The Flesh and the Spirit
PLEASE NOTE: I changed up the way I’m sharing information and am now on Youtube. You should definitely come check out my channel. Click the link, and I’ll see you there! (FYI - My beliefs have changed on some subjects since writing for this website.)
(Some of the teachings in this article may slightly contradict teachings in other articles on this website. This is an inevitable occurrence due to me learning new things as time goes on. The big doctrines remain the same, but sometimes the smaller details get refined as I go. Bear with me, this website is a work in progress. Also, do not be intimidated by the size of this article. There are divisions along the way, splitting this up into separate sections.)
I’m excited about this article. I’m fired up. Why? In this article, we’re going to cover some incredible material, and this material will tie into the main and most important subject of this website: Eternal salvation. How do we get it, and how do we know we won’t lose it? We get it by believing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Lots of people will give you lots of different answers on how to be saved, but during this age (the age of God’s grace), the Gospel of Christ is the only way that works. Lots of people don’t know how to rightly divide the Bible. Many people want to look to the teachings of Jesus Christ to find out how to be saved. This causes serious problems for people who don’t understand Scripture.
Jesus Christ came to the earth to present Himself to the Jews as the Messiah they were promised would come. Jesus dealt only with the Jews (Matthew 15:24), and Jesus told His disciples to go only to the Jews (Matthew 10:5-6). The message that Jesus and His disciples shared was the Gospel of the Kingdom (Matthew 9:35, 4:17, 10:7). This message was for the Jews because it was about the kingdom that had been promised to them. Had they believed that Jesus was the Messiah, here to set up His kingdom, then that kingdom would have commenced. Instead, the Jews demanded that Jesus be crucified (Matthew 27:20-23), being persuaded by their religious leaders. Jesus was Jewish, and He came to His own people, only to be rejected (John 1:11). Jesus was crucified and buried. Three days later, Jesus rose up and came out of that tomb. Jesus then spent forty days with His disciples. On the last day, the disciples had a question for Jesus.
Acts 1:6: “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?”
The disciples thought that Jesus had risen from the dead and returned to set up His kingdom, that Jesus was still focused on the Jews. But Jesus had other plans.
Acts 1:7: “And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”
Jesus returned to Heaven and sat down on the right hand of God (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 10:12). The disciples went to work telling the Jews about Jesus Christ, trying to convince them that they had rejected their Messiah, but they could still believe on Him (Acts 2-7). Stephen (chosen by the disciples in Acts 6:5) was brought before a council of Jewish, religious leaders, and Stephen testified of Jesus Christ to them. This did not end well for Stephen.
Acts 7:51: “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
The Jews became angry and led Stephen out of Jerusalem, where they stoned him. A very interesting thing happened before Stephen was taken out of the city. Stephen saw “Jesus standing on the right hand of God”. Jesus was sitting down on the right hand of God. When Stephen was testifying of Jesus to the council of Jews, this was the last chance for the Jews. Jesus stood up from His seat, ready to return to the earth and set up His kingdom, if only the Jews would finally accept Him. But as the story went, the Jews killed Stephen, and Jesus sat back down. Skip ahead one chapter in Acts, and what happens? Saul, a Jew and a Pharisee, who was there when Stephen was killed, and who was persecuting believers on Jesus Christ, had a personal encounter with Jesus. God had watched the Jews kill His Son, and He had watched as they continued to reject Jesus. With the death of Stephen, God said “That’s it. You had your chance.” God put His plan for the Jews on hold, and Saul was chosen for a very special ministry, one directed at the Gentiles (non Jews). Jesus stated this in Acts 9:15, and Saul (who became known as Paul) confirmed this in a number of verses (Romans 15:16, Ephesians 3:1, etc.). Someday, God will return to dealing with the Jews during the Tribulation. For now, God is dealing with the Gentiles (though Jews can come to God as well). This period of time can be called the age of grace, because God’s grace is what saves believers during this time (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 5:1-2). God formerly dealt with the Jews through the law, and God currently deals with the Gentiles and Jews through grace. The law came from Moses, while grace and truth came from Jesus Christ (John 1:17). I have written much more extensively about this topic in my “Dividing the Word” series. For now, understand that the apostle Paul is our teacher for this age, because the doctrines that apply to us in this age were given to Paul. A lot of what we are going to be looking at today was written by Paul, though not all of it.
There’s a very ugly brand of “Christianity” out there today, lurking all over the Internet. They condemn everyone for their sins, and they would have you believe that they themselves are living holy and sanctified lives, following in the footsteps of Jesus. There certainly isn’t anything wrong with using Jesus as a role model, but folks, none of us can ever measure up to such a high standard. And Jesus never expected us to either. First of all, the ministry of Jesus Christ was never about showing us how to live, which seems to be the belief of many “Christians” today. Again, Jesus dealt exclusively with the Jews during His time on earth. And furthermore, Jesus was not here to set an example, but rather to die for the sins of the world (1st John 2:2). The law of Moses was in place, and Jesus had to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17) so that the curse of the law would be done away with (Galatians 3:13). Because Jesus nailed the law to His cross with Him (Colossians 2:14), we are not under law, but under grace (Romans 6:15). The law does not exist to be obeyed, but rather to show people that they are guilty (Romans 3:19) and that they need Jesus Christ to save them (Galatians 3:24). The law gives the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20). If we did not know that sin exists, how would we know that we are sinners? The law is extremely important, but keep it in its proper place. The law does not have to be obeyed in order for a person to be or stay saved (Galatians 2:16). Righteousness comes by keeping the law (Philippians 3:9), but that righteousness will never be enough to save a person. The righteousness you need to be saved is the righteousness of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:25), and this is given to everyone who believes on Jesus (Romans 3:22). If the righteousness we need came from obeying the law, then Jesus Christ died for no reason (Galatians 2:21).
Ok, the foundation is laid. Now we can get into the real lesson. Look at the following:
1st John 3:8-9: “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”
This is the kind of Scripture that will be used by certain “Christians” to defend their condemnation of everyone who sins. Now let’s be fair. When you read that Scripture above, it certainly does seem to teach that if a person is sinning, then that person is not saved. We’re going to see why that’s not true, and what this passage actually teaches. But first, let’s break this down a bit further. The passage above says “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin”. Who is born of God?
1st John 5:1: “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.”
A person who believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God who was crucified, buried, and rose again, is born of God. No strings attached. If you believe, then you are born of God. So then is it true that believers do not sin?
“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”
It appears that way, but we must dig deeper. Consider the following:
1st John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
This verse was written to believers, as was the entire book of 1st John. Believers who say that they have no sin present within themselves are deceived, and the truth is not in them. So what are we left with? It looks like a contradiction:
How can a person be both born of God and a sinner at the same time? The answer is that a change takes place at the moment of salvation. I will explain what that change is, and we will solve this puzzle. But first, we must talk about “spirits.”
Proverbs 18:24: “The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?”
Proverbs 20:27: “The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.”
Every person has a spirit in them. Without a spirit, a body cannot live.
James 2:26: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
A body cannot function without a spirit. But what is a spirit? The spirit is hard to define, but we have a clue based on Scripture. The vast majority of appearances of the word “spirit” in the Old Testament were translated from a Hebrew word that meant “wind” or “breath.” In the New Testament, all but two of the uses of the word “spirit” came from a Greek word that meant “breath,” a “breeze,” or “a current of air.” (This information was taken from The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible.) Based on all of this, let me define what I believe spirit to be: It is the breath, the life force, the invisible energy that animates the body. This is why the body is dead without the spirit. A body without a spirit is like an electric appliance that is not plugged in. A spirit is like electricity. How did man get a spirit? God placed a spirit in man when He created the world.
Zechariah 12:1: “The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.”
Keep in mind the fact that “spirit” and “breath” are connected as you read the following verse:
Genesis 2:7: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
God formed the body of man out of the dust of the ground. But a body is just a shell without a spirit. So God breathed into that body, and that body received the breath of life. In other words, man was given a spirit. The word “breath” in the above verse was translated from a Hebrew word meaning “wind” or “breath.” Now consider the following:
Genesis 7:13-15: “In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.”
The word “breath” there came from that same Hebrew word that was many times translated as “spirit” in the Old Testament. Meanwhile, for those who did not get on the ark:
Genesis 7:21-22: “And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.”
All people and animals have a spirit, the force that keeps the body alive. At the time of death, the spirit leaves the body. What happened to Jesus Christ when he died?
Matthew 27:50: “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.”
The word “ghost” there was translated from the same Greek word that many times was translated as the word “spirit” in the New Testament.
So what is the point of this? Understand that every person has a spirit, or breath, inside of them, and a person’s spirit is what keeps their body alive. A spirit is natural, and it is given at the time of conception. God only breathed directly into Adam (and probably Eve), and after that, a spirit was automatically passed down to each new person. But did you know that there is another spirit that you must have if you want to go to Heaven when you die? The spirit you are given at the moment of conception cannot get you to Heaven, because that spirit was passed down from human parents. There is another spirit, one that comes from a greater source, and we will now identify that source. We will begin with one verse of Scripture taken out of context, and soon we will put it back into its context to fully learn what it was meant to teach.
John 3:6: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
Your physical body is made of flesh. Flesh is born of flesh. Your flesh was born from your mother. Meanwhile, Jesus taught that there is a spirit that is born of the Spirit. Notice the capital “S.” Who, or what, is “the Spirit”? This is the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:13: “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”
Ephesians 4:30: “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
When a person believes in the Gospel of Christ (the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus), that person is sealed with the Holy Spirit. That seal is in place until the day that Jesus Christ comes to redeem what He has purchased, which would be believers who were bought with the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28). Why is the word “spirit” capitalized in Scripture when referring to the Holy Spirit? Because the Holy Spirit is a part of God. God is part of a trinity: 1. God the Father, 2. Jesus Christ, His Son, God in the flesh (1st Timothy 3:16), and 3. the Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is a living entity, and thus the word “spirit” is capitalized in Scripture when referring to the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ Himself mentioned the Holy Spirit before the Spirit’s arrival on earth.
John 15:26: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”
John 16:13: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
Now that we have identified the Holy Spirit, we can proceed by putting our key verse into its proper context. One day, Jesus Christ stumped a Pharisee with a very strange teaching.
John 3:1-9: “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?”
A person must be born again to go to Heaven. A person must be born of water and the Spirit. But what does this mean? Let’s look at Jesus Christ. How was He born?
1st John 5:6-8: “This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.”
When a woman is about to go into labor, her “water breaks.” This is how a person is born of water. Then there is blood. Blood is passed on from parents to their children. Jesus received blood passed down from His mother. But Jesus did not have a human father. Because Jesus had God for His father, the Holy Spirit was passed down to Him. If a person wants to go to Heaven, they must be born the way that Jesus was, which was by water, blood, and the Holy Spirit. We are all born by water and blood, but how do we get that third component? We believe the Gospel of Christ.
Ephesians 1:13: “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”
Jesus received the Holy Spirit at birth because God was His father. Believers have two physical parents, so to obtain the Holy Spirit, a second birth is required. A believer has two births: The physical birth and the spiritual birth. The physical birth comes about by water and blood, and it produces the flesh. The spiritual birth comes about by the Holy Spirit, and it produces a new spirit. This spiritual birth is what Jesus spoke of when He said a person must be born again. At the risk of redundancy, let me spell it out very clearly:
1st birth: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh”. The woman’s body gives birth to a new body of flesh.
2nd birth: “that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”. The Holy Spirit creates a new spirit inside a believer.
This was what Jesus taught Nicodemus, who did not understand this concept. Understandably so, considering that this system was not yet in place because the Holy Spirit was not yet available to people. The Holy Spirit would not be given until after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (John 7:39), and the Holy Spirit arrived on earth on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). (I stated at the beginning of this article that it is a mistake to look at the teachings of Jesus to learn how to be saved. The books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke detail the earthly ministry of Jesus and how it was directed at the Jews. The book of John differs by sharing key teachings on eternal salvation, because John was written to help convince people to believe on Jesus, as stated in John 20:30-31. Jesus did teach about the coming method of eternal salvation, but many people go to the wrong books and try to use the wrong teachings, taken from a different time period and meant for the Jews.)
2nd Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
A believer is a new creature because he or she is no longer simply flesh and blood with the spirit of a person. There is a new spirit living inside that body, born of the Holy Spirit. Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit is placed inside as a seal. Now we are going to get into the real meat of this. Remember what we learned earlier?
1st John 5:1: “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.”
The person who believes that Jesus is Christ is born of God (the second birth). Every believer is a child of God.
Galatians 3:26: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
However, believers are still sinners.
1st John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
But God does not record the sins of a believer.
Romans 4:5-8: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”
How does God overlook a believer’s sins? Because sins come from the flesh, and the spirit is separate from the flesh.
Galatians 5:19-21: “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Everything the flesh produces is bad. The Holy Spirit produces the things which please God.
Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
The flesh and the Holy Spirit are at war with each other.
Galatians 5:16-17: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”
The flesh and the Holy Spirit must share space together, but they do not get along. The Holy Spirit lives inside of a person and gives birth to a new spirit. Believers have flesh and spirit. The spirit does not sin. A believer is still a sinner, but the flesh is the sinner, not the spirit.
1st John 3:9: “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”
God’s seed is placed inside of believers. Seed is DNA. You have the seed of both of your parents. This is where your flesh came from. If you are a believer, then you have God’s seed as well. This is the Holy Spirit. Your parents’ genes were physical, while God’s gene is spiritual. Jesus received the Holy Spirit because He was God’s Son, and believers receive this same Spirit through faith. The Holy Spirit creates a new spirit in believers. The spirit does not sin. The spirit cannot sin, because sin is a product of the flesh. Every believer has a spirit that is free from sin, passed down from God the Father, but a body that is sinful, passed down from physical parents. Your spiritual Father gave you a sinless spirit to save you from the sinful flesh your physical parents gave you. People are born sinners, while God is free from sin. Believers inherit a sin nature from their parents, but they receive a sinless nature (through the Holy Spirit) from God. This is why God’s seed protects the believer. A child of God, in a spiritual sense, cannot sin because God’s Holy Spirit is passed down through the second, spiritual birth, and God cannot sin. Thus the spirit does not sin, but the flesh does. The problem we have is with our flesh. Consider the words of the apostle Paul:
Romans 7:14-25: “For we know that the law (the law of Moses, Old Testament law) is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members (body parts), warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members (body parts). O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
Nothing good dwells in the flesh. Sin resides in the human body. There is a war going on inside of the bodies of believers. Look again at the following verse:
“But I see another law in my members (body parts), warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”
The apostle Paul tells us about the dilemma that believers face. In a believer’s mind, he knows that sin is wrong. The Holy Spirit lives inside each believer, and a believer should read the Bible in order to become more and more familiarized with the Word of God. If a person keeps their spiritual birth in mind, remembering that they are a part of the family of God, then with the mind, a believer knows that sin is wrong. But sin dwells in the flesh, in the very parts of a believer’s body. The eyes will look at what they should not. The ears will listen to what they should not. The mouth will speak words it should not. You get the idea. Believers have a serious struggle, because their bodies are made of flesh, and sin is in the flesh. The body desires to sin. As long as a believer is confined to a body of flesh, they will never be free from sin. This is the problem we all face, and this is why believers are still sinners. If you have a physical, human body, then sin is present with you. The only way to resist sin is to yield to God constantly.
Romans 6:12-13: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”
But the flesh will always be tainted with sin, and therefore, it can never properly serve God. Believers must serve God in a different way.
Philippians 3:3: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
Believers worship God in the spirit, and they should have no confidence in the flesh, because the flesh is sinful.
Romans 8:1-10: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 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. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”
A person who is not saved cannot please God, because they are living in the flesh. Believers “worship God in the spirit”, but the Holy Spirit must be inside of a person for this to even be possible. Now, a believer must choose every moment whether to walk in the flesh or in the spirit. Just because you live in the Spirit does not mean you are going to walk in the Spirit. This is not automatic, because God gave people free will.
Galatians 5:25: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Galatians 5:16-17: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”
Believers are under God’s grace instead of law (Romans 6:14), meaning that God is kind to believers even though they are sinners. Because God does not record sins to a believer’s record, believers have freedom to not constantly worry that they could lose their salvation because of committing sin, which is breaking the law of Moses (1st John 3:4). But believers should be careful not to use this freedom as a license to sin.
Galatians 5:13: “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.”
If believers are not careful, they may let their flesh take advantage of their freedom, and the flesh will do what it naturally does, which is to sin. What happens when we live in the flesh?
Galatians 6:7-8: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”
Walking in the flesh results in corruption. Understand this: A believer cannot lose salvation. Salvation is given freely by God through His grace. But walking in the flesh causes a person to corrupt themselves, not the spirit that was provided by the Holy Spirit, but rather the flesh. Consider the following:
1st Corinthians 5:1-13: “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”
A believer at the church in Corinth was having an open affair with his stepmother. This man was choosing to walk in the flesh, and he was being corrupted through this sin. The man was a believer, but he was doing nothing to stop his adultery. Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth, and he mentioned this man. Paul said that this man may face death, or “the destruction of the flesh”, but the man’s spirit would remain saved. The flesh is destroyed, because the flesh is where sin dwells. (Please note that this story of the adulterous man completely shuts down the popular theory taught by some “Christians” that a believer living in habitual sin cannot be truly saved. The Bible teaches that even habitual sin does not undo a believer’s salvation, though it is not recommended.)
Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
The flesh, or body, is cursed because of sin. The body must die.
Romans 7:24: “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
When a believer walks in the flesh, they find corruption. Walking in the Spirit results in rewards in Heaven.
1st Corinthians 3:10-15: “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon (works done in the Spirit), he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned (works done in the flesh), he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
The body, or flesh, of a believer will die, and works that are done in, or for, the flesh will be burned. But again, a believer’s spirit remains saved, because the spirit is free from sin. This is what many “Christians” do not understand. There is a duality that exists in believers on Jesus Christ. There is flesh, and there is spirit. A believer will remain a sinner as long as he or she remains in their body of flesh, because sin dwells in the flesh. The flesh is referred to as “the old man” in Scripture.
Romans 6:6: “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him (Jesus Christ), that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
The “old man” refers to the flesh. When a person believes on Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside that person, but that is not all. The Holy Spirit creates a way for believers to have a relationship with God by creating a new spirit for each and every believer. This spirit is called “the new man,” and it is only through the new man that a person can live the right kind of life and have fellowship with God. If the flesh, the old man, is against God and for sin, then the spirit, the new man, is for God and against sin. The following passage of Scripture explains that living through the new man, the spirit, produces better results than living through the old man, the flesh. Paul tells believers to put off the old man and put on the new man, kind of like changing clothes.
Ephesians 4:22-32: “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. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”
There are a lot of “Christians” out there who say that if a person is truly saved, that person will no longer live in sin, that there must be a change in that person’s lifestyle to prove that the person is indeed saved. These “Christians” do not understand what I am sharing in this article. Every believer has the old man and the new man living in conflict inside of them. How will a believer behave? It depends on who is in the driver seat at that moment, the old man or the new man. There are many condescending, ignorant “Christians” out there who demand change, outward signs, a new lifestyle, etc. from a believer on Jesus Christ in order to validate that person’s salvation. They say that a change must be visible, that a change automatically occurs and will be evident if salvation truly took place. If that were the case, there would have been no reason for the apostle Paul to tell believers how to live, because the change should have happened automatically. And yet, time and again, we find Paul instructing believers to live in a way that reflects their belief.
Colossians 3:1-10: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify (subdue) therefore your members (body parts, belonging to the flesh) which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
In the Scripture above, Paul said that believers are dead, while their lives are hid with Jesus Christ in God. What does this mean? The flesh is dead because of sin. The wages of sin is death, and the body must die, because sin is in the flesh, the old man. The new man, the spirit, is where the life of the believer is. When you look at a believer, all you see is the flesh. What you are actually looking at is death, because that body will die. The spirit is not visible to you, but rather is hidden away inside the person, and it is that spirit which will live on after the death of the flesh. Every believer is trapped in a body of death, but they are alive through the Holy Spirit and their “new man.” Because of this, believers are told to behave accordingly.
Galatians 5:25: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Ephesians 5:1-9: “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)”
The bodies of believers are as good as dead. If the body is dead, then why live to please it? Believers are alive through the Holy Spirit, so they should choose to walk in the Spirit.
Romans 8:8-11: “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. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken (make alive) your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
Let’s talk about the law of Moses. Do you know what the purpose of the law was/is? The law tells us what sin is, and it informs us that we are all sinners.
Romans 7:7-14: “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.”
Romans 3:19-20: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
Galatians 3:21-26: “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
The law could never give life, because no one can obey the law. The law is meant to lead people to Jesus Christ. We need Jesus because we break the law, and that is sin.
1st John 3:4: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression (violation) of the law.”
Breaking the law of Moses is sin, and sin is in the flesh. What chance do people have? If the very bodies that people are born into are sinful by nature, then how could a person ever keep the law and please God? It’s impossible. Some “Christians” out there seem to think that Jesus Christ came to earth to teach us how to live. That was never the case. Jesus Christ came down to the earth to present Himself to the Jews as their Messiah, but they rejected Him. Did Jesus fail? No. Jesus already knew that He would be rejected. There was a secret plan that Jesus came to accomplish. The sin problem had to be dealt with.
2nd Corinthians 5:21: “For he (God) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
1st John 3:5: “And ye know that he (Jesus) was manifested (appeared in a body of flesh) to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.”
1st John 3:8-9: “He that committeth sin (the old man, the flesh) is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested (in the flesh), that he might destroy the works of the devil (by sentencing sin in the flesh). Whosoever is born of God (the new man, the spirit) doth not commit sin; for his seed (the Holy Spirit) remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he (the new man, the spirit) is born of God.”
For Jesus Christ to deal with sin, He would have to be in the flesh, because that is where sin dwells.
1st Timothy 3:16: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
Romans 8:3: “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:”
God destroyed the works of the devil by condemning sin in the flesh. Sin has no power over the spirit, only the flesh. The flesh will die because of sin, but sin cannot harm the spirit of a believer. This is why Paul referred to the flesh as “the body of this death” (Romans 7:24).
Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death (for the flesh); but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (made possible when the Holy Spirit creates a spirit for the believer).”
Now, let’s contrast Adam and Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:12-14: “Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come (Jesus Christ).”
Adam sinned, and this brought about the death of the flesh. There was no death until the sin of Adam. Sin and death passed onto all of Adam’s descendents. Adam was created in the image of God, and he was a picture of Jesus Christ, who would appear later in the image of a man. Adam’s sin cursed his descendents. Jesus Christ later came to fix the problem. Let’s continue.
Romans 5:15-17: “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)”
That one sin of Adam has caused every person who ever lived to die. Meanwhile, the sinless life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ has given eternal life to many people. Because of Adam, one sin condemned everyone. Because of Jesus Christ, a countless multitude of sins are overlooked so that believers can be justified. The law does not justify people, and instead, faith in Jesus Christ justifies (Galatians 2:16). This is possible because Jesus fulfilled the law by becoming flesh and obeying the law so that others would not have to. Let’s keep it going.
Romans 5:18-21: “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Adam’s one-time disobedience has caused all people to be born as sinners. Jesus Christ’s life of obedience to God has caused believers to have their sins forgiven and their spirits deemed righteous. People inherit their flesh from Adam. Believers are given a spirit by the Holy Spirit, through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The dual nature of believers is because of the actions of Adam and Jesus Christ. This is where we get the war between flesh and spirit. The law is spiritual (Romans 7:14), and flesh cannot obey spiritual rules. Breaking the law is sin, and sin is in the flesh. Therefore, the law condemns the flesh. But the spirit is free from sin and condemnation because it is separate from the flesh, as it is born of the Holy Spirit. Again, Jesus explained this Himself.
John 3:5-7: “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”
If a person never believes in the Gospel of Christ, they are never born again. They have only been born once, and that birth created a body of flesh and sin that will die. Meanwhile, their natural spirit will go to Hell (Psalm 9:17) and await the second death, which is the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:14-15). A second birth is necessary if a person wants to avoid Hell and go to Heaven. The second birth creates a spirit that is free from sin. The second birth saves you from the second death.
Lots of “Christians” out there teach that you have to abandon sin in order to remain saved. This corrupt teaching made its way into the churches that were in Galatia. Paul wrote to the believers there and asked them some questions.
Galatians 3:1-3: “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”
Let me paraphrase the apostle Paul: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit by keeping the law of Moses, or by believing on Jesus Christ? Are you foolish? Do you think that what the Holy Spirit began inside of you is made perfect by your own corrupt, sinful flesh?”
“Christians” that believe their works play a part in their salvation are foolish. You may say this is name-calling, but this is what Paul stated. Look again at the following words of Paul:
Romans 7:18: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”
When Paul said that nothing good was in him, he made sure to make it clear that he meant in his flesh. Why is this important? Because Paul knew that the Holy Spirit lived inside of him, and the Holy Spirit is very good. But in Paul’s flesh, nothing good was to be found. Paul was a Jew, and before believing on Jesus Christ, Paul was very religious. After being saved, Paul learned that being religious is not the way to God, but rather it is through faith (Romans 9:31-32). Being religious is an outward show performed by the flesh, but what truly saves a person is the inside faith that results in righteousness, justification, and a spirit that will live forever.
Philippians 3:3-9: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more (because of Paul’s former religious ways): Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless (Paul believed that he kept the law). But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
There are many “Christians” obscuring the path to eternal salvation. They want you to believe that you cannot be saved unless you give up sin. This idea is nonsensical, and God Himself knows that. The flesh will never be free from sin. God condemned sin in the flesh so that believers have a way out. Have you ever spilled something on your shirt? Were you ruined because of this? No. The stain was on your shirt, and when you removed your shirt, the stain went along with it. Think of your flesh as a shirt. Your flesh is stained, but one day, your spirit will separate from your flesh, and the stain will be gone. Don’t let the sinless perfection crowd of “Christians” trouble you. They are placing confidence in the flesh. Place your confidence in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. God sent His Son, Jesus, to fulfill the law for you, and to condemn sin in the flesh. The law condemns unbelievers, but Jesus Christ dealt with the law for believers.
Colossians 2:11-17: “In whom (Jesus) also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened (made alive) together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances (the law of Moses) that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”
When Jesus Christ was hung up on that cross, He took the law with Him. The law still serves a purpose, because it gives the knowledge of sin. But the law does not give anyone righteousness.
Galatians 2:21: “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
Romans 3:21-18: “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
Believers receive righteousness for their faith in the Gospel of Christ. The sinless perfection crowd and the Lordship Salvationists don’t want you to know the truth: The person who believes on the Gospel of Christ is born again. You cannot undo a physical birth, and you cannot undo a spiritual birth. Can you change who your physical parents are? No. Likewise, once God’s seed (the Holy Spirit) is in you, you are a part of God’s family forever. What if you go out and act a fool and get into sin? You may be the black sheep of the family, but you are still in the family.
1st Peter 1:23-25: “Being born again, not of corruptible seed (human DNA, which results in sinful flesh), but of incorruptible (God’s seed, or the Holy Spirit), by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
The preceding passage of Scripture says that believers are born of incorruptible seed by the Word of God. What does this mean? Do you know who the Word is?
1st John 5:7: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
John 1:14: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
John 1:17: “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”
Jesus Christ is the Word. Jesus became flesh in order to fulfill the law of Moses in a body of flesh, condemning sin in the flesh. Because of the Word, or Jesus Christ, people can be born again, meaning they can be given a new spirit that will live forever and never face the second death. The apostle Paul referred to the law of Moses several times in Scripture as “the letter.” Look at the following three passages, each one contrasting the spirit and the letter, or the law.
Romans 2:28-29: “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”
Romans 7:5-6: “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members (body parts) to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”
2nd Corinthians 3:5-6: “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”
The law kills because it deems the world guilty of sin. The body, or the flesh, must die, while the spirit lives. Believers serve God in the spirit, not in the flesh. Believers serve God in the spirit, not in the keeping of the law, which is impossible due to the weakness of the flesh (Romans 8:3).
The sinless perfection crowd and the Lordship Salvationists don’t want you to understand this simple truth: Believers have a dual nature, a split personality, if you will. From the moment a person becomes saved, their life becomes a struggle of flesh versus spirit. Every moment is a battle. Who will win? That is up to each individual believer. Paul had the following advice:
Galatians 5:16: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”
Battles will be won and lost by both the spirit and the flesh, but ultimately, the war will be won by the spirit. The spirit is born by the Holy Spirit, which is the seed of God. God will not send what belongs to Him to Hell. A believer will lose his or her flesh through death, or if they are alive when the Rapture occurs, they will be directly transformed into a new body then. The spirit lives forever, but the flesh has an expiration date.
If turning away from sin could earn you God’s favor, God would not have needed to send His Son to die on the cross. Trust me, God didn’t go through with that plan without good reason. It was the only way, because people are sinners trapped in bodies of sin and death. When Jesus died on the cross, His flesh was all that died.
Luke 23:46: “And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.”
Jesus Christ said that His Spirit was in God’s hands. This is true of all believers.
John 10:27-30: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.”
While it is true that Jesus directed His earthly ministry toward the Jews, in the book of John, Jesus foretold of eternal salvation that would be available soon through faith in Him. Note the following:
John 7:37-39: “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”
The Holy Spirit would not be available until after the death of Jesus.
Hebrews 9:16-17: “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.”
Jesus Christ had to die so that the New Testament could begin. The Old Testament was based on the law of Moses. The New Testament is based on the grace of God. Through God’s grace, given in exchange for belief in the Gospel of Christ, people can receive the Holy Spirit rather than the spirit of the world.
1st Corinthians 2:12-14: “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Believers do not have the spirit of this world, and I suspect that this spirit belongs to Satan. Satan is “the god of this world” (2nd Corinthians 4:4), and so it would make perfect sense for his spirit to be in the world. The “natural man” is the same thing as the “old man.” Flesh is natural to each person, being the original state everyone is born into. A person who has not been born again cannot understand the ways of God, because all of it is foolishness to the unsaved person. The Holy Spirit is needed in order to understand things related to God, because God is spiritual.
Recall the apparent contradiction we set out to solve:
Now you know the truth. The believer on Jesus Christ has been born again. The second birth is a spiritual birth, when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside the believer and creates a new spirit for that individual. This spirit does not sin, but the flesh of the believer continues to sin, because sin lives in the flesh. God does not record the sins of the flesh, because the believer has been born again spiritually. Sin was condemned, or sentenced, in the flesh, so a believer’s spirit is free from the stain of sin.
There are many "Christian" churches, websites, etc. out there who will not teach the doctrines contained in this article. They teach that sin in a believer's life is evidence that salvation never occurred. A believer who wants to be sure of his or her salvation, but who has sin present in their life, will be told that they need to get saved. That person will try to repeat their salvation experience, but the sin does not go away. They are told to get saved again. And again. And again, until it works. And round and round it goes. These "Christians" out there who accept no sin in the believer's life do not offer real answers or solutions. They just keep going around in circles, and they do not teach people how to truly be saved or have any sense of true security. They are double-talkers, saying that God saves the believer, when in reality, they teach that God only saves people who stop sinning. The Bible teaches that God saves everyone who believes in the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son. Don't get caught up in the insecurities that the modern "Christian" community wants to inflict on you. Believe on the work of Jesus Christ, and trust God to do what He promised He would. Don't expect the sin in your life to disappear. It never will, though you can choose to walk in the Spirit and see a decrease. As long as you are living in a body of flesh, sin will be present with you. You won't find this doctrine coming from many "Christian" organizations, but it is the Bible truth.
Now that you understand the relationship between flesh and spirit, you understand why salvation is secure for the believer, because salvation is not dependent on what the flesh does or does not do. The topic of flesh and spirit is a subject that can go in many directions. If you would like to learn more, then continue reading.
I’m excited about this article. I’m fired up. Why? In this article, we’re going to cover some incredible material, and this material will tie into the main and most important subject of this website: Eternal salvation. How do we get it, and how do we know we won’t lose it? We get it by believing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Lots of people will give you lots of different answers on how to be saved, but during this age (the age of God’s grace), the Gospel of Christ is the only way that works. Lots of people don’t know how to rightly divide the Bible. Many people want to look to the teachings of Jesus Christ to find out how to be saved. This causes serious problems for people who don’t understand Scripture.
Jesus Christ came to the earth to present Himself to the Jews as the Messiah they were promised would come. Jesus dealt only with the Jews (Matthew 15:24), and Jesus told His disciples to go only to the Jews (Matthew 10:5-6). The message that Jesus and His disciples shared was the Gospel of the Kingdom (Matthew 9:35, 4:17, 10:7). This message was for the Jews because it was about the kingdom that had been promised to them. Had they believed that Jesus was the Messiah, here to set up His kingdom, then that kingdom would have commenced. Instead, the Jews demanded that Jesus be crucified (Matthew 27:20-23), being persuaded by their religious leaders. Jesus was Jewish, and He came to His own people, only to be rejected (John 1:11). Jesus was crucified and buried. Three days later, Jesus rose up and came out of that tomb. Jesus then spent forty days with His disciples. On the last day, the disciples had a question for Jesus.
Acts 1:6: “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?”
The disciples thought that Jesus had risen from the dead and returned to set up His kingdom, that Jesus was still focused on the Jews. But Jesus had other plans.
Acts 1:7: “And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”
Jesus returned to Heaven and sat down on the right hand of God (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 10:12). The disciples went to work telling the Jews about Jesus Christ, trying to convince them that they had rejected their Messiah, but they could still believe on Him (Acts 2-7). Stephen (chosen by the disciples in Acts 6:5) was brought before a council of Jewish, religious leaders, and Stephen testified of Jesus Christ to them. This did not end well for Stephen.
Acts 7:51: “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
The Jews became angry and led Stephen out of Jerusalem, where they stoned him. A very interesting thing happened before Stephen was taken out of the city. Stephen saw “Jesus standing on the right hand of God”. Jesus was sitting down on the right hand of God. When Stephen was testifying of Jesus to the council of Jews, this was the last chance for the Jews. Jesus stood up from His seat, ready to return to the earth and set up His kingdom, if only the Jews would finally accept Him. But as the story went, the Jews killed Stephen, and Jesus sat back down. Skip ahead one chapter in Acts, and what happens? Saul, a Jew and a Pharisee, who was there when Stephen was killed, and who was persecuting believers on Jesus Christ, had a personal encounter with Jesus. God had watched the Jews kill His Son, and He had watched as they continued to reject Jesus. With the death of Stephen, God said “That’s it. You had your chance.” God put His plan for the Jews on hold, and Saul was chosen for a very special ministry, one directed at the Gentiles (non Jews). Jesus stated this in Acts 9:15, and Saul (who became known as Paul) confirmed this in a number of verses (Romans 15:16, Ephesians 3:1, etc.). Someday, God will return to dealing with the Jews during the Tribulation. For now, God is dealing with the Gentiles (though Jews can come to God as well). This period of time can be called the age of grace, because God’s grace is what saves believers during this time (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 5:1-2). God formerly dealt with the Jews through the law, and God currently deals with the Gentiles and Jews through grace. The law came from Moses, while grace and truth came from Jesus Christ (John 1:17). I have written much more extensively about this topic in my “Dividing the Word” series. For now, understand that the apostle Paul is our teacher for this age, because the doctrines that apply to us in this age were given to Paul. A lot of what we are going to be looking at today was written by Paul, though not all of it.
There’s a very ugly brand of “Christianity” out there today, lurking all over the Internet. They condemn everyone for their sins, and they would have you believe that they themselves are living holy and sanctified lives, following in the footsteps of Jesus. There certainly isn’t anything wrong with using Jesus as a role model, but folks, none of us can ever measure up to such a high standard. And Jesus never expected us to either. First of all, the ministry of Jesus Christ was never about showing us how to live, which seems to be the belief of many “Christians” today. Again, Jesus dealt exclusively with the Jews during His time on earth. And furthermore, Jesus was not here to set an example, but rather to die for the sins of the world (1st John 2:2). The law of Moses was in place, and Jesus had to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17) so that the curse of the law would be done away with (Galatians 3:13). Because Jesus nailed the law to His cross with Him (Colossians 2:14), we are not under law, but under grace (Romans 6:15). The law does not exist to be obeyed, but rather to show people that they are guilty (Romans 3:19) and that they need Jesus Christ to save them (Galatians 3:24). The law gives the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20). If we did not know that sin exists, how would we know that we are sinners? The law is extremely important, but keep it in its proper place. The law does not have to be obeyed in order for a person to be or stay saved (Galatians 2:16). Righteousness comes by keeping the law (Philippians 3:9), but that righteousness will never be enough to save a person. The righteousness you need to be saved is the righteousness of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:25), and this is given to everyone who believes on Jesus (Romans 3:22). If the righteousness we need came from obeying the law, then Jesus Christ died for no reason (Galatians 2:21).
Ok, the foundation is laid. Now we can get into the real lesson. Look at the following:
1st John 3:8-9: “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”
This is the kind of Scripture that will be used by certain “Christians” to defend their condemnation of everyone who sins. Now let’s be fair. When you read that Scripture above, it certainly does seem to teach that if a person is sinning, then that person is not saved. We’re going to see why that’s not true, and what this passage actually teaches. But first, let’s break this down a bit further. The passage above says “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin”. Who is born of God?
1st John 5:1: “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.”
A person who believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God who was crucified, buried, and rose again, is born of God. No strings attached. If you believe, then you are born of God. So then is it true that believers do not sin?
“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”
It appears that way, but we must dig deeper. Consider the following:
1st John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
This verse was written to believers, as was the entire book of 1st John. Believers who say that they have no sin present within themselves are deceived, and the truth is not in them. So what are we left with? It looks like a contradiction:
- Believers on Jesus are born of God.
- Whoever is born of God does not sin.
- Believers have sin present in their lives.
How can a person be both born of God and a sinner at the same time? The answer is that a change takes place at the moment of salvation. I will explain what that change is, and we will solve this puzzle. But first, we must talk about “spirits.”
Proverbs 18:24: “The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?”
Proverbs 20:27: “The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.”
Every person has a spirit in them. Without a spirit, a body cannot live.
James 2:26: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
A body cannot function without a spirit. But what is a spirit? The spirit is hard to define, but we have a clue based on Scripture. The vast majority of appearances of the word “spirit” in the Old Testament were translated from a Hebrew word that meant “wind” or “breath.” In the New Testament, all but two of the uses of the word “spirit” came from a Greek word that meant “breath,” a “breeze,” or “a current of air.” (This information was taken from The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible.) Based on all of this, let me define what I believe spirit to be: It is the breath, the life force, the invisible energy that animates the body. This is why the body is dead without the spirit. A body without a spirit is like an electric appliance that is not plugged in. A spirit is like electricity. How did man get a spirit? God placed a spirit in man when He created the world.
Zechariah 12:1: “The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.”
Keep in mind the fact that “spirit” and “breath” are connected as you read the following verse:
Genesis 2:7: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
God formed the body of man out of the dust of the ground. But a body is just a shell without a spirit. So God breathed into that body, and that body received the breath of life. In other words, man was given a spirit. The word “breath” in the above verse was translated from a Hebrew word meaning “wind” or “breath.” Now consider the following:
Genesis 7:13-15: “In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.”
The word “breath” there came from that same Hebrew word that was many times translated as “spirit” in the Old Testament. Meanwhile, for those who did not get on the ark:
Genesis 7:21-22: “And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.”
All people and animals have a spirit, the force that keeps the body alive. At the time of death, the spirit leaves the body. What happened to Jesus Christ when he died?
Matthew 27:50: “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.”
The word “ghost” there was translated from the same Greek word that many times was translated as the word “spirit” in the New Testament.
So what is the point of this? Understand that every person has a spirit, or breath, inside of them, and a person’s spirit is what keeps their body alive. A spirit is natural, and it is given at the time of conception. God only breathed directly into Adam (and probably Eve), and after that, a spirit was automatically passed down to each new person. But did you know that there is another spirit that you must have if you want to go to Heaven when you die? The spirit you are given at the moment of conception cannot get you to Heaven, because that spirit was passed down from human parents. There is another spirit, one that comes from a greater source, and we will now identify that source. We will begin with one verse of Scripture taken out of context, and soon we will put it back into its context to fully learn what it was meant to teach.
John 3:6: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
Your physical body is made of flesh. Flesh is born of flesh. Your flesh was born from your mother. Meanwhile, Jesus taught that there is a spirit that is born of the Spirit. Notice the capital “S.” Who, or what, is “the Spirit”? This is the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:13: “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”
Ephesians 4:30: “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
When a person believes in the Gospel of Christ (the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus), that person is sealed with the Holy Spirit. That seal is in place until the day that Jesus Christ comes to redeem what He has purchased, which would be believers who were bought with the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28). Why is the word “spirit” capitalized in Scripture when referring to the Holy Spirit? Because the Holy Spirit is a part of God. God is part of a trinity: 1. God the Father, 2. Jesus Christ, His Son, God in the flesh (1st Timothy 3:16), and 3. the Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is a living entity, and thus the word “spirit” is capitalized in Scripture when referring to the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ Himself mentioned the Holy Spirit before the Spirit’s arrival on earth.
John 15:26: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”
John 16:13: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
Now that we have identified the Holy Spirit, we can proceed by putting our key verse into its proper context. One day, Jesus Christ stumped a Pharisee with a very strange teaching.
John 3:1-9: “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?”
A person must be born again to go to Heaven. A person must be born of water and the Spirit. But what does this mean? Let’s look at Jesus Christ. How was He born?
1st John 5:6-8: “This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.”
When a woman is about to go into labor, her “water breaks.” This is how a person is born of water. Then there is blood. Blood is passed on from parents to their children. Jesus received blood passed down from His mother. But Jesus did not have a human father. Because Jesus had God for His father, the Holy Spirit was passed down to Him. If a person wants to go to Heaven, they must be born the way that Jesus was, which was by water, blood, and the Holy Spirit. We are all born by water and blood, but how do we get that third component? We believe the Gospel of Christ.
Ephesians 1:13: “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”
Jesus received the Holy Spirit at birth because God was His father. Believers have two physical parents, so to obtain the Holy Spirit, a second birth is required. A believer has two births: The physical birth and the spiritual birth. The physical birth comes about by water and blood, and it produces the flesh. The spiritual birth comes about by the Holy Spirit, and it produces a new spirit. This spiritual birth is what Jesus spoke of when He said a person must be born again. At the risk of redundancy, let me spell it out very clearly:
1st birth: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh”. The woman’s body gives birth to a new body of flesh.
2nd birth: “that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”. The Holy Spirit creates a new spirit inside a believer.
This was what Jesus taught Nicodemus, who did not understand this concept. Understandably so, considering that this system was not yet in place because the Holy Spirit was not yet available to people. The Holy Spirit would not be given until after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (John 7:39), and the Holy Spirit arrived on earth on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). (I stated at the beginning of this article that it is a mistake to look at the teachings of Jesus to learn how to be saved. The books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke detail the earthly ministry of Jesus and how it was directed at the Jews. The book of John differs by sharing key teachings on eternal salvation, because John was written to help convince people to believe on Jesus, as stated in John 20:30-31. Jesus did teach about the coming method of eternal salvation, but many people go to the wrong books and try to use the wrong teachings, taken from a different time period and meant for the Jews.)
2nd Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
A believer is a new creature because he or she is no longer simply flesh and blood with the spirit of a person. There is a new spirit living inside that body, born of the Holy Spirit. Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit is placed inside as a seal. Now we are going to get into the real meat of this. Remember what we learned earlier?
1st John 5:1: “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.”
The person who believes that Jesus is Christ is born of God (the second birth). Every believer is a child of God.
Galatians 3:26: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
However, believers are still sinners.
1st John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
But God does not record the sins of a believer.
Romans 4:5-8: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”
How does God overlook a believer’s sins? Because sins come from the flesh, and the spirit is separate from the flesh.
Galatians 5:19-21: “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Everything the flesh produces is bad. The Holy Spirit produces the things which please God.
Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
The flesh and the Holy Spirit are at war with each other.
