388 The Spiritual Man
Not only should you confess that you have drawn back (such
confession is important) but also you should actively ferret out the
explanation for the falling back. While the opinions of Satan, others
and yourself are undependable, they are still worth considering, since
sometimes they are real. Upon discovering the cause, you must deal
with it without delay. Life will not flow until the cause of obstruction
is duly treated.
Consequently, at each ebb tide in spiritual life one must instantly
begin to isolate its cause through prayer, meditation and searching.
Know the law of the flow of God’s life; repulse every attack of the
enemy. Then life once again shall flow, stronger than before,
breaking through every stronghold of the enemy.
(7) Irresponsibility of the SpiritMan’s spirit can be compared to an electric bulb. When in contact
with the Holy Spirit, it shines; but should it be disconnected, it
plunges into darkness. “The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord”
(Prov. 20.27). God’s aim is to fill the human spirit with light; yet the
believer’s spirit is sometimes darkened. Why is this? It is because it
has lost contact with the Holy Spirit. To perceive whether or not
one’s spirit is connected with the Holy Spirit, one need only notice if
it is shining.
We have said before that God’s Spirit dwells in mans and that he
cooperates with Him through his own spirit. If the spirit of man has
been deprived of its normal condition it will seem to be disconnected
from the Holy Spirit, losing all its light. It thus is very necessary for
us to maintain our spirit in a healthy quiet state so as to insure its
cooperation with the Holy Spirit. If it is disturbed by external forces
it automatically is bereft of its power to cooperate with the Holy
Spirit and is plunged into darkness.