The Triumphant ChurchDividing the Soul and Spirit
It is easy to distinguish between the body and soul
of man because that difference is obvious. But it is more
difficult to divide or distinguish between man's soul and
spirit. The Bible does not say that man's soul and spirit
are the same thing (1 Thess. 5:23).
It will help your spiritual growth immeasurably to
know the difference between your spirit and soul,
because to stand strong against the devil you will need
to learn how to renew your mind and feed your spirit.
To gain a better understanding of your nature, it
would help you to go through this process in your
thinking:
With my spirit, I contact the spiritual realm.
With my soul, I contact the intellectual and
emotional realm.
With my body, I contact the physical realm.
Hebrews 4:12 tells us that only the Word of God can
divide between the soul and the spirit of man: "For the
WORD OF GOD is quick, and powerful, and sharper
than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing
asunder of SOUL and SPIRIT, and of the JOINTS and
MARROW [body]...."
There has not been much sound, biblical teaching
about how to distinguish the difference between the
spirit and soul of man. I've read textbooks used in
theological seminaries, and the way they present this
subject is confusing. Some Bible teachers say that the
soul and the spirit are the same. But the Bible divides
them so it stands to reason they aren't the same thing.
It would be just as unscriptural to say that the spirit
and soul are the same as it would be to say that the