your unredeemed soul throughout your Christian walk.


Paul said, "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, emphasis added).


That means Paul didn't let his body do everything it wanted to do, but kept his body under the control and dominion of his recreated spirit. We should do likewise, because this is our major defense against Satan.


James said, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).


When you submit your body to God and don't allow it to do things that are wrong, it's going to be a lot easier for you to resist the devil.