God is Spirit. Man was created in the image of God so that we could dominate.
Man is spirit, soul and body. Our spirit is specialized in the things of God. The soul manages relationships and material things. Spirit and soul form the spiritual body.
What we need to do is keep our thoughts on God.
We have to look after our souls.
When we were pagans, we were all dead. This is spiritual death.
Romans 6.23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 3.23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God was no longer present in our lives, we lived only with the soul.
That’s why those who are not converted ignore God. They do not fear God because they walk only with their souls, for the spirit is dead.
That’s why all their preoccupation or focus is on material things and relationships (bad relationships). They don’t manage anything according to God’s Word.
It’s as if the heart is the king, the big boss in a person’s life. What the heart likes or wants is what’s going to happen. There’s no one to oppose it.
The heart has thus become tortuous, dirty, a heart of jealousy, envy, pride, selfishness, with tortuous thoughts…
And when by God’s grace the person is converted, then the Lord will do His part, the greater part. That is, He will forgive, cleanse that person’s life by His blood. He will remove the sin in that person’s life, regenerate his spirit…
The person becomes a child of God.
Now what’s this new convert to do?
He must learn to listen to the Word and to practice. And he must listen with spirit and soul.
But we must be aware that the soul is not going to want to leave its habits behind easily. That’s the fight.
But when the Word is received and practiced, this internal struggle diminishes to the point where the spirit takes over.
That’s why in everything we do, we have to be aware of using our spirit, and pay attention to what’s going on in the soul.
We need to control our souls to make sure that what happens in them is approved by God.
In Mark 4:40, Jesus asked His disciples
Mark 4.40 Then he said to them, “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?”
Why did the disciples have this lack of faith, what should they have done?
When the disciples heard the Word of Jesus, they had to take this into consideration and remove any doubt. They had to decide to believe what Jesus said and replace doubt with faith.
Let’s remember that the heart can go through certain situations, certain states.
1/ The heart can be troubled and filled with sadness.
Romans 9. 2, John 14:1, John 14:27
How can I keep my heart from getting cloudy?
It’s putting the Word in your heart.
John 14.1 Let not your heart be troubled; You believe in God, believe also in Me.
But if it’s the heart that’s been running things for a long time, the heart’s not going to want to.
Then we must do as in Psalm 42: It was David’s spirit that spoke to his soul. You have to talk to your soul. The soul must long for Jesus.
So we must ask forgiveness for the trouble that was in the heart and remove all the seeds, marks of trouble, sadness…
The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 15.13: ” He answered, Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.” It’s all about the plants in our lives.
A troubled heart cannot believe in God. Because it’s going to be tough.
John 14.27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I don’t give to you the way the world gives. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be alarmed.
Peace must be total in the heart. Joy, peace… come from God.
2/ the heart can become weak and discouraged.
Luke 18:1, 2Corinthians 4:16, Ephesians 3. 13, 2Thessalonians 3.13
Sometimes the heart gets discouraged.
But most of the time it’s because of the material or a relationship.
For example, if I’m doing business and things aren’t going as I’d hoped… Or in a relationship, I expect things to go well but they don’t turn out the way I want.
But the Lord wants our hearts to be firm. He wants to restore our hearts.
Luke 18. 1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.
The apostle Paul, for example, had many tribulations because of his love for God. Some people might be discouraged when they saw him, so they encouraged them.
Ephesians 3.13 So I ask you not to lose heart because of my tribulations for you: they are your glory.
3/ Pay attention to conversations from the heart.
Matthew 24:48-51, Mark 2. 6-12.
Mark2.6 There were some scribes sitting there, and they were saying within themselves…
4/ The heart can be a place that develops evil desires.
Matthew 15. 18_19, Luke 2. 47-51, Romans 1. 24
Matthew 15.19. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slander.
We must cleanse our hearts of all impurities.
Knowing and mastering your soul leads to becoming a champion.