Galatians 5:16-17: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”
The flesh and the Holy Spirit must share space together, but they do not get along. The Holy Spirit lives inside of a person and gives birth to a new spirit. Believers have flesh and spirit. The spirit does not sin. A believer is still a sinner, but the flesh is the sinner, not the spirit.
1st John 3:9: “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”
God’s seed is placed inside of believers. Seed is DNA. You have the seed of both of your parents. This is where your flesh came from. If you are a believer, then you have God’s seed as well. This is the Holy Spirit. Your parents’ genes were physical, while God’s gene is spiritual. Jesus received the Holy Spirit because He was God’s Son, and believers receive this same Spirit through faith. The Holy Spirit creates a new spirit in believers. The spirit does not sin. The spirit cannot sin, because sin is a product of the flesh. Every believer has a spirit that is free from sin, passed down from God the Father, but a body that is sinful, passed down from physical parents. Your spiritual Father gave you a sinless spirit to save you from the sinful flesh your physical parents gave you. People are born sinners, while God is free from sin. Believers inherit a sin nature from their parents, but they receive a sinless nature (through the Holy Spirit) from God. This is why God’s seed protects the believer. A child of God, in a spiritual sense, cannot sin because God’s Holy Spirit is passed down through the second, spiritual birth, and God cannot sin. Thus the spirit does not sin, but the flesh does. The problem we have is with our flesh. Consider the words of the apostle Paul:
Romans 7:14-25: “For we know that the law (the law of Moses, Old Testament law) is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members (body parts), warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members (body parts). O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
Nothing good dwells in the flesh. Sin resides in the human body. There is a war going on inside of the bodies of believers. Look again at the following verse:
“But I see another law in my members (body parts), warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”
The apostle Paul tells us about the dilemma that believers face. In a believer’s mind, he knows that sin is wrong. The Holy Spirit lives inside each believer, and a believer should read the Bible in order to become more and more familiarized with the Word of God. If a person keeps their spiritual birth in mind, remembering that they are a part of the family of God, then with the mind, a believer knows that sin is wrong. But sin dwells in the flesh, in the very parts of a believer’s body. The eyes will look at what they should not. The ears will listen to what they should not. The mouth will speak words it should not. You get the idea. Believers have a serious struggle, because their bodies are made of flesh, and sin is in the flesh. The body desires to sin. As long as a believer is confined to a body of flesh, they will never be free from sin. This is the problem we all face, and this is why believers are still sinners. If you have a physical, human body, then sin is present with you. The only way to resist sin is to yield to God constantly.
Romans 6:12-13: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”
But the flesh will always be tainted with sin, and therefore, it can never properly serve God. Believers must serve God in a different way.
Philippians 3:3: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
Believers worship God in the spirit, and they should have no confidence in the flesh, because the flesh is sinful.
Romans 8:1-10: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 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. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”
A person who is not saved cannot please God, because they are living in the flesh. Believers “worship God in the spirit”, but the Holy Spirit must be inside of a person for this to even be possible. Now, a believer must choose every moment whether to walk in the flesh or in the spirit. Just because you live in the Spirit does not mean you are going to walk in the Spirit. This is not automatic, because God gave people free will.
Galatians 5:25: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Galatians 5:16-17: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”
Believers are under God’s grace instead of law (Romans 6:14), meaning that God is kind to believers even though they are sinners. Because God does not record sins to a believer’s record, believers have freedom to not constantly worry that they could lose their salvation because of committing sin, which is breaking the law of Moses (1st John 3:4). But believers should be careful not to use this freedom as a license to sin.
Galatians 5:13: “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.”
If believers are not careful, they may let their flesh take advantage of their freedom, and the flesh will do what it naturally does, which is to sin. What happens when we live in the flesh?
Galatians 6:7-8: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”
Walking in the flesh results in corruption. Understand this: A believer cannot lose salvation. Salvation is given freely by God through His grace. But walking in the flesh causes a person to corrupt themselves, not the spirit that was provided by the Holy Spirit, but rather the flesh. Consider the following:
1st Corinthians 5:1-13: “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”
A believer at the church in Corinth was having an open affair with his stepmother. This man was choosing to walk in the flesh, and he was being corrupted through this sin. The man was a believer, but he was doing nothing to stop his adultery. Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth, and he mentioned this man. Paul said that this man may face death, or “the destruction of the flesh”, but the man’s spirit would remain saved. The flesh is destroyed, because the flesh is where sin dwells. (Please note that this story of the adulterous man completely shuts down the popular theory taught by some “Christians” that a believer living in habitual sin cannot be truly saved. The Bible teaches that even habitual sin does not undo a believer’s salvation, though it is not recommended.)
Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
The flesh, or body, is cursed because of sin. The body must die.
Romans 7:24: “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
When a believer walks in the flesh, they find corruption. Walking in the Spirit results in rewards in Heaven.
1st Corinthians 3:10-15: “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon (works done in the Spirit), he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned (works done in the flesh), he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
The body, or flesh, of a believer will die, and works that are done in, or for, the flesh will be burned. But again, a believer’s spirit remains saved, because the spirit is free from sin. This is what many “Christians” do not understand. There is a duality that exists in believers on Jesus Christ. There is flesh, and there is spirit. A believer will remain a sinner as long as he or she remains in their body of flesh, because sin dwells in the flesh. The flesh is referred to as “the old man” in Scripture.
Romans 6:6: “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him (Jesus Christ), that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
The “old man” refers to the flesh. When a person believes on Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside that person, but that is not all. The Holy Spirit creates a way for believers to have a relationship with God by creating a new spirit for each and every believer. This spirit is called “the new man,” and it is only through the new man that a person can live the right kind of life and have fellowship with God. If the flesh, the old man, is against God and for sin, then the spirit, the new man, is for God and against sin. The following passage of Scripture explains that living through the new man, the spirit, produces better results than living through the old man, the flesh. Paul tells believers to put off the old man and put on the new man, kind of like changing clothes.
Ephesians 4:22-32: “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. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”
There are a lot of “Christians” out there who say that if a person is truly saved, that person will no longer live in sin, that there must be a change in that person’s lifestyle to prove that the person is indeed saved. These “Christians” do not understand what I am sharing in this article. Every believer has the old man and the new man living in conflict inside of them. How will a believer behave? It depends on who is in the driver seat at that moment, the old man or the new man. There are many condescending, ignorant “Christians” out there who demand change, outward signs, a new lifestyle, etc. from a believer on Jesus Christ in order to validate that person’s salvation. They say that a change must be visible, that a change automatically occurs and will be evident if salvation truly took place. If that were the case, there would have been no reason for the apostle Paul to tell believers how to live, because the change should have happened automatically. And yet, time and again, we find Paul instructing believers to live in a way that reflects their belief.
Colossians 3:1-10: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify (subdue) therefore your members (body parts, belonging to the flesh) which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
In the Scripture above, Paul said that believers are dead, while their lives are hid with Jesus Christ in God. What does this mean? The flesh is dead because of sin. The wages of sin is death, and the body must die, because sin is in the flesh, the old man. The new man, the spirit, is where the life of the believer is. When you look at a believer, all you see is the flesh. What you are actually looking at is death, because that body will die. The spirit is not visible to you, but rather is hidden away inside the person, and it is that spirit which will live on after the death of the flesh. Every believer is trapped in a body of death, but they are alive through the Holy Spirit and their “new man.” Because of this, believers are told to behave accordingly.
Galatians 5:25: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Ephesians 5:1-9: “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)”
The bodies of believers are as good as dead. If the body is dead, then why live to please it? Believers are alive through the Holy Spirit, so they should choose to walk in the Spirit.
Romans 8:8-11: “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. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken (make alive) your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
Let’s talk about the law of Moses. Do you know what the purpose of the law was/is? The law tells us what sin is, and it informs us that we are all sinners.
Romans 7:7-14: “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.”
Romans 3:19-20: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
Galatians 3:21-26: “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
The law could never give life, because no one can obey the law. The law is meant to lead people to Jesus Christ. We need Jesus because we break the law, and that is sin.
1st John 3:4: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression (violation) of the law.”
Breaking the law of Moses is sin, and sin is in the flesh. What chance do people have? If the very bodies that people are born into are sinful by nature, then how could a person ever keep the law and please God? It’s impossible. Some “Christians” out there seem to think that Jesus Christ came to earth to teach us how to live. That was never the case. Jesus Christ came down to the earth to present Himself to the Jews as their Messiah, but they rejected Him. Did Jesus fail? No. Jesus already knew that He would be rejected. There was a secret plan that Jesus came to accomplish. The sin problem had to be dealt with.
2nd Corinthians 5:21: “For he (God) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
1st John 3:5: “And ye know that he (Jesus) was manifested (appeared in a body of flesh) to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.”
1st John 3:8-9: “He that committeth sin (the old man, the flesh) is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested (in the flesh), that he might destroy the works of the devil (by sentencing sin in the flesh). Whosoever is born of God (the new man, the spirit) doth not commit sin; for his seed (the Holy Spirit) remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he (the new man, the spirit) is born of God.”
For Jesus Christ to deal with sin, He would have to be in the flesh, because that is where sin dwells.
1st Timothy 3:16: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
Romans 8:3: “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:”
God destroyed the works of the devil by condemning sin in the flesh. Sin has no power over the spirit, only the flesh. The flesh will die because of sin, but sin cannot harm the spirit of a believer. This is why Paul referred to the flesh as “the body of this death” (Romans 7:24).
Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death (for the flesh); but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (made possible when the Holy Spirit creates a spirit for the believer).”
Now, let’s contrast Adam and Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:12-14: “Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come (Jesus Christ).”
Adam sinned, and this brought about the death of the flesh. There was no death until the sin of Adam. Sin and death passed onto all of Adam’s descendents. Adam was created in the image of God, and he was a picture of Jesus Christ, who would appear later in the image of a man. Adam’s sin cursed his descendents. Jesus Christ later came to fix the problem. Let’s continue.
Romans 5:15-17: “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)”
That one sin of Adam has caused every person who ever lived to die. Meanwhile, the sinless life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ has given eternal life to many people. Because of Adam, one sin condemned everyone. Because of Jesus Christ, a countless multitude of sins are overlooked so that believers can be justified. The law does not justify people, and instead, faith in Jesus Christ justifies (Galatians 2:16). This is possible because Jesus fulfilled the law by becoming flesh and obeying the law so that others would not have to. Let’s keep it going.
Romans 5:18-21: “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Adam’s one-time disobedience has caused all people to be born as sinners. Jesus Christ’s life of obedience to God has caused believers to have their sins forgiven and their spirits deemed righteous. People inherit their flesh from Adam. Believers are given a spirit by the Holy Spirit, through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The dual nature of believers is because of the actions of Adam and Jesus Christ. This is where we get the war between flesh and spirit. The law is spiritual (Romans 7:14), and flesh cannot obey spiritual rules. Breaking the law is sin, and sin is in the flesh. Therefore, the law condemns the flesh. But the spirit is free from sin and condemnation because it is separate from the flesh, as it is born of the Holy Spirit. Again, Jesus explained this Himself.
John 3:5-7: “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”
If a person never believes in the Gospel of Christ, they are never born again. They have only been born once, and that birth created a body of flesh and sin that will die. Meanwhile, their natural spirit will go to Hell (Psalm 9:17) and await the second death, which is the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:14-15). A second birth is necessary if a person wants to avoid Hell and go to Heaven. The second birth creates a spirit that is free from sin. The second birth saves you from the second death.
Lots of “Christians” out there teach that you have to abandon sin in order to remain saved. This corrupt teaching made its way into the churches that were in Galatia. Paul wrote to the believers there and asked them some questions.
Galatians 3:1-3: “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”
Let me paraphrase the apostle Paul: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit by keeping the law of Moses, or by believing on Jesus Christ? Are you foolish? Do you think that what the Holy Spirit began inside of you is made perfect by your own corrupt, sinful flesh?”
“Christians” that believe their works play a part in their salvation are foolish. You may say this is name-calling, but this is what Paul stated. Look again at the following words of Paul:
Romans 7:18: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”
When Paul said that nothing good was in him, he made sure to make it clear that he meant in his flesh. Why is this important? Because Paul knew that the Holy Spirit lived inside of him, and the Holy Spirit is very good. But in Paul’s flesh, nothing good was to be found. Paul was a Jew, and before believing on Jesus Christ, Paul was very religious. After being saved, Paul learned that being religious is not the way to God, but rather it is through faith (Romans 9:31-32). Being religious is an outward show performed by the flesh, but what truly saves a person is the inside faith that results in righteousness, justification, and a spirit that will live forever.
Philippians 3:3-9: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more (because of Paul’s former religious ways): Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless (Paul believed that he kept the law). But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
There are many “Christians” obscuring the path to eternal salvation. They want you to believe that you cannot be saved unless you give up sin. This idea is nonsensical, and God Himself knows that. The flesh will never be free from sin. God condemned sin in the flesh so that believers have a way out. Have you ever spilled something on your shirt? Were you ruined because of this? No. The stain was on your shirt, and when you removed your shirt, the stain went along with it. Think of your flesh as a shirt. Your flesh is stained, but one day, your spirit will separate from your flesh, and the stain will be gone. Don’t let the sinless perfection crowd of “Christians” trouble you. They are placing confidence in the flesh. Place your confidence in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. God sent His Son, Jesus, to fulfill the law for you, and to condemn sin in the flesh. The law condemns unbelievers, but Jesus Christ dealt with the law for believers.
Colossians 2:11-17: “In whom (Jesus) also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened (made alive) together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances (the law of Moses) that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”
When Jesus Christ was hung up on that cross, He took the law with Him. The law still serves a purpose, because it gives the knowledge of sin. But the law does not give anyone righteousness.
Galatians 2:21: “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
Romans 3:21-18: “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
Believers receive righteousness for their faith in the Gospel of Christ. The sinless perfection crowd and the Lordship Salvationists don’t want you to know the truth: The person who believes on the Gospel of Christ is born again. You cannot undo a physical birth, and you cannot undo a spiritual birth. Can you change who your physical parents are? No. Likewise, once God’s seed (the Holy Spirit) is in you, you are a part of God’s family forever. What if you go out and act a fool and get into sin? You may be the black sheep of the family, but you are still in the family.
1st Peter 1:23-25: “Being born again, not of corruptible seed (human DNA, which results in sinful flesh), but of incorruptible (God’s seed, or the Holy Spirit), by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
The preceding passage of Scripture says that believers are born of incorruptible seed by the Word of God. What does this mean? Do you know who the Word is?
1st John 5:7: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
John 1:14: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
John 1:17: “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”
Jesus Christ is the Word. Jesus became flesh in order to fulfill the law of Moses in a body of flesh, condemning sin in the flesh. Because of the Word, or Jesus Christ, people can be born again, meaning they can be given a new spirit that will live forever and never face the second death. The apostle Paul referred to the law of Moses several times in Scripture as “the letter.” Look at the following three passages, each one contrasting the spirit and the letter, or the law.
Romans 2:28-29: “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”
Romans 7:5-6: “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members (body parts) to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”
2nd Corinthians 3:5-6: “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”
The law kills because it deems the world guilty of sin. The body, or the flesh, must die, while the spirit lives. Believers serve God in the spirit, not in the flesh. Believers serve God in the spirit, not in the keeping of the law, which is impossible due to the weakness of the flesh (Romans 8:3).
The sinless perfection crowd and the Lordship Salvationists don’t want you to understand this simple truth: Believers have a dual nature, a split personality, if you will. From the moment a person becomes saved, their life becomes a struggle of flesh versus spirit. Every moment is a battle. Who will win? That is up to each individual believer. Paul had the following advice:
Galatians 5:16: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”
Battles will be won and lost by both the spirit and the flesh, but ultimately, the war will be won by the spirit. The spirit is born by the Holy Spirit, which is the seed of God. God will not send what belongs to Him to Hell. A believer will lose his or her flesh through death, or if they are alive when the Rapture occurs, they will be directly transformed into a new body then. The spirit lives forever, but the flesh has an expiration date.
If turning away from sin could earn you God’s favor, God would not have needed to send His Son to die on the cross. Trust me, God didn’t go through with that plan without good reason. It was the only way, because people are sinners trapped in bodies of sin and death. When Jesus died on the cross, His flesh was all that died.
Luke 23:46: “And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.”
Jesus Christ said that His Spirit was in God’s hands. This is true of all believers.
John 10:27-30: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.”
While it is true that Jesus directed His earthly ministry toward the Jews, in the book of John, Jesus foretold of eternal salvation that would be available soon through faith in Him. Note the following:
John 7:37-39: “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”
The Holy Spirit would not be available until after the death of Jesus.
Hebrews 9:16-17: “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.”
Jesus Christ had to die so that the New Testament could begin. The Old Testament was based on the law of Moses. The New Testament is based on the grace of God. Through God’s grace, given in exchange for belief in the Gospel of Christ, people can receive the Holy Spirit rather than the spirit of the world.
1st Corinthians 2:12-14: “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Believers do not have the spirit of this world, and I suspect that this spirit belongs to Satan. Satan is “the god of this world” (2nd Corinthians 4:4), and so it would make perfect sense for his spirit to be in the world. The “natural man” is the same thing as the “old man.” Flesh is natural to each person, being the original state everyone is born into. A person who has not been born again cannot understand the ways of God, because all of it is foolishness to the unsaved person. The Holy Spirit is needed in order to understand things related to God, because God is spiritual.
Recall the apparent contradiction we set out to solve:
- Believers on Jesus are born of God.
- Whoever is born of God does not sin.
- Believers have sin present in their lives.
Now you know the truth. The believer on Jesus Christ has been born again. The second birth is a spiritual birth, when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside the believer and creates a new spirit for that individual. This spirit does not sin, but the flesh of the believer continues to sin, because sin lives in the flesh. God does not record the sins of the flesh, because the believer has been born again spiritually. Sin was condemned, or sentenced, in the flesh, so a believer’s spirit is free from the stain of sin.
There are many "Christian" churches, websites, etc. out there who will not teach the doctrines contained in this article. They teach that sin in a believer's life is evidence that salvation never occurred. A believer who wants to be sure of his or her salvation, but who has sin present in their life, will be told that they need to get saved. That person will try to repeat their salvation experience, but the sin does not go away. They are told to get saved again. And again. And again, until it works. And round and round it goes. These "Christians" out there who accept no sin in the believer's life do not offer real answers or solutions. They just keep going around in circles, and they do not teach people how to truly be saved or have any sense of true security. They are double-talkers, saying that God saves the believer, when in reality, they teach that God only saves people who stop sinning. The Bible teaches that God saves everyone who believes in the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son. Don't get caught up in the insecurities that the modern "Christian" community wants to inflict on you. Believe on the work of Jesus Christ, and trust God to do what He promised He would. Don't expect the sin in your life to disappear. It never will, though you can choose to walk in the Spirit and see a decrease. As long as you are living in a body of flesh, sin will be present with you. You won't find this doctrine coming from many "Christian" organizations, but it is the Bible truth.
Now that you understand the relationship between flesh and spirit, you understand why salvation is secure for the believer, because salvation is not dependent on what the flesh does or does not do. The topic of flesh and spirit is a subject that can go in many directions. If you would like to learn more, then continue reading.
What is a soul?
The Bible tells us that the spirit is not the same thing as the soul. Though these two things may be easy to confuse and mistake for each other, they are actually separate.
Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged 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.”
1st Thessalonians 5:23: “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
So what is the difference between spirit and soul? We previously learned that the spirit is the breath of life, the life force within a person. What then is the soul? This is going to get a little tricky, so bear with me.
Genesis 2:7: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
Think of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. When God created man, God breathed into man, giving man the breath of life. When man received the breath of life, which became the spirit of man, he became a living soul, according to the Bible. The Bible does not say explicitly that animals have souls. However, consider the following, taken from the story of Noah and the Flood:
Genesis 7:14-15: “They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.”
When the first man was given the breath of life, he became a living soul. Animals are also said to have the breath of life in them. This means animals at least have spirits. Consider also the following, which describes some events which will take place during the Tribulation:
Revelation 8:8-9: “And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.”
One third of the sea becomes blood, and the creatures that live in that part of the sea die. Why is this important? Look at the following:
Revelation 16:1-4: “And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.”
Here, God curses the entire sea. The Bible says that because of this, every living soul in the sea dies. It is not said that people are killed by the sea. If this were true, then there would be no need for the angels to keep opening up the vials of God to punish the people of the earth. But those vials keep on going up to number seven. So when that angel pours out the second vial onto the sea, and every living soul dies in the sea, this clearly means every living soul that is in the sea dies. What lives in the sea? Not people. Fish, whales, sharks, you name it, if it lives in the sea, it will die. The first curse on the sea is said to kill off the creatures in that one-third part of the sea, while the second curse on the sea refers to these creatures as living souls. In this strange place of Scripture where you don’t expect to find it, the Bible tells us that animals have souls.
But again, what is a soul? Let’s look at another clue.
Leviticus 5:1: “And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity.”
Leviticus 6:2: “If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;”
Ezekiel 18:3-4: “As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.”
A soul can sin. Sin is in the flesh, but a soul can sin, while a spirit is never said to have the ability to sin in Scripture. So what is a soul? Every time the word “soul” was used in the Old Testament, it was translated from a Hebrew word that essentially meant “a breathing creature” or an “animal of vitality” (according to The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible). Vitality means “energy.” (This “creature” or “animal” is not to be confused with the actual body, which only serves as a physical case or home.) In the New Testament, each use of the word “soul” was translated from a Greek word that meant “breath.” So we see that spirit and soul have things in common. They are both invisible and comparable to breath or energy, and thus they both leave the body at the time of death, like a breath of air that is exhaled. Now let’s look at some Scripture verses that mention the soul.
Psalm 35:9: “And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation.”
Psalm 35:11-12: “False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.”
Psalm 42:6: “O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.”
Psalm 138:3: “In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.”
Proverbs 21:10: “The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.”
