Sanctifying the Spirit (Eight Steps – Part 7)

What does the Bible mean when it speaks of cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of the spirit?   This topic is the source of many troubles in our lives because it is little understood.  Is there a process for renewing the spirit that is different than the one for renewing the mind?  The prophet David cried out: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10).  What did he mean?  To explains this, I would like us to consider the three parts of man: spirit, soul, and body.  The spirit of a person is recreated (born again) when that person accepts Jesus Christ as Saviour.  As we walk with God in our new life, our soul is going through transformation.  When the resurrection of the dead occurs, our body will be transformed.  Sin is a power that abides in our human bodies, even after salvation.  (Please refer to my article on The Process of Transformation for more about this.)

We can sin in the body and we can sin in the soul.  Can we also sin in our spirit?  Jesus told the disciples that our spirit is willing to obey God (Matt. 26:41), so the sin problem is not in our spirit, it is in our soul.  I believe the psalmist was referring to the spirit of the mind, not the spirit of man, as Scripture says: “and be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Eph. 4:23).  Although it is possible for the newly created spirit of man to sin against God, it is not what normally occurs with Christians.  Such a sin is called apostasy, which cannot be committed accidentally.  For more information on this type of sin please read Matt. 12:31; 1Jn. 5:16-17 and Heb. 6:4-6.

Paul also was talking about the spirit of the mind when he said: “let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit” (2Co. 7:1).  We could say that the spirit of the mind is an underlying attitude behind our thoughts.  As we discussed in earlier articles, the Bible describes this as an argument (or thought structure), which is a stronghold of the enemy (2Co. 10:3-6).  The power behind this attitude is a spirit.  I am not talking about demon “possession”, but I am talking about their “influence”.  There are different levels of demonic powers described in Ephesians 6:12 and they all attempt to influence mankind according to their sphere of authority.  Depending on the type of power and how deeply rooted their influence is, the spirit may need casting out, or it may only need rebuking.  Either way, we need to resist the enemy with the weapons of our warfare which are quite able to destroy these strongholds.

We need to know what we are fighting against in order to wage proper warfare.  As Christians, we are not of this world but we walk in the world and that is what we fight against.  There are three areas that sin works through because of the fall of man: the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (1Jn. 2:15).  In Ephesians, Paul describes these as the desires of the flesh and the desires of the mind (Eph. 2:2-3).  It is the latter that I wish to focus on in this article.  The enemy has established various strongholds of beliefs in the world system.  He has worked them into the wisdom of this world through the pride of man.  Even ideologies that we consider “spiritual” are actually “desires of the mind”.  They rise up against God, or against Christ, through whom alone we may obtain salvation.  Some examples of these strongholds are communism, humanism, and world religions (including New Age religions).  They find acceptance in the world because they offer something mankind needs or wants.  The problem with the wisdom of the world is that it originates from the enemy, who is a deceiver.  What he offers as help is really meant to destroy us. 

What if we have unknowingly yielded to some of these deceptions?  I think in particular of the eastern religions.  The spirit of these has found its way into sports such as the martial arts, exercise programs such as yoga, and health treatment practices such as acupuncture.  The prophet Isaiah, in describing the condition of the Jewish nation before the Babylonian deportation, said that “they are filled with eastern ways” (Is. 2:6).  I fear that much of the Church has not been discerning this evil and it will have consequences.  It has immediate consequences like limiting the grace of God in our lives, but it may also bring judgment.  Peter was clear in stating that judgment must begin with the house of God (1Pe. 4:17).  Judgment is part of God’s discipline.  Paul said: “But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world” (1Co. 11:32).  The idea that judgment will not come to believers is a great deception.  The blood of Jesus only covers sin that has been confessed.  We can ask forgiveness for sins we are not aware of, but our behaviour will not change unless we repent.  God will discipline us to change our behaviour. 

May I speak personally?  The spirit behind some of these eastern religions is the spirit of divination.  I had a personal battle against this spirit during my first year as a Christian, which has led me to be very sensitive to its influences.  As a teacher, I have also been very susceptible to the influences of sin through the pride of life.  To be able to instruct others, I must gather a great deal of knowledge and understanding.  I do not realize it when, at times, I begin to demonstrate an attitude of pride or arrogance.  It is only through comments by others that I am prompted to take a closer look.  As I write this article, I am under mandatory self isolation for having come in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.  I have read and meditated on Psalm 91 where it says that no plague shall come near my dwelling.  Why is it then that I have been experiencing mild symptoms for a few days now?  Am I fearful?  No, just humbled.  I am not the spiritual giant that I would like to be.  Will I give in to this attack?  No, I run into the shelter of the Most High.  I call upon Him and cast my love upon Him, and He will deliver me!  Even this morning in worship, as I was wondering about my need for healing and protection, I felt the Lord ask me what was more important to me, healing or holiness?  Such questions cause me to refocus and recommit to the pursuit of righteousness above all physical needs. 

So now I ask you my reader, what is more important to you?  What do you focus your prayers upon?  What do you apply your faith to?  Do you hunger after righteousness or for things that you need in this life?  I urge you therefore to claim His “exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2Pe. 1:4).