In this piece, we are going to examine three things: The Spirit-life (the Biblical concept), What the Spirit-life does and How to Maximize that Spirit-life.

 

WHAT IS THE SPIRIT-LIFE?

There is such a thing as the Spirit-life or the life of the Spirit. The believer’s life is not an ordinary life, the believer’s life is subsumed in the life of the Spirit. One of the reasons why we have powerless and ineffective Christians in our world today is because many still want to live this Spirit-life in the flesh, which of course, cannot produce any result. The Spirit-life Is that life that we receive through faith and not as a result of fulfilling the law.

 

Let’s open our Bibles to Galatians 3, there is something that apostle Paul showed us that would help our understanding in this regard. Galatians 3:1-3, I want to read in Amplified version, classic edition. The Bible says:

 

“O’ you poor and silly and thoughtless and unreflecting and senseless Galatians! Who has fascinated or bewitched or cast a spell over you, unto whom—right before your very eyes—Jesus Christ (the Messiah) was openly and graphically set forth and portrayed as crucified?” Now, going by this very tone of the letter, we can deduce that apostle Paul was angry in setting the tone of this letter. I perceived he had wanted more from a people who saw the whole thing; how Christ came to the world, died for the sake of the people, was buried, and rose up on the third day.  ² Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the [Holy] Spirit as the result of obeying the Law and doing its works, or was it by hearing [the message of the Gospel] and believing [it]? [Was it from observing a law of rituals or from a message of faith?] ³ Are you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun [your new life spiritually] with the [Holy] Spirit, are you now reaching perfection [by dependence] on the flesh?”

 

WHAT DOES THE SPIRIT-LIFE DO?

#1. The Spirit-Life Brings Us to A Place Where We Can Walk Before God and Be Perfect [Romans 8:1-4]

 

“Perfection is impossible with God if we will not walk with Him.”

 

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not WALK ACCORDING TO THE FLESH BUT ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT.”

 

No man can be perfect in the presence of God if the person’s walk with Him is not in perfect alignment. If we go back to the Bible and examine the lives of people that God declared perfect in their generations, it was because they all walked with God perfectly. In Genesis 5:24, the Bible says concerning Enoch: “And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” The Bible didn’t record that there was a special type of sacrifice or offering that Enoch made to God that made him perfect in his generation. It was a simply a walking relationship with God. If you jump to Genesis 6, the Bible also gave us a vivid example of Noah, another man who walked with God. Genesis 6:5-9, the Bible says:

 

“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ⁶ And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. ⁷ So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” ⁸ But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. ⁹ This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.”

 

In the whole earth at the time, God saw that the wickedness of man was great and He thought to destroy the entire earth. But the Bible says a man found grace in the sight of God simply because he walked with God. YOU SEE, PERFECTION IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD IF WE WILL NOT WALK WITH HIM. In Genesis 17:1, God said to Abraham: “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.” These are examples of people who walked in the time when the Holy Spirit had not been given and they pleased God. So, the Spirit-life bring us to that place where we can walk with God and be perfect.

 

#2. The Spirit-life helps us to set our Mind on the things of the Spirit [Romans 8:5-8]

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷ Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. ⁸ So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

 

From here, we can see that there are two categories of people in the world. There is the first group known as those who live according to the dictate of the flesh. These people have their minds set on the things that has to do with the flesh and so, they are spiritually dead towards God, even though they are alive physically and breathing. These people can’t please God, they can’t walk in God’s purpose as well. The other group of people are those who live according to the Spirit of God. Paul said these people enjoy the LIFE OF GOD and the PEACE OF GOD. One of the things that the Spirit-life does is that it brings us to a place where we enjoy the life of God and the peace of God. Anyone who isn’t saved does not have the life of God in him, does not have the peace of God in Him and does not have the Spirit of God.

 

Ephesians 2:1-9 says:

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, ² in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, ³ among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. ⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

 

#3. The Spirit-Life Helps Us to Put to Death the Deeds of The Body [8:13]

It is not surprising to see that there are those who still believe, in the body of Christ today, that it is not completely possible to live a life that is devoid of sin. There are many who hold that belief that to completely live a sinless life is not possible. But Paul showed us in Colossians 2:20-23:

 

“Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— ²¹ “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” ²² which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? ²³ These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.”

