608 The Spiritual Man
We often say that “the Holy Spirit rules over man.” By this we
mean He works in us to make us obedient to God. But if we should
mean that He directly controls our total being we are in complete
error. We can distinguish right here between the work of the Holy
Spirit and that of evil spirits. The Holy Spirit indwells us to witness
that we belong to God whereas evil spirits manipulate people to
reduce them to robots. God’s Spirit asks for our cooperation; evil
spirits seek direct control. Hence it is plain that our union with God
is in the spirit and not in the body or soul. Should we misunderstand
the truth and expect God to move our mind, emotion, volition, and
body directly, we open wide the door to the counterfeit of evil spirits.
While a Christian should not follow his own thought, feeling or
preference, nevertheless after he has received revelation in his spirit
he ought to execute with his mind, emotion and will this charge
which has come to his spirit.
Spiritual LifeAmong the various misconceptions relating to spiritual life can be
found the following.
- Speaking. The text used is Matthew 10.20: it is not you who
speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”
Christians often assume that God will speak for them. Some imagine
that while delivering a message in a meeting they must not employ
their mind and will but simply offer their mouths passively to God,
letting Him speak through them. Needless to say, however, the words
of Jesus recorded in this particular passage are to be applied only to
the time of persecution and trial. It does not suggest that the Holy
Spirit will speak instead of the believer. The experience of the
Apostles Peter and John in the council fulfills this prediction. - Guidance. Text: “And your ears shall hear a word behind you,
saying, “This is the way, walk in it’ “ (Is. 30.21). Saints do not
perceive that this verse refers specifically to the experience of God’s