A soul can be joyful. A soul can be spoiled or downtrodden. A soul can be strengthened. A soul can desire evil things. So what exactly is a soul? A soul is the very essence of a person. The soul is who you are. Your body is just flesh, a home for the soul and spirit. What is your body without your soul? Without a spirit, the body is dead. Without a soul, the body is like an empty case, or a shell. The soul is the core being, the body is the frame, and the spirit is what powers the body. Your soul is who you truly are. The soul is where you experience feelings, where you hold your beliefs, where your personality is. The soul is where you truly exist. Do you understand? Your soul is the real you. Think of the hard drive of a computer. The hard drive holds all of the important information within the computer. That information is stored on the hard drive, and the hard drive can exist outside of the computer. Your soul can exist outside of your body. Your body will die someday because of the sin that dwells in it. But what will happen to your soul?
Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Jesus Christ said that a person should not be afraid of someone who can kill the body, but of him who is able to kill the soul.
Matthew 26:16: “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Jesus Christ asked what good it does a person who gains everything in the world (the desires of the flesh) if that person then loses their soul. The term “saved” is used often in Christianity. Now do you understand what it’s all about? The body will die. But what happens to the soul? Imagine throwing out a computer. All of the information will be lost if the hard drive is discarded. The soul is the essence of each and every person. The soul must be saved from destruction. How does the soul become saved?
Acts 16:30-31: “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
When a person believes on Jesus Christ, that person is saved. But more specifically, the soul of that person is saved.
Hebrews 10:39: “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”
1st Peter 1:9: “Receiving the end of your faith (in the Gospel of Christ), even the salvation of your souls.”
The body will die one day, but the soul, the very essence of a believer, will continue forever. Remember the computer? What if somebody had copied the information on that hard drive before the computer was thrown away? That information would live on in another format. A person’s information is contained in their soul, which is like a hard drive. The body, or flesh, contains the soul, like a computer contains a hard drive. When a person believes on Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit creates a spirit inside of that person. The soul is no longer confined to the body, because the soul is copied to the spirit. A computer’s information can be downloaded to another source and continue on. A person’s soul can be transferred from a body to a spirit, and the spirit will live on long after the body has expired. When God saves someone, He saves their soul, or essence, and He attaches that essence to a spirit. Everyone has a soul, just as everyone has a body. But what people need is a spirit that is provided by the Holy Spirit. This spirit will preserve the soul.
Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged 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.”
1st Thessalonians 5:23: “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
So what is the difference between spirit and soul? We previously learned that the spirit is the breath of life, the life force within a person. What then is the soul? This is going to get a little tricky, so bear with me.
Genesis 2:7: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
Think of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. When God created man, God breathed into man, giving man the breath of life. When man received the breath of life, which became the spirit of man, he became a living soul, according to the Bible. The Bible does not say explicitly that animals have souls. However, consider the following, taken from the story of Noah and the Flood:
Genesis 7:14-15: “They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.”
When the first man was given the breath of life, he became a living soul. Animals are also said to have the breath of life in them. This means animals at least have spirits. Consider also the following, which describes some events which will take place during the Tribulation:
Revelation 8:8-9: “And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.”
One third of the sea becomes blood, and the creatures that live in that part of the sea die. Why is this important? Look at the following:
Revelation 16:1-4: “And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.”
Here, God curses the entire sea. The Bible says that because of this, every living soul in the sea dies. It is not said that people are killed by the sea. If this were true, then there would be no need for the angels to keep opening up the vials of God to punish the people of the earth. But those vials keep on going up to number seven. So when that angel pours out the second vial onto the sea, and every living soul dies in the sea, this clearly means every living soul that is in the sea dies. What lives in the sea? Not people. Fish, whales, sharks, you name it, if it lives in the sea, it will die. The first curse on the sea is said to kill off the creatures in that one-third part of the sea, while the second curse on the sea refers to these creatures as living souls. In this strange place of Scripture where you don’t expect to find it, the Bible tells us that animals have souls.
But again, what is a soul? Let’s look at another clue.
Leviticus 5:1: “And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity.”
Leviticus 6:2: “If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;”
Ezekiel 18:3-4: “As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.”
A soul can sin. Sin is in the flesh, but a soul can sin, while a spirit is never said to have the ability to sin in Scripture. So what is a soul? Every time the word “soul” was used in the Old Testament, it was translated from a Hebrew word that essentially meant “a breathing creature” or an “animal of vitality” (according to The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible). Vitality means “energy.” (This “creature” or “animal” is not to be confused with the actual body, which only serves as a physical case or home.) In the New Testament, each use of the word “soul” was translated from a Greek word that meant “breath.” So we see that spirit and soul have things in common. They are both invisible and comparable to breath or energy, and thus they both leave the body at the time of death, like a breath of air that is exhaled. Now let’s look at some Scripture verses that mention the soul.
Psalm 35:9: “And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation.”
Psalm 35:11-12: “False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.”
Psalm 42:6: “O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.”
Psalm 138:3: “In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.”
Proverbs 21:10: “The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.”
A soul can be joyful. A soul can be spoiled or downtrodden. A soul can be strengthened. A soul can desire evil things. So what exactly is a soul? A soul is the very essence of a person. The soul is who you are. Your body is just flesh, a home for the soul and spirit. What is your body without your soul? Without a spirit, the body is dead. Without a soul, the body is like an empty case, or a shell. The soul is the core being, the body is the frame, and the spirit is what powers the body. Your soul is who you truly are. The soul is where you experience feelings, where you hold your beliefs, where your personality is. The soul is where you truly exist. Do you understand? Your soul is the real you. Think of the hard drive of a computer. The hard drive holds all of the important information within the computer. That information is stored on the hard drive, and the hard drive can exist outside of the computer. Your soul can exist outside of your body. Your body will die someday because of the sin that dwells in it. But what will happen to your soul?
Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Jesus Christ said that a person should not be afraid of someone who can kill the body, but of him who is able to kill the soul.
Matthew 26:16: “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Jesus Christ asked what good it does a person who gains everything in the world (the desires of the flesh) if that person then loses their soul. The term “saved” is used often in Christianity. Now do you understand what it’s all about? The body will die. But what happens to the soul? Imagine throwing out a computer. All of the information will be lost if the hard drive is discarded. The soul is the essence of each and every person. The soul must be saved from destruction. How does the soul become saved?
Acts 16:30-31: “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
When a person believes on Jesus Christ, that person is saved. But more specifically, the soul of that person is saved.
Hebrews 10:39: “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”
1st Peter 1:9: “Receiving the end of your faith (in the Gospel of Christ), even the salvation of your souls.”
The body will die one day, but the soul, the very essence of a believer, will continue forever. Remember the computer? What if somebody had copied the information on that hard drive before the computer was thrown away? That information would live on in another format. A person’s information is contained in their soul, which is like a hard drive. The body, or flesh, contains the soul, like a computer contains a hard drive. When a person believes on Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit creates a spirit inside of that person. The soul is no longer confined to the body, because the soul is copied to the spirit. A computer’s information can be downloaded to another source and continue on. A person’s soul can be transferred from a body to a spirit, and the spirit will live on long after the body has expired. When God saves someone, He saves their soul, or essence, and He attaches that essence to a spirit. Everyone has a soul, just as everyone has a body. But what people need is a spirit that is provided by the Holy Spirit. This spirit will preserve the soul.
What happens to animals when they die?
Have you ever wondered if animals go to Heaven when they die? I have. The Bible doesn’t give an answer to this question, so the best we can do is speculate. Let me offer you some thoughts.
Matthew 10:29: “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing (a Roman coin)? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.”
Luke 12:6: “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?”
Jesus Christ said that God was aware of when a sparrow died or was sold, that God did not forget about a creature that may seem to be so trivial to people. If God takes notice of what happens to sparrows on earth, does He then allow them to cease to exist at the time of death?
Proverbs 12:10: “A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.”
The Bible says that a righteous man considers, or cares for, the life of his animal. This could pertain to a farmer who keeps animals as part of his job, or a person who owns a pet. The idea is that one quality belonging to someone that God would consider to be a just or proper person would be that this person is kind to the animal or animals he possesses.
Psalm 145:17: “The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.”
God Himself is righteous. If a righteous man cares for his animals, then does the righteous Heavenly Father care for the creatures of His creation as well? Does God allow the animals that are a part of His creation to simply fade away when they die?
We have looked at how sin dwells in the flesh of people. Sin and death are passed down to each and every person thanks to the sin of Adam (Romans 5:12). When Adam sinned, death was introduced to the world.
1st Corinthians 15:21: “For since by man (Adam) came death, by man (Jesus Christ) came also the resurrection of the dead.”
God’s creation was changed after the sin of Adam. Sin and death arrived, the body of woman was altered to support childbirth, the earth began to produce thorns and thistles, etc. (These are just a few changes that took place, and they are mentioned in Genesis 3:16-19.) People need to be saved because they are tainted with sin. They are born into a corrupt state, and they need God’s salvation because of the curse of sin. Sin dwells in the flesh, and Jesus condemned sin in the flesh. But animals do not have the same flesh as people.
1st Corinthians 15:39: “All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.”
Now, we know that because of sin, people have to be saved so that their souls will go to Heaven rather than Hell. And as I said before, the Bible suggests that animals have souls (Revelation 16:3). Animals were never tainted with sin. Animals have a different flesh than people, and that flesh does not possess the curse of sin. So here comes the big question: If animals have souls, where do those souls go when animals die? Do those souls simply cease to exist? Or do they go somewhere? God designed Hell to be a place of punishment for sin, a holding cell until sinners are placed into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). Why would the souls of animals, who were never sinners, be sent to Hell? Animals would need no salvation because they are free from the curse of sin. So do their souls go to Heaven? The Bible does not give an answer, so at best, it is a possibility.
On the other hand, we have that verse we looked at earlier:
Revelation 16:3: “And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.”
We have determined that this verse is speaking of creatures that live in the sea. It is said that each soul dies, not just each body. A human soul can be saved from death.
James 5:19-20: “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”
James wrote his epistle to Jews (James 1:1). He told his Jewish brethren that if any of them made a mistake regarding the truth (the mistake was not believing on Jesus Christ, who was “the truth” in John 14:6), that the person who corrected the mistaken individual and caused them to believe on Jesus would “save a soul from death”. The souls of human beings can be saved. Does a human soul ever truly die? No.
Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
This verse is referring to the end of Jesus Christ’s 1,000-year kingdom on earth, but it holds a truth which we need to understand: The lake of fire is the second death. The first death is the death of the body, which is the result of sin. The second death, the lake of fire, is for the soul, but specifically, for the souls of unbelievers. Every human body will die. The souls of believers go to Heaven, while the souls of unbelievers go to Hell, where they await the lake of fire. For unbelievers, death does not result in a cessation of existence, but rather an eternity of torment.
Having established all of that, we must look again at that verse from Revelation.
“And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.”
Because the Bible does not say that each creature dies, but instead, every living soul, does this mean that the souls of animals cease to exist at the time of death? Animals have no need of the second death, the lake of fire, because they are free from sin. There would only be one death for animals, the physical death. When the Bible mentions the death of the souls of these creatures in Revelation 16:3, it does seem to suggest a permanent end. However, consider the following:
Ecclesiastes 3:18-21: “I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence (superiority) above a beast: for all is vanity. All (physical bodies) go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?”
Scripture compares people to animals here. People and animals both die, and people and animals both possess bodies which return to the dust of the earth after death. A question is then posed to the reader:
“Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?”
There are two ways to interpret this question:
Ecclesiastes 11:5: “As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.”
Sometimes I like to look at what others teach about Biblical topics I don’t fully understand or have not reached a conclusion about. The following is from biblesprout.com, with underlines added by me:
“Man was created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 2:26-27). Therefore, man is triune in nature–he possesses spirit, soul and body. He is a trichotomous being. On the other hand, animals possess body and soul, but not spirit. This would make them dichotomous beings.”
And here is another quote:
“Man has that third element of a trichotomous being discussed above–spirit. At his death, his spirit returns to God (Ecclesiastes 12:7). For man, it is either Heaven or Hell, depending on his own free choice to accept or reject the Lord. For animals, it is simply a case of them returning to dust (12:7).”
These excerpts were written by Dr. Elmer Towns. He claimed that animals do not possess spirits. What about “the spirit of the beast” mentioned in Ecclesiastes 3:21? Dr. Towns then claims that when animals die, they simply return to the dust of the earth, where they came from. This is partly true, because the bodies of animals do indeed return to the dust of the earth (Ecclesiastes 3:20). Animals were formed out of the ground (Genesis 2:19), but where did their spirits come from? They didn’t come from the earth. Animals have “the breath of life” in them (Genesis 7:14-15), just like people do (Genesis 2:7). The word “spirit” throughout Scripture is connected to the word “breath” (according to The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible). God breathed into the first man (Genesis 2:7), and this caused man to come to life, when a spirit was formed in him (Zechariah 12:1). God probably performed this step with the first animals also, since they were formed from the dust of the earth just like Adam (Ecclesiastes 3:20). Scripture says of man and animal that “they have all one breath” (Ecclesiastes 3:19). They have different flesh, but one breath. If God’s breath brought man to life, and animals are said to have the same breath as man, then did God breathe life into animals as well? If so, then the breath of God created spirits inside both man and animal. The bodies were formed from the dust of the ground, but the spirits are a different creation. Does an animal’s spirit return to the ground? I don’t think so. It never came from there. The spirit was given by God, and God determines where the spirit goes.
Ecclesiastes 12:7: “Then shall the dust (the physical body) return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”
Does this only apply to human spirits? Or are animal spirits included? I’m not saying one way or the other what I think happens to animals when they die. You will have to form your own opinion/belief on this subject. Just understand that it’s not as black and white as some people would have you to believe. Sorry, Dr. Towns. Thank you for playing, and better luck next time.
I would also like to mention the following verse:
Revelation 5:13: “And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”
From one of John’s visions in the book of Revelation, we find that there are animals in Heaven. Are these animals that were on earth? Or are they creatures specially created for Heaven? Perhaps even new creatures? I don’t know. But there are indeed creatures in Heaven.
Do animals go to Heaven, or is death the end of them? The Bible does not give an answer, so neither do I. Some people believe animals go to Heaven, while others believe that animals do not have souls and/or spirits and are gone once the body is dead. If you are a pet owner, then you probably know that animals have different personalities. They are not robots. They are like people in that they experience emotions and have moods. Factors like these suggest a soul. Plants are alive, but do they have souls? Do they have emotions and moods? Do they have the breath of life in them? No. Animals have something in common with people, which is the possession of a soul and a spirit, because they were both created by the same God. And don’t forget about that breath of life.
So what do I believe? I’m not fully persuaded one way or the other. I think there’s a chance that God has been preserving His creation for all of these years. I think believers may see their old pets and much more one day when they get to Heaven. If not, then we will just have to trust and accept God’s decision, because He is righteous.
Matthew 10:29: “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing (a Roman coin)? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.”
Luke 12:6: “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?”
Jesus Christ said that God was aware of when a sparrow died or was sold, that God did not forget about a creature that may seem to be so trivial to people. If God takes notice of what happens to sparrows on earth, does He then allow them to cease to exist at the time of death?
Proverbs 12:10: “A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.”
The Bible says that a righteous man considers, or cares for, the life of his animal. This could pertain to a farmer who keeps animals as part of his job, or a person who owns a pet. The idea is that one quality belonging to someone that God would consider to be a just or proper person would be that this person is kind to the animal or animals he possesses.
Psalm 145:17: “The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.”
God Himself is righteous. If a righteous man cares for his animals, then does the righteous Heavenly Father care for the creatures of His creation as well? Does God allow the animals that are a part of His creation to simply fade away when they die?
We have looked at how sin dwells in the flesh of people. Sin and death are passed down to each and every person thanks to the sin of Adam (Romans 5:12). When Adam sinned, death was introduced to the world.
1st Corinthians 15:21: “For since by man (Adam) came death, by man (Jesus Christ) came also the resurrection of the dead.”
God’s creation was changed after the sin of Adam. Sin and death arrived, the body of woman was altered to support childbirth, the earth began to produce thorns and thistles, etc. (These are just a few changes that took place, and they are mentioned in Genesis 3:16-19.) People need to be saved because they are tainted with sin. They are born into a corrupt state, and they need God’s salvation because of the curse of sin. Sin dwells in the flesh, and Jesus condemned sin in the flesh. But animals do not have the same flesh as people.
1st Corinthians 15:39: “All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.”
Now, we know that because of sin, people have to be saved so that their souls will go to Heaven rather than Hell. And as I said before, the Bible suggests that animals have souls (Revelation 16:3). Animals were never tainted with sin. Animals have a different flesh than people, and that flesh does not possess the curse of sin. So here comes the big question: If animals have souls, where do those souls go when animals die? Do those souls simply cease to exist? Or do they go somewhere? God designed Hell to be a place of punishment for sin, a holding cell until sinners are placed into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). Why would the souls of animals, who were never sinners, be sent to Hell? Animals would need no salvation because they are free from the curse of sin. So do their souls go to Heaven? The Bible does not give an answer, so at best, it is a possibility.
On the other hand, we have that verse we looked at earlier:
Revelation 16:3: “And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.”
We have determined that this verse is speaking of creatures that live in the sea. It is said that each soul dies, not just each body. A human soul can be saved from death.
James 5:19-20: “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”
James wrote his epistle to Jews (James 1:1). He told his Jewish brethren that if any of them made a mistake regarding the truth (the mistake was not believing on Jesus Christ, who was “the truth” in John 14:6), that the person who corrected the mistaken individual and caused them to believe on Jesus would “save a soul from death”. The souls of human beings can be saved. Does a human soul ever truly die? No.
Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
This verse is referring to the end of Jesus Christ’s 1,000-year kingdom on earth, but it holds a truth which we need to understand: The lake of fire is the second death. The first death is the death of the body, which is the result of sin. The second death, the lake of fire, is for the soul, but specifically, for the souls of unbelievers. Every human body will die. The souls of believers go to Heaven, while the souls of unbelievers go to Hell, where they await the lake of fire. For unbelievers, death does not result in a cessation of existence, but rather an eternity of torment.
Having established all of that, we must look again at that verse from Revelation.
“And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.”
Because the Bible does not say that each creature dies, but instead, every living soul, does this mean that the souls of animals cease to exist at the time of death? Animals have no need of the second death, the lake of fire, because they are free from sin. There would only be one death for animals, the physical death. When the Bible mentions the death of the souls of these creatures in Revelation 16:3, it does seem to suggest a permanent end. However, consider the following:
Ecclesiastes 3:18-21: “I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence (superiority) above a beast: for all is vanity. All (physical bodies) go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?”
Scripture compares people to animals here. People and animals both die, and people and animals both possess bodies which return to the dust of the earth after death. A question is then posed to the reader:
“Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?”
There are two ways to interpret this question:
- The spirits of people go up to Heaven, while the spirits of animals go downwards into the earth, where animals were originally formed from. The writer may be saying that we cannot see the spiritual realm, that we cannot see the spirits and where they go after death, reminding us that we don’t understand the ways that God operates because we are only human and cannot fully comprehend spiritual matters. Meanwhile, the writer may be telling us directly that there is a difference in human and animal spirits, and that animals do indeed cease to exist after death, their spirits going into the earth with their bodies.
- This question could be phrased in another way: Who knows whether the spirit of a man goes up, or whether the spirit of an animal goes down? This could be a valid interpretation, because not all spirits of people go to Heaven, but rather those belonging to people who were saved. (Keep in mind that the book of Ecclesiastes was written before the age of grace, the age when people could become saved and have their spirits go to Heaven at the time of death. Ecclesiastes is an Old Testament book, and during that time all spirits went downward to the earth. The saved and the unsaved alike went below to a place called Sheol, which we will address in more detail later.) Keeping this verse in the context of the Scripture it was taken from, which was meant to remind people not to think too highly of themselves, we arrive at a possible meaning for the question. Perhaps the writer was saying that because man has no superiority over animals, in that both must die, then why should a person assume that the spirits of people are treated better than the spirits of animals? How can a person know that the spirits have different destinations? If this is the case, an answer to the question is not given. Instead, we are to accept that we will never understand all the ways of God.
Ecclesiastes 11:5: “As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.”
Sometimes I like to look at what others teach about Biblical topics I don’t fully understand or have not reached a conclusion about. The following is from biblesprout.com, with underlines added by me:
“Man was created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 2:26-27). Therefore, man is triune in nature–he possesses spirit, soul and body. He is a trichotomous being. On the other hand, animals possess body and soul, but not spirit. This would make them dichotomous beings.”
And here is another quote:
“Man has that third element of a trichotomous being discussed above–spirit. At his death, his spirit returns to God (Ecclesiastes 12:7). For man, it is either Heaven or Hell, depending on his own free choice to accept or reject the Lord. For animals, it is simply a case of them returning to dust (12:7).”
These excerpts were written by Dr. Elmer Towns. He claimed that animals do not possess spirits. What about “the spirit of the beast” mentioned in Ecclesiastes 3:21? Dr. Towns then claims that when animals die, they simply return to the dust of the earth, where they came from. This is partly true, because the bodies of animals do indeed return to the dust of the earth (Ecclesiastes 3:20). Animals were formed out of the ground (Genesis 2:19), but where did their spirits come from? They didn’t come from the earth. Animals have “the breath of life” in them (Genesis 7:14-15), just like people do (Genesis 2:7). The word “spirit” throughout Scripture is connected to the word “breath” (according to The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible). God breathed into the first man (Genesis 2:7), and this caused man to come to life, when a spirit was formed in him (Zechariah 12:1). God probably performed this step with the first animals also, since they were formed from the dust of the earth just like Adam (Ecclesiastes 3:20). Scripture says of man and animal that “they have all one breath” (Ecclesiastes 3:19). They have different flesh, but one breath. If God’s breath brought man to life, and animals are said to have the same breath as man, then did God breathe life into animals as well? If so, then the breath of God created spirits inside both man and animal. The bodies were formed from the dust of the ground, but the spirits are a different creation. Does an animal’s spirit return to the ground? I don’t think so. It never came from there. The spirit was given by God, and God determines where the spirit goes.
Ecclesiastes 12:7: “Then shall the dust (the physical body) return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”
Does this only apply to human spirits? Or are animal spirits included? I’m not saying one way or the other what I think happens to animals when they die. You will have to form your own opinion/belief on this subject. Just understand that it’s not as black and white as some people would have you to believe. Sorry, Dr. Towns. Thank you for playing, and better luck next time.
