The Soulish Man

The Soulish Man

Of what does man’s soul consist? The soul is composed of man’s will, his mind or intellect, and his emotions or personality. The power that has been given to man is the power of choice. But he does not possess supernatural power of his own. As he chooses

God’s way or Satan’s way, he is empowered by either the Spirit of Life or the spirit of death. He comes under the rules and laws of

one of these spiritual kingdoms. If we choose Christ, then we operate under His power, His love, and His kingdom. If we choose

Satan’s ways, we come under his dominion. 

This is spoken of in Ephesians 2:1-5, And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye aresaved;).

Referring to the chart on “Spirit, Soul and Body” at the end of this book, we notice that in the soulish realm is found the mind or intellect. When we walk after the things of this world and commit sin, we are said to be obeying the carnal mind. To be carnally

minded is to walk after the flesh. The Greek word for “flesh” is sarx and this refers to the wisdom of worldy man and the nature

of the carnal mind.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not

subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his...Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live (Romans 8:3-9, 12-13).

We can observe from this that the “flesh” refers to the carnal mind and not to the physical body of man. Therefore if we yield to the flesh, we are yielding to the temptation that comes to the carnal mind.

In the soul, along with the will and the mind, are the emotions. Our emotional patterns tend to formulate our personalities. We tend to evalute individuals by their emotional expressions of generosity, goodness, gentleness, greed, fear, impatience, etc. As Christians, we are to develop the attributes of Christ, and we are to crucify the “old man” of sin and his deeds. 

Ephesians 4:18-24 says, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

In these verses we are told to “put off ” the old man and to “put on” the new man. We must “submit to God” (the new man and the Spirit of Life) and “resist the devil” (the old man and the spirit of death). Our old nature must be counted dead and nailed to the cross so that our new nature can live. We die to our way and live unto the Lord’s way if we walk in the Spirit. Walking in the Spirit is simply obeying the Word of God and the Holy Spirit’s promptings. As we do this, we overcome the old nature and develop Christ’s nature in us. The spirit or inward man must be renewed day by day. But though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day (II Corinthians 4:16b).