Our Unsurrendered Souls
Do you desire to grow in the spirit? If you do, then you must be willing to cooperate with God in being delivered from the darkness resident in your soul. It is through the born-again human spirit that we, as believers, are able to accomplish this. The light of God is ready to travel through those dark passages in our soul to bring in His light.
The kingdom of this world is too resident in the children of God? It is time to separate soul from spirit. In Hebrews 4:12, the Word of God says, For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Only God's Word can accomplish this in our lives. It is the Word resident in you that divides what is good from what is evil. God tells us to allow His Word to abide in us and to feel at home within us. There must be a reason He tells us this truth. Could it be because it is the only way to deliver our soul from the dictates of the god of this world and to live a life that is victorious? Jesus had a soul that was purified. This is our ultimate destination. It is when our soul life, which is your mind, will and emotions, become perfected with the life and character of Jesus Christ, are we in the final stages of overcoming the enemy of our souls.
The goal is to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil just as Jesus Christ was able to accomplish this. I did not say this was an easy task. However, it is a possible task. Jesus said it Himself, "All things are possible to him who believes" Mark 9:23.
Our flesh wants to have its own way. Our five senses, which are resident in our flesh, want complete reign over our spirit. Just try to say no to your fleshly desires and watch it throw a tantrum. I like to fast often but my flesh doesn't like to. My spirit says yes but the flesh gives me such a hard time about it. The flesh likes to be comfortable. And it will give me every reason in the world why I shouldn't do it.
Before I know it, reasonings have set in and, I've talked myself right out of it. You would think my flesh had an independent mind of it's own. Maybe it does! Jesus said it this way in Matt 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
For a believer to grow up in Christ, he needs to implant God's Word into his human spirit and allow it to mature. As this process happens, our soul begins to purge itself of everything that doesn't reflect the character of God. It is a natural process called sanctification. However, you say, "Ginny, I've tried to clean up my act and it's too hard ." That is the problem, you are the one trying to do it. Only the Holy Spirit in you can do the job. He joins Himself with your human spirit in the sanctification process. Only in the power of the Holy Spirit can we accomplish this great work. Of course, He will not override our human will. He must have our consent for this procedure to take place.
According to the Bible, under the New Covenant, the power of the flesh to control the believer has been broken on the cross. The natural emotions of a man are not allowed to control him any longer because he has set his mind on the things of God. Consequently, his human will now sides with his born-again spirit to obey the desires of his Lord.
As long as we live in this body, we will always have an inward battle going on inside us as our lower nature, the nature of the flesh, wars with the higher nature, the nature of the spirit. However, my Bible says I am more than a conqueror through Christ who loved me. That says a lot. I can overcome my flesh. I can live a life of peace, joy, hope, love, faith and God's blessings even in the midst of turmoil; in the midst of a world full of adulteration.
When we were saved, God gave us a new heart. It is my decision to keep my heart clean and pure and unspotted from this world system. God created man to live in a garden of his heart with Him. Determine to put God above your soul life. Jesus did. In Isaiah 53:10 the scripture says, He gave up his soul as a offering to God.
Should we do any less? Our unsurrendered soul is the real troublemaker in our life, not the devil. It is the handles in our soul life which causes the devil to grab hold and torment. Satan has a legal right to bring distress and suffering to everyone's soul until that person believes in Jesus Christ and surrenders his soul life to his Savior.
Our part is to submit our life to Christ in our thinking processes, our emotional desires and in the choices we willfully make. How can this world and the god of this world hurt us if we died to our self-life. In Gal 2:20 the Word says, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Are you willing to die to your desires and live for Him?
"Father, expose my life to your light in order for me to be perfected in holiness. I allow your fire to burn up everything that is not of you in my soul. Perfect that which concerns me. Live your life through me. Amen"