I would also like to mention the following verse:
Revelation 5:13: “And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”
From one of John’s visions in the book of Revelation, we find that there are animals in Heaven. Are these animals that were on earth? Or are they creatures specially created for Heaven? Perhaps even new creatures? I don’t know. But there are indeed creatures in Heaven.
Do animals go to Heaven, or is death the end of them? The Bible does not give an answer, so neither do I. Some people believe animals go to Heaven, while others believe that animals do not have souls and/or spirits and are gone once the body is dead. If you are a pet owner, then you probably know that animals have different personalities. They are not robots. They are like people in that they experience emotions and have moods. Factors like these suggest a soul. Plants are alive, but do they have souls? Do they have emotions and moods? Do they have the breath of life in them? No. Animals have something in common with people, which is the possession of a soul and a spirit, because they were both created by the same God. And don’t forget about that breath of life.
So what do I believe? I’m not fully persuaded one way or the other. I think there’s a chance that God has been preserving His creation for all of these years. I think believers may see their old pets and much more one day when they get to Heaven. If not, then we will just have to trust and accept God’s decision, because He is righteous.
The image of God
The Bible teaches that man was created in the image of God, but have you ever considered what that truly means? What does each person possess? Body, soul, and spirit. Now consider the following, taken from the story of when God created man:
Genesis 1:26-27: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
Did you notice how God referred to Himself in the plural? Instead of God saying “Let me make man in my image, after my likeness,” God said “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”. In the next verse, we are told that “God created man in his own image”. Here, God is referred to in the singular. So who was God referring to when He said “us”? One of these was Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:12-16: “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”
Notice that Jesus Christ was said to be “the image of the invisible God”. We cannot see God, so He is invisible to us. Jesus came to the earth in the form of a human body, so we were presented with the image of God, because Jesus is God.
1st Timothy 3:16: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
John 10:30: “I and my Father are one.” – Jesus Christ
Continuing on, who else was God referring to when He said “us”? The Holy Spirit.
1st John 5:7: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
The “Word” there is another reference to Jesus.
John 1:14: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
The Bible says concerning God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, that “these three are one.” So God has a three-part nature. Once again, what does a person possess? Body, soul, and spirit. Do you see it now? I previously said that the soul is the true essence of a person. I believe the soul corresponds to God. The spirit obviously corresponds to the Holy Spirit. Remember how Jesus was said to be “the image of the invisible God”? You can’t see a soul or a spirit, but you can see a body. The body provides an image to that which is invisible. The body corresponds to Jesus Christ. So God said “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”, speaking to Jesus and the Holy Spirit. And that’s exactly what He did. Man was given three features that line up with God’s three-part nature.
God = soul
The Holy Spirit = spirit
Jesus Christ = body
Now, do you really want your mind blown? Consider this: What part of a person dies? The body. Which of those three parts that make up God suffered a death? That’s right. Jesus Christ. I said that the human body correlates to Jesus, and isn’t it ironic that it is the body that dies, and Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary. That’s either a crazy coincidence or it is yet another example of how God is the master planner on a level we cannot even understand.
Genesis 1:26-27: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
Did you notice how God referred to Himself in the plural? Instead of God saying “Let me make man in my image, after my likeness,” God said “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”. In the next verse, we are told that “God created man in his own image”. Here, God is referred to in the singular. So who was God referring to when He said “us”? One of these was Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:12-16: “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”
Notice that Jesus Christ was said to be “the image of the invisible God”. We cannot see God, so He is invisible to us. Jesus came to the earth in the form of a human body, so we were presented with the image of God, because Jesus is God.
1st Timothy 3:16: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
John 10:30: “I and my Father are one.” – Jesus Christ
Continuing on, who else was God referring to when He said “us”? The Holy Spirit.
1st John 5:7: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
The “Word” there is another reference to Jesus.
John 1:14: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
The Bible says concerning God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, that “these three are one.” So God has a three-part nature. Once again, what does a person possess? Body, soul, and spirit. Do you see it now? I previously said that the soul is the true essence of a person. I believe the soul corresponds to God. The spirit obviously corresponds to the Holy Spirit. Remember how Jesus was said to be “the image of the invisible God”? You can’t see a soul or a spirit, but you can see a body. The body provides an image to that which is invisible. The body corresponds to Jesus Christ. So God said “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”, speaking to Jesus and the Holy Spirit. And that’s exactly what He did. Man was given three features that line up with God’s three-part nature.
God = soul
The Holy Spirit = spirit
Jesus Christ = body
Now, do you really want your mind blown? Consider this: What part of a person dies? The body. Which of those three parts that make up God suffered a death? That’s right. Jesus Christ. I said that the human body correlates to Jesus, and isn’t it ironic that it is the body that dies, and Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary. That’s either a crazy coincidence or it is yet another example of how God is the master planner on a level we cannot even understand.
Soul vs. spirit
We’ve looked at how the spirit is the life force or energy inside of a person, and also how the soul is the true, invisible essence of a person. At times, Scripture seems to suggest that these two entities are interchangeable, such as in the following examples:
Proverbs 16:18-19: “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty (proud) spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.”
Proverbs 17:22: “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”
Psalm 77:3: “I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.”
Daniel 2:1: “And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.”
It would seem to make more sense for Scripture to refer to a soul being proud, humble, broken, overwhelmed, or troubled. I don’t understand why the word “spirit” was used in these examples instead, because it suggests that a spirit can experience the same things that a soul can.
Moving on, the Bible makes it clear that there are different kinds of spirits. Consider the following:
Numbers 5:14: “And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled:”
Isaiah 29:10: “For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.”
Hosea 4:12: “My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.”
There are different kinds of spirits that can affect people. This is never said of souls in Scripture. Every person has one soul, and there are no other souls that can enter into a person. A person can receive multiple spirits though. Believers on Jesus Christ in the New Testament receive the Holy Spirit, which God gave to whoever He chose in the Old Testament for whatever length of time He desired.
Ezekiel 11:5: “And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the Lord; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.”
1st Samuel 16:13-14: “Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.”
A person’s body has room for only one soul, and there are not different kinds of souls. There are various spirits that people can receive, most notably the Holy Spirit. Evil spirits and unclean (demonic) spirits exist as well, and a person can in fact contain more than one unclean spirit. Unclean spirits desire bodies to inhabit.
Mark 5:2-13: “And when he (Jesus) was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones (Self-mutilation is a sign of possessing an unclean spirit.). But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.”
So there are multiple spirits that can inhabit people, but not multiple souls. Another differentiation between spirit and soul is that the Bible never says that a spirit goes to Hell.
Proverbs 23:13-14: “Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.”
Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
For the unsaved person, their spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7), while their soul, or essence, goes to Hell to be punished.
These were just a few observations. Soul and spirit seem interchangeable at times in Scripture, but they are different entities.
Proverbs 16:18-19: “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty (proud) spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.”
Proverbs 17:22: “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”
Psalm 77:3: “I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.”
Daniel 2:1: “And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.”
It would seem to make more sense for Scripture to refer to a soul being proud, humble, broken, overwhelmed, or troubled. I don’t understand why the word “spirit” was used in these examples instead, because it suggests that a spirit can experience the same things that a soul can.
Moving on, the Bible makes it clear that there are different kinds of spirits. Consider the following:
Numbers 5:14: “And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled:”
Isaiah 29:10: “For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.”
Hosea 4:12: “My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.”
There are different kinds of spirits that can affect people. This is never said of souls in Scripture. Every person has one soul, and there are no other souls that can enter into a person. A person can receive multiple spirits though. Believers on Jesus Christ in the New Testament receive the Holy Spirit, which God gave to whoever He chose in the Old Testament for whatever length of time He desired.
Ezekiel 11:5: “And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the Lord; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.”
1st Samuel 16:13-14: “Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.”
A person’s body has room for only one soul, and there are not different kinds of souls. There are various spirits that people can receive, most notably the Holy Spirit. Evil spirits and unclean (demonic) spirits exist as well, and a person can in fact contain more than one unclean spirit. Unclean spirits desire bodies to inhabit.
Mark 5:2-13: “And when he (Jesus) was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones (Self-mutilation is a sign of possessing an unclean spirit.). But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.”
So there are multiple spirits that can inhabit people, but not multiple souls. Another differentiation between spirit and soul is that the Bible never says that a spirit goes to Hell.
Proverbs 23:13-14: “Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.”
Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
For the unsaved person, their spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7), while their soul, or essence, goes to Hell to be punished.
These were just a few observations. Soul and spirit seem interchangeable at times in Scripture, but they are different entities.
Evil spirits: Where are they from and what do they want?
(Some details contained in the following section slightly contradict things I stated in my article “Fallen Angels and Nephilim”. There are no major overhauls in my beliefs, but here, the details may be more finely tuned. The previously mentioned article is my oldest piece of writing on this website, hence why parts of it have become somewhat outdated.)
Sometimes, when one topic is addressed, it opens up another door, or multiple doors. Since I mentioned evil spirits, this may be a good time to ask the following question: Where do evil spirits, or demonic spirits, or unclean spirits, come from?
Some evil spirits came from God, as in the following cases:
Judges 9:23: “Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:”
1st Samuel 16:14: “But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.”
The Hebrew word ra‘ was translated as “evil” in those verses, and it simply means “bad.” In other places of Scripture, this Hebrew word was translated into words such as “distress,” “harm,” “hurt,” “misery,” “sorrow,” etc. The Hebrew word ra‘ came from another Hebrew word, ra‘a‘, which meant “to spoil,” or “to make (or be) good for nothing”. Thus we get an understanding of what God intended when He sent an evil spirit. These spirits were not evil as in a devil or something of a Satanic nature. They were spirits that were intended to cause harm, because sometimes God had reason to bring harm to people. The New Testament spoke of different evil spirits.
Luke 7:21: “And in that same hour he (Jesus) cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.”
The word “evil” there came from the Greek word poneros, which had various meanings such as “diseased,” “vicious,” “mischief,” “malice,” etc. This Greek word was translated in other places of Scripture as “bad,” “malicious,” “wicked,” etc. The evil spirits mentioned in the New Testament are not the same as the evil spirits God used in the Old Testament. Besides causing harm to people, these evil spirits in the New Testament that were cast out of people were wicked and malicious. Look at the following example to get more insight into what these evil spirits were.
Luke 8:2: “And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,”
The word “devils” there came from the Greek word daimonion, which meant “a demonic being”. This Greek word came from another Greek word, daimon, which is where we get the word “demon”. This word suggested a “supernatural spirit (of a bad nature)”. This woman named Mary had been healed of the evil spirits that were living inside of her when seven devils were cast out. Later on in Scripture, the Apostle Paul was able to cast out evil spirits as well.
Acts 19:11-12: “And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.”
Now, what about unclean spirits?
Mark 1:23-27: “And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.”
Unclean spirits were cast out of people, just as evil spirits were. The word “unclean” above came from the Greek word akathartos, which meant “impure” and suggested “demonic”.
Luke 9:38-42: “And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him. And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not. And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither. And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.”
Here, the unclean spirit was also called a devil, just as the evil spirits that came out of Mary. Now note the following passage of Scripture:
Matthew 12:43-45: “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”
The game is explained to us here. Unclean spirits are wicked spirits, and we previously learned that evil spirits are wicked spirits as well. What do these spirits want? They desire a place to live. Jesus Christ said that when an unclean spirit leaves a man, the spirit seeks rest but cannot find it. Do you remember how James taught that the body without the spirit is dead? The spirit leaves the body at the time of death. If evil spirits are searching for bodies to inhabit, then at what point did they become separated from their original bodies? Where exactly did evil spirits come from? Was God bored one day and said “I think I’ll create evil spirits and send them to earth to torment people”? No. It is true that God created Satan, but Satan was originally an angel, and he decided to fall, or rebel, when he was overcome with pride (Isaiah 14:12-14). Angels are spirits (Hebrews 1:7). So what are evil spirits? Are they the angels who decided to rebel with Satan? No. Those angels still reside in Heaven and will be cast out during the Tribulation (Revelation 12:7-9). Those angels currently have a home, meaning they are not roaming the earth and seeking homes inside people.
The Bible does not provide the origin for evil spirits. However, there is another book that does, and that is the Book of Enoch. Should we believe the Book of Enoch? The book is not Scripture, and there are several places where it seems to contradict Scripture. Despite these things, let’s briefly consider some background regarding this book.
My copy of the Book of Enoch was translated by R.H. Charles, and the following is from the introduction by R.A. Gilbert:
“The original text was in a Semitic language, most probably a combination of Hebrew and Aramaic, which was later translated into Greek. Early manuscript versions in all three languages, varying from fragments to substantial parts of the texts, have been found, but manuscripts of the Ethiopic translation are by far the most complete. They are, however, of a much later date –none are earlier than the fifteenth century- and the possibility of textual corruption has required detailed analysis of the text and careful collation with the earlier versions.”
A complete, original manuscript of the Book of Enoch has not been found in one single language. This means that the translations we have now were pieced together by comparing and joining multiple pieces of manuscripts. Copies of the Ethiopian translation were discovered and were the most complete, but they were from fairly recently in history, the oldest being from the 1400s. So there is the possibility that there are corruptions in those texts.
Here is some more from the introduction by R.A. Gilbert:
“The Book of Enoch dates from the second and first centuries before Christ and its Messianic content was utilized extensively in both the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, notably in the titles of the Messiah: Christ [the Anointed One], the Righteous One, the Elect One, and the Son of Man. In two places the last of these titles is in the context of what are virtually verbatim quotes from the Book of Enoch.
But Enoch had vanished from mainstream Christianity by 500 A.D. and it would be almost 1,300 years later before the book returned and scholars could once again appreciate its importance.”
The Book of Enoch was accepted by early Christians, but rejected later on for reasons that would require study. Was it rejected for valid reasons? Or was it part of a cover up? The following is from Wikipedia:
“The Book of Enoch was considered as scripture in the Epistle of Barnabas (16:4)[24] and by many of the early Church Fathers, such as Athenagoras,[25] Clement of Alexandria,[26] Irenaeus[27] and Tertullian,[28] who wrote c. 200 that the Book of Enoch had been rejected by the Jews because it contained prophecies pertaining to Christ.[29] However, later Fathers denied the canonicity of the book, and some even considered the Epistle of Jude uncanonical because it refers to an “apocryphal” work.[30]”
(Jude 14-15 quotes the Book of Enoch, which is what is referred to in that last statement. Jude was almost left out of the Bible just for referencing the Book of Enoch.)
The following is from gnosis.org:
“Significantly, the remnants of several almost complete copies of The Book of Enoch in Aramaic were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, and it is clear that whoever collected the scrolls considered it a vitally important text.”
The Dead Sea Scrolls were a collection of ancient texts found between 1946 and 1956. Forty percent were copies of texts from the Hebrew Bible. Thirty percent were texts dated from 530 B.C. to 70 A.D. which were not part of the Hebrew Bible, and this is where the Book of Enoch fits in. I bring this point up to make it clear that the Book of Enoch is indeed a very old text, and not a fake that came out in any recent period of time.
Some Christians firmly reject the Book of Enoch, calling it a forgery. Others accept it. The versions of the Book of Enoch we have now are not perfect, as stated before, because of them coming from multiple sources and not having access to complete, original manuscripts. The Book of Enoch was a part of early Christianity, and it is in fact still considered authentic and part of Biblical canon by Ethiopian Christians. So what do we do with the Book of Enoch? It’s a big, convoluted mess, and the answer is not clear. Here is what I suggest: Don’t treat the Book of Enoch as Scripture, but don’t reject it as lies either. Look at it with an open mind. If some part doesn’t line up with Scripture, reject that. If some part lines up with Scripture and does not contradict it, then consider that part. There are discrepancies between the Bible and the Book of Enoch (possibly due to corruptions in the text), but there are also some very important concepts taught in the latter book. We will be taking a section of the Book of Enoch quite seriously here, because it fleshes out one of the most important events in the Bible that the Bible itself does not tell us much about.
Let’s briefly cover the event that led to the Flood of the Old Testament, and first we will focus strictly on what the Bible alone tells us. In the second half of the first 1,000 years of the world, a group of angels, called the sons of God (angels are also referred to as the sons of God in Job 1:6, 2:1, and 38:7), lusted after human women. These angels came down to earth and chose wives, who they impregnated. The children of this union became giants, or Nephilim (an English take on the Hebrew word “nephiyl”). Immediately after this story is told in Scripture, the Bible says that man became very wicked, and God began to rethink His decision to have ever created man. God then sent the Flood to destroy every living person and animal save Noah, his family, and the animals that accompanied them on the ark. These are the facts.
Now, what does the Book of Enoch have to say about this subject? Two hundred angels, called Watchers, descended to the earth and landed on Mount Hermon in the days of Jared (Enoch’s father). This places the event sometime after the year 460. These angels had formed a pact with each other to go to the earth and take wives for themselves. These angels taught people how to make weapons, the use of early cosmetics, enchantments, astrology, the constellations, etc. In Enoch 69:12, we learn that one angel taught “the smitings (to strike or kill) of the embryo in the womb, that it may pass away” (abortion). Because of all of this, man was corrupted. Meanwhile, the half-human, half-angel hybrid children of the fallen Watchers began to consume everything because of their great size. (Researchers offer different calculations on the average size of one of these hybrid giants, ranging from 36 to 450 feet. And before you say that’s impossible and we shouldn’t believe such tall tales from a book that is not part of the Bible, let’s consider some Scripture.
Genesis 6:4: “There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.”
In the days leading up to the Flood, there were giants, born of fallen angels and human women. Scripture teaches that after those days there were giants as well. The problem seems to have resurfaced, though not as widespread as the first epidemic. So were these giants simply tall men? Or were they truly giant? Consider the following:
Numbers 13:31-33: “But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”
If you are as big as a grasshopper compared to someone else, then that person is quite gigantic in stature.
Amos 2:9: "Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath."
Cedar trees can grow to be 100-130 feet tall. Imagine a man of that stature. The Bible agrees with the Book of Enoch. There were some giants back in the day.)
So what happened? Continuing on with the account from the Book of Enoch, these giants turned on man and began to eat people. The giants even ate each other and drank the blood. There was much lawlessness and death occurring on the earth. (Ever wonder how the pyramids were built? They were probably designed by the fallen angels, who held secret knowledge from Heaven, and built either by the fallen angels or their giant children. The three pyramids of Giza line up perfectly with the three stars of Orion’s Belt, which is a constellation. The fallen angels taught astrology and constellations to men, and the fallen angels and their children were the only ones big enough and/or powerful enough to build the pyramids. Pyramids are scattered all over the world, some left buried underwater after the Flood. More than likely these structures are found throughout the world because the giants, when they later turned against each other, went off to form their own kingdoms all over the world, and they carried with them the teachings of the fallen angels. The idea that man built the pyramids is completely absurd and laughable. And the idea that aliens built them is ludicrous as well. Pyramids are leftover religious landmarks from corrupt societies founded by the fallen angels and/or their giant children.) So what happened next? God decided to take action, and He gave instructions to His chief angels. God first spoke out against Azazel, one of the Watchers, saying that “the whole earth has been corrupted through the works that were taught by Azazel: to him ascribe all sin.” God commanded His angels to “Bind Azazel hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: and make an opening in the desert, which is in Dudael, and cast him therein. And place upon him rough and jagged rocks, and cover him with darkness, and let him abide there for ever, and cover his face that he may not see light.” God then decided that the giants should battle each other and destroy one another. Next, God turned His attention to the rest of the Watchers, telling the angel Michael “Go, bind Semjaza and his associates who have united themselves with women so as to have defiled themselves with them in all their uncleanness. And, when their sons have slain one another, and they have seen the destruction of their beloved ones, bind them fast for seventy generations in the valleys of the earth, till the day of their judgement and of their consummation, till the judgement that is for ever and ever is consummated.”
Does the Bible support the idea of angels who were imprisoned underground and await judgment? Absolutely.
Jude 6: “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation (they left Heaven to come to earth), he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”
2nd Peter 2:4: “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;”
The word “hell” above is very unique in this particular verse. The original Greek word was tartaroo, from Tartaros, or Tartarus. According to Wikipedia, “Tartarus, in ancient Greek mythology, is the deep abyss that is used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as the prison for the Titans.” Who were the Titans? According to greek-gods.org, “The mighty Titans were a powerful race that ruled the world before the Olympians, in time of the Golden Age of men. They were immortal giants of incredible strength and knowledge of old religion rituals and magic.” According to crystallinks.com, “In Greek mythology, the Titans were a primeval race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia (Earth) and Uranus (Heaven), that ruled during the legendary Golden Age. They were immortal giants of incredible strength and stamina and were also the first pantheon of Greco-Roman gods and goddesses.”
An immortal race of giant, powerful deities versed in religion and magic? And they were imprisoned in Tartarus? Isn’t it funny how the Apostle Peter said that the angels who came to earth and mated with women were cast into Tartarus? Peter could have chosen another name for this prison, but he specifically chose Tartarus, the one time we find this place in Scripture. This connects the fallen angels to Greek mythology. Do you remember how God decided to turn the giant children of the fallen angels against each other? That’s probably where the stories of Greek mythology came from. (Funny how the Bible cannot be taught in public schools, but Greek mythology is taught. Is it all just fiction? People would have you believe the Bible is a book of fiction, and it is not welcome in public schools. Greek mythology is supposedly fiction, but what we see here is that it is actually rooted in reality. Does the public school system have an agenda when it comes to what they want children to learn about? Why is some fiction ok, while other fiction is not? But I digress.) So Hell was not the place for these fallen angels, because Hell was a holding place for the souls of lost people. The fallen angels were imprisoned in Tartarus, which is the same place as the Titans were condemned to. The Olympians were the children of the Titans, so they would represent the giant hybrids, or Nephilim.
Getting back to the main story, Enoch was chosen to take a message to the fallen angels, a message of damnation. They would never have peace or forgiveness, and they would watch their children murder each other. The fallen angels were trembling with fear and begged Enoch to write a petition to God on their behalf, because they themselves could not speak to God nor even lift up their eyes to Heaven. Enoch took the petition he wrote for the fallen angels and read it until he fell asleep. He was then given a vision, and God told Enoch that the fallen angels’ wishes were denied. God instructed Enoch to tell the fallen angels “You should intercede for men, and not men for you”. In other words, how dare these angels use a man to petition God. They were the Watchers. Their job was to watch over humanity, not to have man watch over them.