 

Those who hold the school of thought that it is not possible for believers to live absolutely a sin-free life are those who still live and try to please God in the flesh, and not in the Spirit. This was the same reason why Paul called the Galatians foolish by asking them, whether they receive the Spirit as a result of them fulfilling the law or by the preaching of faith. The same thing Paul is saying here that after we have been saved, we live our lives by the dictate of the Holy Spirit and by keeping some laws or rules and regulations. But Paul showed us in Romans 8:13: “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” A corresponding Scripture to Romans 8:13 is Colossians 3:5-11 where Paul was admonishing that we should put to death our members. So, the Spirit-life helps us to put under the deeds of the body.

 

#4. The Spirit-Life Helps Us to Understand the Fatherhood of God and the Sonship of Christ Jesus [8:15-17]

“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

 

We cannot know God outside of the Spirit of God. We cannot call God our Father without His Spirit. When it comes to relating with God as our Father and Christ Jesus as our Lord, then we need the help of the Holy Spirit to maximize this relationship. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:3: “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.”

 

#5. The Spirit-Life Helps Us to Hope in the Spirit [8:23-25]

“Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruit of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. ²⁴ For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”

 

Hoping in the flesh makes the heart sick and goes weary. When people promise you over and over again, and you wait and wait for them to fulfill their promise, but they refused, it makes one’s heart to give up on them. But the Spirit-life helps us to wait on God till He will come through with His promises.

 

#6. The Spirit-Life Helps Us to Pray and Be Effectual in The Place of Prayer [8:26-27]

If there is anything a believer must not toil or joke with, it is prayer. And if there is one place that the devil easily preys on believers, it is in the lack of prayer. Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 26:41: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Prayerlessness is an invitation to falling into diverse temptations. Now, Jesus acknowledged the place of weakness or tendency for one to be weak in the place of prayer. He said: “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

 

Part of the weakness we feel in prayer is not WANTING TO PRAY AT ALL. Part of the weakness of prayer is PRAYING IGNORANT OR SELFISH PRAYERS. For example, if you are praying to God for your enemies to die, you know that is an ignorant kind of prayer, or if you are praying for SATAN AND HIS DEMONS TO DIE, you know that is also an ignorant prayer, because Satan is a spirit, he cannot die. There is no where in the Bible where it is written that once can pray against Satan and he will die. What the Bible says is: “resist the devil and he will flee from you.” And you can also cast out demons as well.”

 

If you also read Romans 8:26-27, Paul also made mention of the same weakness. It says: “Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ²⁷ Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

 

HOW TO MAXIMIZE THE SPIRIT-LIFE

 

#1. Pray more in the Spirit [Ephesians 6:18]

If we want to maximize the Spirit-life that is at work in us, we must give ourselves to praying regularly. Whether we feel like praying or we don’t feel like praying.  There is something that I have even learnt and it is the fact that it is that time that you don’t feel like praying, that is when you should get up and pray. There is more to praying in the Sprit than praying in any other means that we could thinking of. This is why Paul said in Ephesians 6:18: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—" And don’t just pray for yourself alone, Paul said that we should also pray for tall the saints. Pray for your friends. Pray for everyone you can think of in the place of prayer. When you do this, you will give yourself maximally to the life of the Spirit.

 

#2. Be Conscious of the Life of the Spirit

As believers, we must carry about this consciousness, that we are living our lives in the Spirit and not in the flesh. We are not meant to live our lives casually. We are meant to be conscious of the life of the Spirit because this is the life that we have. This consciousness of the Spirit will lead us to a place where we are able to walk with the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:25 says: ^“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

 

#3. Be Led by The Holy Spirit

Let the Holy Spirit take over the leadership of your life. Don’t be led by Him once in a whole, let it be a part and parcel of your daily life. Romans 8:14 says: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

 

#4. Manifest the fruit of the Spirit [Galatians 5:22-23]

The same Paul also wrote in Galatians 5:22-23. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” The is no law that is regulating giving yourself to the Spirit of love and a life in the Spirit. There is no law. Paul said the life of the Spirit is not something that we try to fulfill under the conditions of the law. We receive the life of the Spirit by faith and how we can maximize is first and foremost by understanding what that Spirit-life does, what is it mean to do for us and then we can be able to maximize it wholly.

 

I pray the Lord will help us to give ourselves more and more to the life of the Spirit.

Thanks for the gift of your time, Obayomi Abiola Benjamin!
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