Was God too harsh on these fallen angels? Put yourself in God’s position. He had created the world just the way He wanted it. Then Satan came to earth and caused man to sin, resulting in a broken fellowship between man and God, and the introduction of death. Then later on, other angels descended to the earth, where they were not supposed to go, and tampered with God’s creation. These fallen angels mixed their DNA with the DNA of humanity, creating a hybrid race of children who were completely unnatural. As if this was not enough, the fallen angels then proceeded to teach man secrets he was not meant to know, causing man to become totally corrupt. The fallen angels had almost completely devastated the incredible creation of God, and then they had the nerve to send a man to God to petition their case. God made the fallen angels watch as their children killed each other, and then these fallen angels were imprisoned under the earth, where they await judgment. God chose to be harsh, and He had every right to do so. The fallen angels knew what they were doing/had done was wrong, and they did it anyway. In Enoch 6:3, Semjaza, leader of the fallen angels, said the following to his associates: “I fear ye will not indeed agree to do this deed, and I alone shall have to pay the penalty of a great sin.” Then the fallen angels swore an oath to go through with their plan. Semjaza knew he was plotting a great sin. They all knew. They deserved to be greatly punished for rebelling against God and ruining His creation in abominable ways. So the giants killed each other, the fallen angels were imprisoned, and the Flood destroyed the corrupt world that was left in their wake.
(A very interesting thing occurred before the Flood. In Genesis 5, as the lineage of Adam is covered, each son representing the next generation has the length of his life listed, and then the phrase “and he died.” There is one exception to the formula, and it occurs with Enoch.
Genesis 5:23-24: “And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”
Enoch never died. So what happened to him?
Hebrews 11:5: “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”
The word “translated” there means “to transfer,” “to transport,” or “to change sides.” Enoch was taken away so that he would not be present on earth for the Flood. Do you understand what this is a picture of? One day, the Tribulation will begin on earth, a terrible period of time leading up to the return of Jesus Christ. God has a plan to remove believers on Jesus Christ from the earth so that they do not have to experience this time of judgment. This plan is what we know as the Rapture. Believers on Jesus Christ who are alive when the Rapture occurs will be called up by Jesus to meet Him in the air, and then the Tribulation will begin on the earth. Some “Christians” out there don’t believe in the Rapture. Others believe the Rapture will occur at some time during or after the Tribulation. Those beliefs are derived from ignorance, faulty reasoning, and failing to rightly divide Scripture. The translation of Enoch shows us that the idea of a Rapture was used by God before, and He uses this incredible event to spare somebody of something terrible coming to the earth. Because of faith, Enoch was translated, and because of faith, believers on Jesus Christ, alive at the Rapture, will be translated.)
So why are we covering the topic of the fallen angels here? We were presented with the following question: Where did evil spirits come from? The Bible does not tell us, but the Book of Enoch offers an answer. Here is part of what God instructed Enoch to tell the fallen angels (underlines added by me):
Enoch Chapter 15: “And He answered and said to me, and I heard His voice: 'Fear not, Enoch, thou righteous man and scribe of righteousness: approach hither and hear my voice. 2. And go, say to ⌈⌈the Watchers of heaven⌉⌉, who have sent thee to intercede ⌈⌈for them: “You should intercede”⌉⌉ for men, and not men for you: 3. Wherefore have ye left the high, holy, and eternal heaven, and lain with women, and defiled yourselves with the daughters of men and taken to yourselves wives, and done like the children of earth, and begotten giants (as your) sons? 4. And though ye were holy, spiritual, living the eternal life, you have defiled yourselves with the blood of women, and have begotten (children) with the blood of flesh, and, as the children of men, have lusted after flesh and blood as those ⌈also⌉ do who die and perish. 5. Therefore have I given them wives also that they might impregnate them, and beget children by them, that thus nothing might be wanting to them on earth. 6. But you were ⌈formerly⌉ spiritual, living the eternal life, and immortal for all generations of the world. 7. And therefore I have not appointed wives for you; for as for the spiritual ones of the heaven, in heaven is their dwelling. 8. And now, the giants, who are produced from the spirits and flesh, shall be called evil spirits upon the earth, and on the earth shall be their dwelling. 9. Evil spirits have proceeded from their bodies; because they are born from men, ⌈⌈and⌉⌉ from the holy Watchers is their beginning and primal origin; ⌈they shall be evil spirits on earth, and⌉ evil spirits shall they be called. [10. As for the spirits of heaven, in heaven shall be their dwelling, but as for the spirits of the earth which were born upon the earth, on the earth shall be their dwelling.] 11. And the spirits of the giants afflict, oppress, destroy, attack, do battle, and work destruction on the earth, and cause trouble: they take no food, ⌈but nevertheless hunger⌉ and thirst, and cause offences. And these spirits shall rise up against the children of men and against the women, because they have proceeded ⌈from them⌉.”
The Book of Enoch tells us that evil spirits came from the Nephilim, the giant children of the fallen angels. These children were an unnatural creation. Angels were never meant to procreate, and when they mixed with humans, something new was created. People have body, soul, and spirit. Angels are called spirits in the above passage. When angels and human women produced children, what did these children consist of? We know they had bodies, and we know they had spirits, but nothing is said of their souls. These creatures were gigantic in size, a deformity caused by the supernatural, mixed breeding that created them. They were hybrids of two species never meant to be mingled. It is quite possible that these creatures did not have souls. When one died, all that was left was a spirit, and this spirit had no place to go. Hell was for the souls of lost people. So where did the spirits of the giants go? Nowhere. They were left on earth to roam, seeking new bodies since their original bodies were killed. And these spirits have a vendetta against people, because they came forth from human women. With this explanation in mind, reread the following:
Matthew 12:43-45: “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”
Jesus Christ described unclean or evil spirits as spirits that roam the earth seeking rest, and they inhabit human bodies when they can. Recall the following:
Mark 5:8-13: “For he (Jesus) said unto him (an unclean spirit that possessed a certain man), Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.”
These evil spirits wanted bodies to inhabit, and they caused serious harm to the swine, recalling how the Book of Enoch said that evil spirits would afflict and oppress.
So there you have it. Can we fully trust the Book of Enoch? No, but as I said before, compare it with Scripture and see what agrees/complements. The Book of Enoch gives us important details about the fallen angels, their giant children, what became of them all, and what led to the Flood. The Book of Enoch answers a question that the Bible does not by telling us where evil spirits originated from. They are from the hybrid giants, and they seek bodies to inhabit. Remember, a foreign soul cannot be placed into a person’s body, but a foreign spirit or spirits can, and evil spirits are homeless travelers. They are seeking homes, and they do not care if they wreck the homes that they move into, because they have a chip on their shoulders against people.
While we are here, let me point something out. Remember how the Book of Enoch was abandoned by mainstream Christianity by 500 A.D.? A possible reason why that occurred may have been that some people did not like what the Book of Enoch said regarding angels and the idea that they can choose to fall into sin. The following is from the book The Spirit World, written by Reverend Clarence Larkin and published in 1921:
“That the ‘Sons of God’ of Gen 6:1-4 were ANGELS was maintained by the ancient Jewish Synagogue, by Hellenistic Jews at, and before, the time of Christ, and by the Christian Church up until the Fourth Century, when the interpretation was changed to ‘sons of Seth’ for two reasons. First, because the worship of angels had been set up, and if the ‘Sons of God’ of Gen 6:1-4 were angels and fell, then angels might fall again, and that possibility would affect the worship of angels. The second reason was, that Celibacy had become an institution of the Church, and if it was taught that the angels in heaven did not marry, and yet that some of them seduced by the beauty of womanhood came down from heaven to gratify their amorous propensities, a weakness of a similar kind in one of the ‘earthly angels’ (Celibates) might be the more readily excused. In the Eighteenth Century the ‘Angelic Interpretation’ was revived, and is now largely held by Biblical scholars.”
The Book of Enoch (which tells the story of angels who fell into sin) seems to have been rejected around the same time that the idea of fallen angels mating with human women (taught by the Bible) was tossed out. Coincidence? I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe in connecting the dots. But you decide for yourself.
We’ve covered a lot of material here. How about a quick intermission and a few pictures? Remember how the fallen Watchers descended on Mount Hermon? Remember how the fallen Watchers taught man astrology? (The Bible suggests that angels have a connection to stars, but that is a topic for another time. Perhaps when fallen angels taught man to observe the stars, these angels were secretly teaching man to worship angels? Is that why celebrities are called “stars?” Celebrities are presented as beings to be worshipped, and there are masses of people who do just that. Star worship, anyone?) Take a look at the logo for the movie studio Paramount Pictures. Movies from this studio begin with stars that fly through the sky and congregate around a mountain. Could this be a representation of when the fallen angels arrived on Mount Hermon?
Sometimes, when one topic is addressed, it opens up another door, or multiple doors. Since I mentioned evil spirits, this may be a good time to ask the following question: Where do evil spirits, or demonic spirits, or unclean spirits, come from?
Some evil spirits came from God, as in the following cases:
Judges 9:23: “Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:”
1st Samuel 16:14: “But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.”
The Hebrew word ra‘ was translated as “evil” in those verses, and it simply means “bad.” In other places of Scripture, this Hebrew word was translated into words such as “distress,” “harm,” “hurt,” “misery,” “sorrow,” etc. The Hebrew word ra‘ came from another Hebrew word, ra‘a‘, which meant “to spoil,” or “to make (or be) good for nothing”. Thus we get an understanding of what God intended when He sent an evil spirit. These spirits were not evil as in a devil or something of a Satanic nature. They were spirits that were intended to cause harm, because sometimes God had reason to bring harm to people. The New Testament spoke of different evil spirits.
Luke 7:21: “And in that same hour he (Jesus) cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.”
The word “evil” there came from the Greek word poneros, which had various meanings such as “diseased,” “vicious,” “mischief,” “malice,” etc. This Greek word was translated in other places of Scripture as “bad,” “malicious,” “wicked,” etc. The evil spirits mentioned in the New Testament are not the same as the evil spirits God used in the Old Testament. Besides causing harm to people, these evil spirits in the New Testament that were cast out of people were wicked and malicious. Look at the following example to get more insight into what these evil spirits were.
Luke 8:2: “And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,”
The word “devils” there came from the Greek word daimonion, which meant “a demonic being”. This Greek word came from another Greek word, daimon, which is where we get the word “demon”. This word suggested a “supernatural spirit (of a bad nature)”. This woman named Mary had been healed of the evil spirits that were living inside of her when seven devils were cast out. Later on in Scripture, the Apostle Paul was able to cast out evil spirits as well.
Acts 19:11-12: “And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.”
Now, what about unclean spirits?
Mark 1:23-27: “And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.”
Unclean spirits were cast out of people, just as evil spirits were. The word “unclean” above came from the Greek word akathartos, which meant “impure” and suggested “demonic”.
Luke 9:38-42: “And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him. And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not. And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither. And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.”
Here, the unclean spirit was also called a devil, just as the evil spirits that came out of Mary. Now note the following passage of Scripture:
Matthew 12:43-45: “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”
The game is explained to us here. Unclean spirits are wicked spirits, and we previously learned that evil spirits are wicked spirits as well. What do these spirits want? They desire a place to live. Jesus Christ said that when an unclean spirit leaves a man, the spirit seeks rest but cannot find it. Do you remember how James taught that the body without the spirit is dead? The spirit leaves the body at the time of death. If evil spirits are searching for bodies to inhabit, then at what point did they become separated from their original bodies? Where exactly did evil spirits come from? Was God bored one day and said “I think I’ll create evil spirits and send them to earth to torment people”? No. It is true that God created Satan, but Satan was originally an angel, and he decided to fall, or rebel, when he was overcome with pride (Isaiah 14:12-14). Angels are spirits (Hebrews 1:7). So what are evil spirits? Are they the angels who decided to rebel with Satan? No. Those angels still reside in Heaven and will be cast out during the Tribulation (Revelation 12:7-9). Those angels currently have a home, meaning they are not roaming the earth and seeking homes inside people.
The Bible does not provide the origin for evil spirits. However, there is another book that does, and that is the Book of Enoch. Should we believe the Book of Enoch? The book is not Scripture, and there are several places where it seems to contradict Scripture. Despite these things, let’s briefly consider some background regarding this book.
My copy of the Book of Enoch was translated by R.H. Charles, and the following is from the introduction by R.A. Gilbert:
“The original text was in a Semitic language, most probably a combination of Hebrew and Aramaic, which was later translated into Greek. Early manuscript versions in all three languages, varying from fragments to substantial parts of the texts, have been found, but manuscripts of the Ethiopic translation are by far the most complete. They are, however, of a much later date –none are earlier than the fifteenth century- and the possibility of textual corruption has required detailed analysis of the text and careful collation with the earlier versions.”
A complete, original manuscript of the Book of Enoch has not been found in one single language. This means that the translations we have now were pieced together by comparing and joining multiple pieces of manuscripts. Copies of the Ethiopian translation were discovered and were the most complete, but they were from fairly recently in history, the oldest being from the 1400s. So there is the possibility that there are corruptions in those texts.
Here is some more from the introduction by R.A. Gilbert:
“The Book of Enoch dates from the second and first centuries before Christ and its Messianic content was utilized extensively in both the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, notably in the titles of the Messiah: Christ [the Anointed One], the Righteous One, the Elect One, and the Son of Man. In two places the last of these titles is in the context of what are virtually verbatim quotes from the Book of Enoch.
But Enoch had vanished from mainstream Christianity by 500 A.D. and it would be almost 1,300 years later before the book returned and scholars could once again appreciate its importance.”
The Book of Enoch was accepted by early Christians, but rejected later on for reasons that would require study. Was it rejected for valid reasons? Or was it part of a cover up? The following is from Wikipedia:
“The Book of Enoch was considered as scripture in the Epistle of Barnabas (16:4)[24] and by many of the early Church Fathers, such as Athenagoras,[25] Clement of Alexandria,[26] Irenaeus[27] and Tertullian,[28] who wrote c. 200 that the Book of Enoch had been rejected by the Jews because it contained prophecies pertaining to Christ.[29] However, later Fathers denied the canonicity of the book, and some even considered the Epistle of Jude uncanonical because it refers to an “apocryphal” work.[30]”
(Jude 14-15 quotes the Book of Enoch, which is what is referred to in that last statement. Jude was almost left out of the Bible just for referencing the Book of Enoch.)
The following is from gnosis.org:
“Significantly, the remnants of several almost complete copies of The Book of Enoch in Aramaic were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, and it is clear that whoever collected the scrolls considered it a vitally important text.”
The Dead Sea Scrolls were a collection of ancient texts found between 1946 and 1956. Forty percent were copies of texts from the Hebrew Bible. Thirty percent were texts dated from 530 B.C. to 70 A.D. which were not part of the Hebrew Bible, and this is where the Book of Enoch fits in. I bring this point up to make it clear that the Book of Enoch is indeed a very old text, and not a fake that came out in any recent period of time.
Some Christians firmly reject the Book of Enoch, calling it a forgery. Others accept it. The versions of the Book of Enoch we have now are not perfect, as stated before, because of them coming from multiple sources and not having access to complete, original manuscripts. The Book of Enoch was a part of early Christianity, and it is in fact still considered authentic and part of Biblical canon by Ethiopian Christians. So what do we do with the Book of Enoch? It’s a big, convoluted mess, and the answer is not clear. Here is what I suggest: Don’t treat the Book of Enoch as Scripture, but don’t reject it as lies either. Look at it with an open mind. If some part doesn’t line up with Scripture, reject that. If some part lines up with Scripture and does not contradict it, then consider that part. There are discrepancies between the Bible and the Book of Enoch (possibly due to corruptions in the text), but there are also some very important concepts taught in the latter book. We will be taking a section of the Book of Enoch quite seriously here, because it fleshes out one of the most important events in the Bible that the Bible itself does not tell us much about.
Let’s briefly cover the event that led to the Flood of the Old Testament, and first we will focus strictly on what the Bible alone tells us. In the second half of the first 1,000 years of the world, a group of angels, called the sons of God (angels are also referred to as the sons of God in Job 1:6, 2:1, and 38:7), lusted after human women. These angels came down to earth and chose wives, who they impregnated. The children of this union became giants, or Nephilim (an English take on the Hebrew word “nephiyl”). Immediately after this story is told in Scripture, the Bible says that man became very wicked, and God began to rethink His decision to have ever created man. God then sent the Flood to destroy every living person and animal save Noah, his family, and the animals that accompanied them on the ark. These are the facts.
Now, what does the Book of Enoch have to say about this subject? Two hundred angels, called Watchers, descended to the earth and landed on Mount Hermon in the days of Jared (Enoch’s father). This places the event sometime after the year 460. These angels had formed a pact with each other to go to the earth and take wives for themselves. These angels taught people how to make weapons, the use of early cosmetics, enchantments, astrology, the constellations, etc. In Enoch 69:12, we learn that one angel taught “the smitings (to strike or kill) of the embryo in the womb, that it may pass away” (abortion). Because of all of this, man was corrupted. Meanwhile, the half-human, half-angel hybrid children of the fallen Watchers began to consume everything because of their great size. (Researchers offer different calculations on the average size of one of these hybrid giants, ranging from 36 to 450 feet. And before you say that’s impossible and we shouldn’t believe such tall tales from a book that is not part of the Bible, let’s consider some Scripture.
Genesis 6:4: “There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.”
In the days leading up to the Flood, there were giants, born of fallen angels and human women. Scripture teaches that after those days there were giants as well. The problem seems to have resurfaced, though not as widespread as the first epidemic. So were these giants simply tall men? Or were they truly giant? Consider the following:
Numbers 13:31-33: “But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”
If you are as big as a grasshopper compared to someone else, then that person is quite gigantic in stature.
Amos 2:9: "Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath."
Cedar trees can grow to be 100-130 feet tall. Imagine a man of that stature. The Bible agrees with the Book of Enoch. There were some giants back in the day.)
So what happened? Continuing on with the account from the Book of Enoch, these giants turned on man and began to eat people. The giants even ate each other and drank the blood. There was much lawlessness and death occurring on the earth. (Ever wonder how the pyramids were built? They were probably designed by the fallen angels, who held secret knowledge from Heaven, and built either by the fallen angels or their giant children. The three pyramids of Giza line up perfectly with the three stars of Orion’s Belt, which is a constellation. The fallen angels taught astrology and constellations to men, and the fallen angels and their children were the only ones big enough and/or powerful enough to build the pyramids. Pyramids are scattered all over the world, some left buried underwater after the Flood. More than likely these structures are found throughout the world because the giants, when they later turned against each other, went off to form their own kingdoms all over the world, and they carried with them the teachings of the fallen angels. The idea that man built the pyramids is completely absurd and laughable. And the idea that aliens built them is ludicrous as well. Pyramids are leftover religious landmarks from corrupt societies founded by the fallen angels and/or their giant children.) So what happened next? God decided to take action, and He gave instructions to His chief angels. God first spoke out against Azazel, one of the Watchers, saying that “the whole earth has been corrupted through the works that were taught by Azazel: to him ascribe all sin.” God commanded His angels to “Bind Azazel hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: and make an opening in the desert, which is in Dudael, and cast him therein. And place upon him rough and jagged rocks, and cover him with darkness, and let him abide there for ever, and cover his face that he may not see light.” God then decided that the giants should battle each other and destroy one another. Next, God turned His attention to the rest of the Watchers, telling the angel Michael “Go, bind Semjaza and his associates who have united themselves with women so as to have defiled themselves with them in all their uncleanness. And, when their sons have slain one another, and they have seen the destruction of their beloved ones, bind them fast for seventy generations in the valleys of the earth, till the day of their judgement and of their consummation, till the judgement that is for ever and ever is consummated.”
Does the Bible support the idea of angels who were imprisoned underground and await judgment? Absolutely.
Jude 6: “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation (they left Heaven to come to earth), he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”
2nd Peter 2:4: “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;”
The word “hell” above is very unique in this particular verse. The original Greek word was tartaroo, from Tartaros, or Tartarus. According to Wikipedia, “Tartarus, in ancient Greek mythology, is the deep abyss that is used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as the prison for the Titans.” Who were the Titans? According to greek-gods.org, “The mighty Titans were a powerful race that ruled the world before the Olympians, in time of the Golden Age of men. They were immortal giants of incredible strength and knowledge of old religion rituals and magic.” According to crystallinks.com, “In Greek mythology, the Titans were a primeval race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia (Earth) and Uranus (Heaven), that ruled during the legendary Golden Age. They were immortal giants of incredible strength and stamina and were also the first pantheon of Greco-Roman gods and goddesses.”
An immortal race of giant, powerful deities versed in religion and magic? And they were imprisoned in Tartarus? Isn’t it funny how the Apostle Peter said that the angels who came to earth and mated with women were cast into Tartarus? Peter could have chosen another name for this prison, but he specifically chose Tartarus, the one time we find this place in Scripture. This connects the fallen angels to Greek mythology. Do you remember how God decided to turn the giant children of the fallen angels against each other? That’s probably where the stories of Greek mythology came from. (Funny how the Bible cannot be taught in public schools, but Greek mythology is taught. Is it all just fiction? People would have you believe the Bible is a book of fiction, and it is not welcome in public schools. Greek mythology is supposedly fiction, but what we see here is that it is actually rooted in reality. Does the public school system have an agenda when it comes to what they want children to learn about? Why is some fiction ok, while other fiction is not? But I digress.) So Hell was not the place for these fallen angels, because Hell was a holding place for the souls of lost people. The fallen angels were imprisoned in Tartarus, which is the same place as the Titans were condemned to. The Olympians were the children of the Titans, so they would represent the giant hybrids, or Nephilim.
Getting back to the main story, Enoch was chosen to take a message to the fallen angels, a message of damnation. They would never have peace or forgiveness, and they would watch their children murder each other. The fallen angels were trembling with fear and begged Enoch to write a petition to God on their behalf, because they themselves could not speak to God nor even lift up their eyes to Heaven. Enoch took the petition he wrote for the fallen angels and read it until he fell asleep. He was then given a vision, and God told Enoch that the fallen angels’ wishes were denied. God instructed Enoch to tell the fallen angels “You should intercede for men, and not men for you”. In other words, how dare these angels use a man to petition God. They were the Watchers. Their job was to watch over humanity, not to have man watch over them.
Was God too harsh on these fallen angels? Put yourself in God’s position. He had created the world just the way He wanted it. Then Satan came to earth and caused man to sin, resulting in a broken fellowship between man and God, and the introduction of death. Then later on, other angels descended to the earth, where they were not supposed to go, and tampered with God’s creation. These fallen angels mixed their DNA with the DNA of humanity, creating a hybrid race of children who were completely unnatural. As if this was not enough, the fallen angels then proceeded to teach man secrets he was not meant to know, causing man to become totally corrupt. The fallen angels had almost completely devastated the incredible creation of God, and then they had the nerve to send a man to God to petition their case. God made the fallen angels watch as their children killed each other, and then these fallen angels were imprisoned under the earth, where they await judgment. God chose to be harsh, and He had every right to do so. The fallen angels knew what they were doing/had done was wrong, and they did it anyway. In Enoch 6:3, Semjaza, leader of the fallen angels, said the following to his associates: “I fear ye will not indeed agree to do this deed, and I alone shall have to pay the penalty of a great sin.” Then the fallen angels swore an oath to go through with their plan. Semjaza knew he was plotting a great sin. They all knew. They deserved to be greatly punished for rebelling against God and ruining His creation in abominable ways. So the giants killed each other, the fallen angels were imprisoned, and the Flood destroyed the corrupt world that was left in their wake.
(A very interesting thing occurred before the Flood. In Genesis 5, as the lineage of Adam is covered, each son representing the next generation has the length of his life listed, and then the phrase “and he died.” There is one exception to the formula, and it occurs with Enoch.
Genesis 5:23-24: “And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”
Enoch never died. So what happened to him?
Hebrews 11:5: “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”
The word “translated” there means “to transfer,” “to transport,” or “to change sides.” Enoch was taken away so that he would not be present on earth for the Flood. Do you understand what this is a picture of? One day, the Tribulation will begin on earth, a terrible period of time leading up to the return of Jesus Christ. God has a plan to remove believers on Jesus Christ from the earth so that they do not have to experience this time of judgment. This plan is what we know as the Rapture. Believers on Jesus Christ who are alive when the Rapture occurs will be called up by Jesus to meet Him in the air, and then the Tribulation will begin on the earth. Some “Christians” out there don’t believe in the Rapture. Others believe the Rapture will occur at some time during or after the Tribulation. Those beliefs are derived from ignorance, faulty reasoning, and failing to rightly divide Scripture. The translation of Enoch shows us that the idea of a Rapture was used by God before, and He uses this incredible event to spare somebody of something terrible coming to the earth. Because of faith, Enoch was translated, and because of faith, believers on Jesus Christ, alive at the Rapture, will be translated.)
So why are we covering the topic of the fallen angels here? We were presented with the following question: Where did evil spirits come from? The Bible does not tell us, but the Book of Enoch offers an answer. Here is part of what God instructed Enoch to tell the fallen angels (underlines added by me):
Enoch Chapter 15: “And He answered and said to me, and I heard His voice: 'Fear not, Enoch, thou righteous man and scribe of righteousness: approach hither and hear my voice. 2. And go, say to ⌈⌈the Watchers of heaven⌉⌉, who have sent thee to intercede ⌈⌈for them: “You should intercede”⌉⌉ for men, and not men for you: 3. Wherefore have ye left the high, holy, and eternal heaven, and lain with women, and defiled yourselves with the daughters of men and taken to yourselves wives, and done like the children of earth, and begotten giants (as your) sons? 4. And though ye were holy, spiritual, living the eternal life, you have defiled yourselves with the blood of women, and have begotten (children) with the blood of flesh, and, as the children of men, have lusted after flesh and blood as those ⌈also⌉ do who die and perish. 5. Therefore have I given them wives also that they might impregnate them, and beget children by them, that thus nothing might be wanting to them on earth. 6. But you were ⌈formerly⌉ spiritual, living the eternal life, and immortal for all generations of the world. 7. And therefore I have not appointed wives for you; for as for the spiritual ones of the heaven, in heaven is their dwelling. 8. And now, the giants, who are produced from the spirits and flesh, shall be called evil spirits upon the earth, and on the earth shall be their dwelling. 9. Evil spirits have proceeded from their bodies; because they are born from men, ⌈⌈and⌉⌉ from the holy Watchers is their beginning and primal origin; ⌈they shall be evil spirits on earth, and⌉ evil spirits shall they be called. [10. As for the spirits of heaven, in heaven shall be their dwelling, but as for the spirits of the earth which were born upon the earth, on the earth shall be their dwelling.] 11. And the spirits of the giants afflict, oppress, destroy, attack, do battle, and work destruction on the earth, and cause trouble: they take no food, ⌈but nevertheless hunger⌉ and thirst, and cause offences. And these spirits shall rise up against the children of men and against the women, because they have proceeded ⌈from them⌉.”
The Book of Enoch tells us that evil spirits came from the Nephilim, the giant children of the fallen angels. These children were an unnatural creation. Angels were never meant to procreate, and when they mixed with humans, something new was created. People have body, soul, and spirit. Angels are called spirits in the above passage. When angels and human women produced children, what did these children consist of? We know they had bodies, and we know they had spirits, but nothing is said of their souls. These creatures were gigantic in size, a deformity caused by the supernatural, mixed breeding that created them. They were hybrids of two species never meant to be mingled. It is quite possible that these creatures did not have souls. When one died, all that was left was a spirit, and this spirit had no place to go. Hell was for the souls of lost people. So where did the spirits of the giants go? Nowhere. They were left on earth to roam, seeking new bodies since their original bodies were killed. And these spirits have a vendetta against people, because they came forth from human women. With this explanation in mind, reread the following:
Matthew 12:43-45: “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”
Jesus Christ described unclean or evil spirits as spirits that roam the earth seeking rest, and they inhabit human bodies when they can. Recall the following:
Mark 5:8-13: “For he (Jesus) said unto him (an unclean spirit that possessed a certain man), Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.”
These evil spirits wanted bodies to inhabit, and they caused serious harm to the swine, recalling how the Book of Enoch said that evil spirits would afflict and oppress.
So there you have it. Can we fully trust the Book of Enoch? No, but as I said before, compare it with Scripture and see what agrees/complements. The Book of Enoch gives us important details about the fallen angels, their giant children, what became of them all, and what led to the Flood. The Book of Enoch answers a question that the Bible does not by telling us where evil spirits originated from. They are from the hybrid giants, and they seek bodies to inhabit. Remember, a foreign soul cannot be placed into a person’s body, but a foreign spirit or spirits can, and evil spirits are homeless travelers. They are seeking homes, and they do not care if they wreck the homes that they move into, because they have a chip on their shoulders against people.
While we are here, let me point something out. Remember how the Book of Enoch was abandoned by mainstream Christianity by 500 A.D.? A possible reason why that occurred may have been that some people did not like what the Book of Enoch said regarding angels and the idea that they can choose to fall into sin. The following is from the book The Spirit World, written by Reverend Clarence Larkin and published in 1921:
“That the ‘Sons of God’ of Gen 6:1-4 were ANGELS was maintained by the ancient Jewish Synagogue, by Hellenistic Jews at, and before, the time of Christ, and by the Christian Church up until the Fourth Century, when the interpretation was changed to ‘sons of Seth’ for two reasons. First, because the worship of angels had been set up, and if the ‘Sons of God’ of Gen 6:1-4 were angels and fell, then angels might fall again, and that possibility would affect the worship of angels. The second reason was, that Celibacy had become an institution of the Church, and if it was taught that the angels in heaven did not marry, and yet that some of them seduced by the beauty of womanhood came down from heaven to gratify their amorous propensities, a weakness of a similar kind in one of the ‘earthly angels’ (Celibates) might be the more readily excused. In the Eighteenth Century the ‘Angelic Interpretation’ was revived, and is now largely held by Biblical scholars.”
The Book of Enoch (which tells the story of angels who fell into sin) seems to have been rejected around the same time that the idea of fallen angels mating with human women (taught by the Bible) was tossed out. Coincidence? I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe in connecting the dots. But you decide for yourself.
We’ve covered a lot of material here. How about a quick intermission and a few pictures? Remember how the fallen Watchers descended on Mount Hermon? Remember how the fallen Watchers taught man astrology? (The Bible suggests that angels have a connection to stars, but that is a topic for another time. Perhaps when fallen angels taught man to observe the stars, these angels were secretly teaching man to worship angels? Is that why celebrities are called “stars?” Celebrities are presented as beings to be worshipped, and there are masses of people who do just that. Star worship, anyone?) Take a look at the logo for the movie studio Paramount Pictures. Movies from this studio begin with stars that fly through the sky and congregate around a mountain. Could this be a representation of when the fallen angels arrived on Mount Hermon?
Hollywood doesn’t want you to believe the Bible is true. God, Jesus Christ, and Satan are just fictional characters, right? But did you ever notice how Hollywood steals concepts from the Bible? They even do it with the Book of Enoch. Let’s take just one name, Azazel (one of the worst of the fallen angels), and see what we can find.
In the 1998 film "Fallen," Denzel Washington portrays a detective on the hunt for a serial killer. He eventually learns that the true killer is not a person, but rather a demon working through people he has possessed. According to Wikipedia's page for the film, "Azazel is a fallen angel who possesses humans due to punishment from God."
In the 2006 television miniseries "Fallen," a teenage boy named Aaron Corbett discovers that he is a Nephilim. From Wikipedia: "It is revealed Aaron is the Redeemer of prophecy, a Nephilim with the ability to 'redeem' the fallen angels and return them to Heaven." Azazel shows up in the series when, according to Wikipedia, "A fallen angel known as Azazel is released from his prison by a shadowy figure, who enlists his help in 'aiding the Redeemer in fulfilling his destiny.'" In the image to the right above, actor Hal Ozsan portrays Azazel (the man with the long hair who is stooping down), and Bryan Cranston portrays Lucifer Morningstar (He is the man dressed in red on the left. Notice how he is forming an upside down triangle, or pyramid, with his hands. That symbol originates from ancient Egyptian religion and is very prevalent in Hollywood imagery. See my article "The Uncensored Truth About America" for further examples, as well as more evidence of Lucifer's, or Satan's, presence Hollywood.).
Azazel in the film "X-Men First Class."
The book on the right features one-eyed symbolism on the cover. See my article "The Uncensored Truth About America" for more examples of this and an explanation for what it means.
This woman claims that she is in touch with an entity known as Azazel. She made a pact with him, and she claims that demons are not the evil beings that we have come to believe they are. As you can see from the description of her video, this woman believes people can become their own gods or goddesses. This idea was first presented in the Garden of Eden, when Satan told Eve that she would become a god if she ate fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God had forbidden Adam and Eve to eat of the tree, telling them they would die if they disobeyed Him. Fooled by what Satan told her, Eve ate the fruit, and then she gave some to Adam as well. And true to God's word, death was introduced to the world. The idea that you can become a god is one of the oldest lies ever told. As for the woman in the video, she should stop talking to "Azazel." Remember how we learned that evil spirits desire bodies to inhabit? Looks like they found one. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised at all if evil spirits are influencing people in the entertainment industry, feeding their human hosts tales of themselves as well as of their parents, the fallen angels. Where do you think all of those demonic ideas in Hollywood come from? Do you think it's all just a coincidence? Is it all just harmless entertainment?
Before we wrap up this section, let’s take a look at a small passage of Scripture that is intriguing.
1st Peter 3:17-20: “For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.”
Jesus Christ went and preached to spirits that were in prison. These spirits were disobedient while God was being patient in the days of Noah leading up to the Flood. Who were these spirits? We will attempt to answer this through the process of elimination. Were they the fallen angels? No, because the fallen angels were buried alive and await judgment. They have no need of being preached to. Were they the spirits of the Nephilim? No, those became evil spirits left to wander the earth. So we are left with people. Were these spirits in prison simply from people who died from the beginning of the world on up through the Flood? No. Old Testament saints (people who were saved before the work of Jesus Christ) and the unsaved alike went to a place called Sheol in the Hebrew language. Sheol was translated in Scripture as “grave,” “hell,” or “pit.” Old Testament saints awaited the grave, or Sheol (Genesis 37:35, Job 14:13, Psalm 88:3). The unsaved of the Old Testament awaited Hell, or Sheol (Psalm 9:17, 55:15). Sheol was underground, and it was divided into two sections: Paradise, the section for the saved, and Hell, the section for the unsaved. Paradise was a place of comfort, while Hell was a place of torment (See Luke 16:19-26 for a brief mention of these two places and their connection to each other.). The Old Testament saints stayed in Paradise until the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and then these saints followed Jesus to Heaven (Ephesians 4:8-10). (A strange miracle tied into this event. When Jesus Christ died, an earthquake occurred, and the bodies of many saints came out of their graves. These bodies then came back to life after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as mentioned in Matthew 27:52-53, and they went into Jerusalem and were seen by many people. Perhaps this was a sign for the Jews, who require a sign according to 1st Corinthians 1:22.) The Paradise section of Sheol was emptied after the resurrection, while the Hell section will be emptied at the end of Jesus Christ’s 1,000-year kingdom (Revelation 20:13). A person’s fate was decided upon at death. Saved people went to Paradise, and unsaved people went to Hell. Neither group of people would need to hear preaching, because their fates were already sealed. And that brings us back to the subject at hand. When Jesus Christ was crucified, His body died while His Spirit (the Holy Spirit) descended into the ground (Ephesians 4:9, Matthew 12:40). Jesus told the believing thief on the cross that he would be in Paradise with Jesus that same day (Luke 23:43). So we know that Jesus went to the Paradise section of Sheol. But what about the “prison”? Hell is not called a prison in Scripture, though it essentially performs the same function, holding the souls of the unsaved until Hell itself is tossed into the lake of fire. So Jesus, by way of the Holy Spirit, descended into the ground to Paradise, and He also went to a “prison” and preached to spirits that had been disobedient in the days leading up to the Flood. This was a very specific group of spirits. But once again: Who were these spirits?
I don’t have a definite answer for this question, but I will give you my theory. I think these spirits were from people who had died in the Flood. If only eight people survived the Flood, then that means all the rest of the people on earth had become corrupted through the works of the fallen Watchers and the Nephilim. People had totally lost their connection to God and followed after the teachings given to them by the fallen Watchers. Due to the widespread corruption which was introduced to humanity by the fallen Watchers, God had no choice but to cleanse the earth with genocide. But what if God decided to give a second chance to those people who were killed in the Flood? What if, because they were in some sense victims of an unfair, massive plot to lead them astray, these people were not placed in Hell, but rather a prison, a sort of neutral zone. And what if Jesus actually preached to these people in order to give them a second chance? These people were disobedient during the days of Noah, while the ark was being built, and so they fit the description of who Jesus preached to in prison.
This is just my theory. I’m not presenting it as definite truth. But if my theory is not true, then here are two things to consider:
One point that definitely seems to contradict my theory is the following:
Hebrews 9:27: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”
Once a person dies, that person then awaits judgment. This verse does not mention any exceptions where God gave anyone a second chance.
Let me say again, this is just my theory, the best conclusion I can arrive at concerning who the spirits were that were disobedient right before the Flood, and who may have been in need of hearing some preaching. Even though God does not give people second chances after death, perhaps there was an exception here because of the unprecedented event that occurred on the earth when angels mingled with people and led the world into corruption. The people living in those days, who were not killed, did not stand much of a chance. It seems that there were no preachers or men of God, because God was compelled to kill all but nine people (Enoch was taken, while Noah and his family were kept safe on the ark.). Were the spirits of the people who died in the Flood held in prison? When Jesus Christ died on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, His job was only half done, as He still needed to take His blood to Heaven (Hebrews 9:12) to be the perfect payment for sins. Three days separated the performing of these two necessary steps. Somewhere in that space of time, Jesus preached to spirits in prison. Was Jesus giving these spirits the chance to believe on Him and what He was about to accomplish? Would faith in Jesus then allow these spirits to accompany Jesus to Heaven after the resurrection? That’s my idea. Guess I will find out for sure one day.
With our practical explanation for the origin of evils spirits in place, we will take things a step further in the next section. We know how evil spirits began, but what have they been doing in more recent years?
1st Peter 3:17-20: “For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.”
Jesus Christ went and preached to spirits that were in prison. These spirits were disobedient while God was being patient in the days of Noah leading up to the Flood. Who were these spirits? We will attempt to answer this through the process of elimination. Were they the fallen angels? No, because the fallen angels were buried alive and await judgment. They have no need of being preached to. Were they the spirits of the Nephilim? No, those became evil spirits left to wander the earth. So we are left with people. Were these spirits in prison simply from people who died from the beginning of the world on up through the Flood? No. Old Testament saints (people who were saved before the work of Jesus Christ) and the unsaved alike went to a place called Sheol in the Hebrew language. Sheol was translated in Scripture as “grave,” “hell,” or “pit.” Old Testament saints awaited the grave, or Sheol (Genesis 37:35, Job 14:13, Psalm 88:3). The unsaved of the Old Testament awaited Hell, or Sheol (Psalm 9:17, 55:15). Sheol was underground, and it was divided into two sections: Paradise, the section for the saved, and Hell, the section for the unsaved. Paradise was a place of comfort, while Hell was a place of torment (See Luke 16:19-26 for a brief mention of these two places and their connection to each other.). The Old Testament saints stayed in Paradise until the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and then these saints followed Jesus to Heaven (Ephesians 4:8-10). (A strange miracle tied into this event. When Jesus Christ died, an earthquake occurred, and the bodies of many saints came out of their graves. These bodies then came back to life after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as mentioned in Matthew 27:52-53, and they went into Jerusalem and were seen by many people. Perhaps this was a sign for the Jews, who require a sign according to 1st Corinthians 1:22.) The Paradise section of Sheol was emptied after the resurrection, while the Hell section will be emptied at the end of Jesus Christ’s 1,000-year kingdom (Revelation 20:13). A person’s fate was decided upon at death. Saved people went to Paradise, and unsaved people went to Hell. Neither group of people would need to hear preaching, because their fates were already sealed. And that brings us back to the subject at hand. When Jesus Christ was crucified, His body died while His Spirit (the Holy Spirit) descended into the ground (Ephesians 4:9, Matthew 12:40). Jesus told the believing thief on the cross that he would be in Paradise with Jesus that same day (Luke 23:43). So we know that Jesus went to the Paradise section of Sheol. But what about the “prison”? Hell is not called a prison in Scripture, though it essentially performs the same function, holding the souls of the unsaved until Hell itself is tossed into the lake of fire. So Jesus, by way of the Holy Spirit, descended into the ground to Paradise, and He also went to a “prison” and preached to spirits that had been disobedient in the days leading up to the Flood. This was a very specific group of spirits. But once again: Who were these spirits?
I don’t have a definite answer for this question, but I will give you my theory. I think these spirits were from people who had died in the Flood. If only eight people survived the Flood, then that means all the rest of the people on earth had become corrupted through the works of the fallen Watchers and the Nephilim. People had totally lost their connection to God and followed after the teachings given to them by the fallen Watchers. Due to the widespread corruption which was introduced to humanity by the fallen Watchers, God had no choice but to cleanse the earth with genocide. But what if God decided to give a second chance to those people who were killed in the Flood? What if, because they were in some sense victims of an unfair, massive plot to lead them astray, these people were not placed in Hell, but rather a prison, a sort of neutral zone. And what if Jesus actually preached to these people in order to give them a second chance? These people were disobedient during the days of Noah, while the ark was being built, and so they fit the description of who Jesus preached to in prison.
This is just my theory. I’m not presenting it as definite truth. But if my theory is not true, then here are two things to consider:
- While it is true that angels are said to be spirits (Hebrews 1:7), if Jesus preached to the fallen angels, then why didn’t Peter say that Jesus preached to angels in Tartarus? Peter mentions fallen angels, and he mentions Tartarus, both in the book of 2nd Peter. But in the verse in question from 1st Peter, he speaks of “spirits in prison”. Peter seemed to be making a distinction in two ways that these spirits in prison were different than the fallen angels in Tartarus.
- Evil spirits existed after the Flood, but not before. This would mean that Jesus did not preach to evil spirits, but rather to spirits who were disobedient in a certain time period that took place before the existence of evil spirits.
One point that definitely seems to contradict my theory is the following:
Hebrews 9:27: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”
Once a person dies, that person then awaits judgment. This verse does not mention any exceptions where God gave anyone a second chance.
Let me say again, this is just my theory, the best conclusion I can arrive at concerning who the spirits were that were disobedient right before the Flood, and who may have been in need of hearing some preaching. Even though God does not give people second chances after death, perhaps there was an exception here because of the unprecedented event that occurred on the earth when angels mingled with people and led the world into corruption. The people living in those days, who were not killed, did not stand much of a chance. It seems that there were no preachers or men of God, because God was compelled to kill all but nine people (Enoch was taken, while Noah and his family were kept safe on the ark.). Were the spirits of the people who died in the Flood held in prison? When Jesus Christ died on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, His job was only half done, as He still needed to take His blood to Heaven (Hebrews 9:12) to be the perfect payment for sins. Three days separated the performing of these two necessary steps. Somewhere in that space of time, Jesus preached to spirits in prison. Was Jesus giving these spirits the chance to believe on Him and what He was about to accomplish? Would faith in Jesus then allow these spirits to accompany Jesus to Heaven after the resurrection? That’s my idea. Guess I will find out for sure one day.
With our practical explanation for the origin of evils spirits in place, we will take things a step further in the next section. We know how evil spirits began, but what have they been doing in more recent years?
Aliens: What are they?
I hesitate to bring this up because I don’t want to spend too much or too little time on it here. But this needs to be said. In my article “Fallen Angels and Nephilim,” I tried to present connections between aliens and fallen angels/Nephilim. It’s a messy article, and it was born out of a time when I was waking up to the idea that the vast majority of churches are holding back truth. I was irritated and wanted answers. I followed some trails, did some research, and put my article together. Instead of definite answers, the article offered a lot of ideas and questions. The following is a statement I wrote in that article:
“I’m not sure if aliens are in fact demons, fallen angels, or Nephilim. The most likely choice is fallen angels.”
I never gave a definite answer, but I was wrong even while being vague. I’m not going to be so vague here. I believe that “aliens” are nothing more than evil spirits. I believe these evil spirits are inhabiting synthetic bodies they created. (This is not an original idea of mine, but rather can be credited, as far as I know, to Rob Skiba. I have found his research to be very insightful, even though I don’t agree with everything he teaches.) What did we learn about evil spirits? They roam the earth, they desire bodies, and they “afflict, oppress, destroy, attack, do battle, and work destruction on the earth, and cause trouble”. Did you know that there are people who “channel” aliens? Do you know what these aliens tell people? Aliens make the following claims: They are our creators. Jesus was not the Son of God. Sin does not exist. All roads lead to God. People decide for themselves what is truth. And finally, there are no such places as Heaven and Hell. When people channel aliens, they are not getting in touch with beings from other planets. Outer space is nonexistent (it exists only in NASA science fiction movies and Hollywood propaganda films), and there are no such beings as aliens. People who believe they are channeling aliens are instead being possessed by evil spirits. These evil spirits pretend to be advanced beings who are more evolved than humans, when in reality, they are bitter towards humans because they came forth from them. But giving messages to certain people is not all that these evil spirits do. This takes us to the subject of alien abductions.
But perhaps you don’t believe in alien abductions. Perhaps you think this is all science fiction talk and has no place on a website aimed at teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I don’t agree.
Ephesians 6:11-12: “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
We can see people, and we know there are bad people out there. But what believers are truly up against is spiritual wickedness, which cannot be seen. Evil spirits are a serious problem, and the alien phenomenon is something that believers need to come to terms with. Let me introduce you to a man named David Jacobs. Who is this? The following is from ufoabduction.com:
“David M. Jacobs, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of History at Temple University specializing in twentieth century American history and culture. Dr. Jacobs began researching the controversy over unidentified flying objects in America in the mid 1960's, and has amassed over 38 years of primary research data and analytical hypotheses on the subject.”
Here’s a note from this man on the aforementioned website:
“I wrote most of the information on this web site based on more than 50 years of UFO research. In addition, since 1986 I have conducted over 1,150 hypnotic regressions with abductees. I have tried to be as objective and as “agenda free” as possible. I have no New Age, spiritual, religious, transformational, or transcendent program to promote. I try to stay as close to the evidence as I can. However, there is no possibility that I have avoided error. The majority of evidence for the alien abduction phenomenon is from human memory derived from hypnosis administered by amateurs. It is difficult to imagine a weaker form of evidence. But it is evidence and we have a great deal of it. Still, readers must be skeptical of what I say and of what all others say in this tangled arena of alien abductions, hypnosis, popular culture, and memory. Abduction researchers are mainly amateurs doing their best to get to the truth knowing that objective reality may elude them.
David M. Jacobs, Ph.D”
Now, what I really want to share are some quotes from David Jacobs taken from a page on his website entitled “Straight Talk About UFO Abductions.” I don’t want to take much from here, and I would encourage you to visit and read more for yourself. The following quotes describe “a typical abduction event,” and the important thing to remember is that these details were received by many unrelated people who had no connections to each other. I apologize for the sometimes slightly graphic nature.
“Abductions are complex series of events and procedures directed by the abductors to passive or controlled abductees. In a typical or common abductions, humans are taken out of their normal environment by aliens. The people are rendered passive and cannot resist. They are taken aboard a UFO, their clothes are removed and they are made to lie on a table. A series of physical, mental, and productive procedures are then administered to the subjects. People's physical bodies are probed and examined. Sperm is taken, eggs are harvested.
The aliens perform staring procedures during which they gaze into abductees' eyes at at distance of only an inch or two. These ‘mindscan’ procedures appear to be neurological manipulations which give the aliens the ability to ‘enter into’ peoples' minds.
After the table procedures, abductees report that they are sometimes taken into other rooms where they are required to have skin on skin contact with unusual looking babies. Abductees say that these babies seem to be crosses between humans and aliens. They call them ‘hybrids.’ Abductees also see hybrid toddlers, older youth, adolescents, and adults.
Sometimes abductees report that they are required to perform tasks, that they are ‘tested’ in some way. They say that machines are brought in to examine them. They sometimes are required to have a form of sexual intercourse with other humans, and sometimes with adolescent and adult hybrids. They are returned to their normal environment and within seconds, they forget what has just happened to them.”
“From time to time women have more complicated internal procedures. They report that something is being placed in them. Sometimes the aliens will tell them after this procedure, ‘Now you are pregnant.’ The next day they do feel pregnant. An Early Pregnancy Test or a trip to their gynecologist confirms this. After about 9-11 weeks, another abduction ensues and the fetus is removed.
At times, women, and men and even children will be brought into a special room in which they see many containers of liquid either in columns or in rows against the wall. Suspended in each container is a fetus. The aliens tell the abductee that one or more of the fetuses is the abductee's. Why the aliens conduct this ‘viewing’ is unknown.
Frequently women are brought into a room filled with babies in special holders. They are required to have skin-on-skin contact with the baby and, if a particular procedure has been performed during the examination phase, they are told to nurse the baby. Abductees describe the babies as looking like a cross between human and alien. They say they are ‘hybrids.’ The babies are phlegmatic and do not have the reactions of normal human babies. Often abductees think that the babies are sick. The evidence seems to suggest, however, that this is their normal state. Men and children often have skin-on-skin contact with the babies.
Humans are taken into a special room where they encounter hybrid children age 2 to 10. As the hybrid children grow, their contact with humans becomes more complex. As toddlers they engage in play behavior often helped by the abductee who is required to teach them games to play. They are sometimes seen playing with their specific toys. Human children are required to play with the hybrids as equals and also teach them games.”
There is more, but we will stop here. We have what we need, though again, I would encourage you to read more at the website.
Years ago, when abductions started occurring, they were happening to people all over the world who had no contact with each other. This was before the age of the Internet, and before Hollywood fully popularized the idea of aliens. The same abduction experiences were being reported by completely unconnected people throughout the world. Now if you are still here and haven’t labeled this as mere crazy talk yet, then ask yourself the following questions: Why would aliens want to mingle themselves with humans and create hybrids? Why would an advanced civilization fly through the so-called vastness of space to come to earth and tamper with people to create hybrids? Is there nothing good on TV for them to watch? Seriously, does it make any sense? Why would a “superior” species decide to mingle itself with an “inferior” species? Isn’t that a downgrade? It’s a stupid idea, and it’s not real. Take off the blinders of science fiction, and here is what you have: Evil spirits are tampering with human reproduction in order to create bodies that they can inhabit. Evil spirits cannot always remain in the human bodies they possess, because they can be exorcised (which Jesus and the apostles did), or the host bodies will eventually die. But if evil spirits engineer special hybrid bodies, then they won’t have to be concerned about finding appropriate human habitats. Convincing people that they are advanced aliens hides their true evil and spiritual nature. This scheme also discredits God, as some of these evil spirits pose as our creators, teaching that they “seeded” earth and watched humans “evolve.”
Meanwhile, for many years, Hollywood has been spoon-feeding the idea of extraterrestrial life into the collective minds of a sleeping public that is not aware of the propaganda it has been swallowing. In addition, the public schools and the “scientists” teach evolution, the Big Bang, other universes, outer space, etc. Because the public has been dumbed down to accept false “scientific” theories as facts, and also due to Hollywood programming, people are willing to believe in the possibility of alien life. Over time, more and more people have come to believe that aliens can or do exist. All of these teachings and ideas are in reality ridiculous lies, and while they pretend to educate, they take you further and further from the truth. The end goal is to remove God from everything. Let me give you an example. In my article “The Rapture Continued,” I provided several quotes from a woman who claimed to channel aliens, wherein she described an event mirroring the Rapture. Here is an excerpt from my article:
“The following quotes were taken from spiritandflesh.com. I have underlined sections you must take special note of.
‘Channeler Thelma Terrell, who goes by her spiritual name, “Tuella,” wrote a book called Project World Evacuation (1), these are some quotes from that book.
‘Our rescue ships will be able to come in close enough in the twinkling of an eye to set the lifting beams in operation in a moment. And all over the globe where events warrant it, this will be the method of evacuation. mankind will be lifted, levitated shall we say, by the beams from our smaller ships. These smaller craft will in turn taxi the persons to the larger ships overhead, higher in the atmosphere, where there is ample space and quarters and supplies for millions of people.’
(Did you notice that the preceding quote copies the exact wording from 1st Corinthians 15:52? The Rapture and this alien evacuation both occur ‘in the twinkling of an eye’. Come on, people! You just got a big clue as to what’s happening here. Satan is creating his own version of the Rapture, and he was so bold as to copy wording straight out of Scripture.)”
The “aliens” will take the credit for the Rapture away from God, just as they are trying to take the credit for creating human life. Are the evil spirits, posing as aliens, working with/for Satan? Or are they working for their own agenda (which Satan would be ok with)? I don’t know, but understand that there are spiritual forces working against you. Evil spirits are putting bad ideas into people’s minds. Recall a certain man with an unclean spirit that Jesus met:
Mark 5:5: “And always, night and day, he (the man) was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.”
Do you think it was this man’s idea to cut himself? The man had an unclean spirit that was affecting his mind. What happened when Jesus healed the man?
Mark 5:6-15: “But when he (the man) saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.”
People possessed by evil spirits are not in their right minds. Where does Hollywood get all of its ideas for Satanic and spiritually wicked movies, television shows, and music? The minds working in Hollywood are influenced by evil spirits, who want to program the public to have certain beliefs and behaviors. What about modern science? Genetically modified foods are produced by mingling foreign genes never meant to be mixed. Strawberry plants have had fish genes added into their DNA, cabbage has been modified with scorpion genes, and potatoes have had jellyfish genes inserted into their makeup. Cows have been genetically modified with human genes to produce “human” breast milk. Look at this quote from an nbcnews.com article from back in 2005:
“In the past two years, scientists have created pigs with human blood, fused rabbit eggs with human DNA and injected human stem cells to make paralyzed mice walk.”
The article goes on to mention a proposal to create mice with brains made of human brain cells. These kinds of ideas are passed onto the public as good because they will help scientists study diseases, and genetic modification will produce healthier and more bountiful crops. Yeah, and I’m sure the Kool-Aid man truly exists as well. Crops have been genetically modified for years now, and yet people are still undernourished and/or starving. Now you may think that genetic engineering is good science meant to improve our way of life, but many studies that have not gotten attention by the media have proven that genetically engineered foods have serious, detrimental side effects to a person’s health. You won’t hear much about these findings when the FDA and Monsanto (the biggest and richest biotech company) work hand-in-hand with each other, and many times people switch careers by leaving one to go to the other.
So why am I bringing up all of this talk of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)? I have a point to make. Remember how the fallen Watchers mingled themselves with humans? That produced a hybrid race of people with human DNA mixed with angelic DNA. But was that all of the genetic tampering that occurred in that time period?
Genesis 6:12: “And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.”
The word “corrupted” there came from a Hebrew word that meant to “decay” or to “ruin.” We know that there are different kinds of flesh (1st Corinthians 15:39), and we know how human flesh became corrupted (the mingling of human and angel DNA and forbidden secrets taught by the fallen angels). What corrupted human flesh should have had no effect on the flesh of animals. So why did the Bible say that “all flesh” was corrupted?
According to the Book of Enoch, the fallen angels taught man “eternal secrets.” And note the following:
Enoch 7:5: “And they (the Nephilim, the giants) began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one another's flesh, and drink the blood.”
How do you sin against animals? Would genetically modifying them fit the bill? Consider the following:
Genesis 1:24-25: “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”
God created animals to reproduce after their own kind, meaning that dogs can’t mix with cats, birds can’t mix with fish, etc. That would be unnatural, and it would require genetic tampering. And yes, I believe God would consider that a sin. Angels were not meant to mix with humans, and animal species were not meant to mix with other animal species or humans. But perhaps the fallen angels introduced the dangerous concept of genetic engineering to the world (just like they did with abortion). Though we don't know how widespread the problem may have become, genetic engineering would have tarnished the animal kingdom. Animals cannot sin, but sin can be committed against animals, and the sin was genetic modification. And that is why God did not just destroy people, but all flesh.
Genesis 6:17: "And, behold, I (God), even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die."
When Noah brought the animals onto the ark, those animals were pure and uncontaminated, allowing God to give His creation a fresh start.
(Could genetic modification have occurred so long ago? Perhaps this is where those “mythical” creatures from Egyptian hieroglyphics came from. I said before that the fallen angels and/or the Nephilim built the pyramids. Ancient Egyptian religion more than likely centered around the teachings of the fallen angels (which continued through Nephilim, evil spirits, and/or carved records), which is why the Egyptians utilized the pyramids, and why there are Egyptian depictions of giants. Were these depictions truly Egyptian? Were the artists inspired by evil spirits to depict past abominations? Or were these leftover relics from a corrupt civilization that existed before the Flood (along with those depictions of mythical creatures)? Just some ideas to consider....)
“I’m not sure if aliens are in fact demons, fallen angels, or Nephilim. The most likely choice is fallen angels.”
I never gave a definite answer, but I was wrong even while being vague. I’m not going to be so vague here. I believe that “aliens” are nothing more than evil spirits. I believe these evil spirits are inhabiting synthetic bodies they created. (This is not an original idea of mine, but rather can be credited, as far as I know, to Rob Skiba. I have found his research to be very insightful, even though I don’t agree with everything he teaches.) What did we learn about evil spirits? They roam the earth, they desire bodies, and they “afflict, oppress, destroy, attack, do battle, and work destruction on the earth, and cause trouble”. Did you know that there are people who “channel” aliens? Do you know what these aliens tell people? Aliens make the following claims: They are our creators. Jesus was not the Son of God. Sin does not exist. All roads lead to God. People decide for themselves what is truth. And finally, there are no such places as Heaven and Hell. When people channel aliens, they are not getting in touch with beings from other planets. Outer space is nonexistent (it exists only in NASA science fiction movies and Hollywood propaganda films), and there are no such beings as aliens. People who believe they are channeling aliens are instead being possessed by evil spirits. These evil spirits pretend to be advanced beings who are more evolved than humans, when in reality, they are bitter towards humans because they came forth from them. But giving messages to certain people is not all that these evil spirits do. This takes us to the subject of alien abductions.
But perhaps you don’t believe in alien abductions. Perhaps you think this is all science fiction talk and has no place on a website aimed at teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I don’t agree.
Ephesians 6:11-12: “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
We can see people, and we know there are bad people out there. But what believers are truly up against is spiritual wickedness, which cannot be seen. Evil spirits are a serious problem, and the alien phenomenon is something that believers need to come to terms with. Let me introduce you to a man named David Jacobs. Who is this? The following is from ufoabduction.com:
“David M. Jacobs, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of History at Temple University specializing in twentieth century American history and culture. Dr. Jacobs began researching the controversy over unidentified flying objects in America in the mid 1960's, and has amassed over 38 years of primary research data and analytical hypotheses on the subject.”
Here’s a note from this man on the aforementioned website:
“I wrote most of the information on this web site based on more than 50 years of UFO research. In addition, since 1986 I have conducted over 1,150 hypnotic regressions with abductees. I have tried to be as objective and as “agenda free” as possible. I have no New Age, spiritual, religious, transformational, or transcendent program to promote. I try to stay as close to the evidence as I can. However, there is no possibility that I have avoided error. The majority of evidence for the alien abduction phenomenon is from human memory derived from hypnosis administered by amateurs. It is difficult to imagine a weaker form of evidence. But it is evidence and we have a great deal of it. Still, readers must be skeptical of what I say and of what all others say in this tangled arena of alien abductions, hypnosis, popular culture, and memory. Abduction researchers are mainly amateurs doing their best to get to the truth knowing that objective reality may elude them.
David M. Jacobs, Ph.D”
Now, what I really want to share are some quotes from David Jacobs taken from a page on his website entitled “Straight Talk About UFO Abductions.” I don’t want to take much from here, and I would encourage you to visit and read more for yourself. The following quotes describe “a typical abduction event,” and the important thing to remember is that these details were received by many unrelated people who had no connections to each other. I apologize for the sometimes slightly graphic nature.
“Abductions are complex series of events and procedures directed by the abductors to passive or controlled abductees. In a typical or common abductions, humans are taken out of their normal environment by aliens. The people are rendered passive and cannot resist. They are taken aboard a UFO, their clothes are removed and they are made to lie on a table. A series of physical, mental, and productive procedures are then administered to the subjects. People's physical bodies are probed and examined. Sperm is taken, eggs are harvested.
The aliens perform staring procedures during which they gaze into abductees' eyes at at distance of only an inch or two. These ‘mindscan’ procedures appear to be neurological manipulations which give the aliens the ability to ‘enter into’ peoples' minds.
After the table procedures, abductees report that they are sometimes taken into other rooms where they are required to have skin on skin contact with unusual looking babies. Abductees say that these babies seem to be crosses between humans and aliens. They call them ‘hybrids.’ Abductees also see hybrid toddlers, older youth, adolescents, and adults.
Sometimes abductees report that they are required to perform tasks, that they are ‘tested’ in some way. They say that machines are brought in to examine them. They sometimes are required to have a form of sexual intercourse with other humans, and sometimes with adolescent and adult hybrids. They are returned to their normal environment and within seconds, they forget what has just happened to them.”
“From time to time women have more complicated internal procedures. They report that something is being placed in them. Sometimes the aliens will tell them after this procedure, ‘Now you are pregnant.’ The next day they do feel pregnant. An Early Pregnancy Test or a trip to their gynecologist confirms this. After about 9-11 weeks, another abduction ensues and the fetus is removed.
At times, women, and men and even children will be brought into a special room in which they see many containers of liquid either in columns or in rows against the wall. Suspended in each container is a fetus. The aliens tell the abductee that one or more of the fetuses is the abductee's. Why the aliens conduct this ‘viewing’ is unknown.
Frequently women are brought into a room filled with babies in special holders. They are required to have skin-on-skin contact with the baby and, if a particular procedure has been performed during the examination phase, they are told to nurse the baby. Abductees describe the babies as looking like a cross between human and alien. They say they are ‘hybrids.’ The babies are phlegmatic and do not have the reactions of normal human babies. Often abductees think that the babies are sick. The evidence seems to suggest, however, that this is their normal state. Men and children often have skin-on-skin contact with the babies.
Humans are taken into a special room where they encounter hybrid children age 2 to 10. As the hybrid children grow, their contact with humans becomes more complex. As toddlers they engage in play behavior often helped by the abductee who is required to teach them games to play. They are sometimes seen playing with their specific toys. Human children are required to play with the hybrids as equals and also teach them games.”
There is more, but we will stop here. We have what we need, though again, I would encourage you to read more at the website.
Years ago, when abductions started occurring, they were happening to people all over the world who had no contact with each other. This was before the age of the Internet, and before Hollywood fully popularized the idea of aliens. The same abduction experiences were being reported by completely unconnected people throughout the world. Now if you are still here and haven’t labeled this as mere crazy talk yet, then ask yourself the following questions: Why would aliens want to mingle themselves with humans and create hybrids? Why would an advanced civilization fly through the so-called vastness of space to come to earth and tamper with people to create hybrids? Is there nothing good on TV for them to watch? Seriously, does it make any sense? Why would a “superior” species decide to mingle itself with an “inferior” species? Isn’t that a downgrade? It’s a stupid idea, and it’s not real. Take off the blinders of science fiction, and here is what you have: Evil spirits are tampering with human reproduction in order to create bodies that they can inhabit. Evil spirits cannot always remain in the human bodies they possess, because they can be exorcised (which Jesus and the apostles did), or the host bodies will eventually die. But if evil spirits engineer special hybrid bodies, then they won’t have to be concerned about finding appropriate human habitats. Convincing people that they are advanced aliens hides their true evil and spiritual nature. This scheme also discredits God, as some of these evil spirits pose as our creators, teaching that they “seeded” earth and watched humans “evolve.”
Meanwhile, for many years, Hollywood has been spoon-feeding the idea of extraterrestrial life into the collective minds of a sleeping public that is not aware of the propaganda it has been swallowing. In addition, the public schools and the “scientists” teach evolution, the Big Bang, other universes, outer space, etc. Because the public has been dumbed down to accept false “scientific” theories as facts, and also due to Hollywood programming, people are willing to believe in the possibility of alien life. Over time, more and more people have come to believe that aliens can or do exist. All of these teachings and ideas are in reality ridiculous lies, and while they pretend to educate, they take you further and further from the truth. The end goal is to remove God from everything. Let me give you an example. In my article “The Rapture Continued,” I provided several quotes from a woman who claimed to channel aliens, wherein she described an event mirroring the Rapture. Here is an excerpt from my article:
“The following quotes were taken from spiritandflesh.com. I have underlined sections you must take special note of.
‘Channeler Thelma Terrell, who goes by her spiritual name, “Tuella,” wrote a book called Project World Evacuation (1), these are some quotes from that book.
‘Our rescue ships will be able to come in close enough in the twinkling of an eye to set the lifting beams in operation in a moment. And all over the globe where events warrant it, this will be the method of evacuation. mankind will be lifted, levitated shall we say, by the beams from our smaller ships. These smaller craft will in turn taxi the persons to the larger ships overhead, higher in the atmosphere, where there is ample space and quarters and supplies for millions of people.’
(Did you notice that the preceding quote copies the exact wording from 1st Corinthians 15:52? The Rapture and this alien evacuation both occur ‘in the twinkling of an eye’. Come on, people! You just got a big clue as to what’s happening here. Satan is creating his own version of the Rapture, and he was so bold as to copy wording straight out of Scripture.)”
The “aliens” will take the credit for the Rapture away from God, just as they are trying to take the credit for creating human life. Are the evil spirits, posing as aliens, working with/for Satan? Or are they working for their own agenda (which Satan would be ok with)? I don’t know, but understand that there are spiritual forces working against you. Evil spirits are putting bad ideas into people’s minds. Recall a certain man with an unclean spirit that Jesus met:
Mark 5:5: “And always, night and day, he (the man) was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.”
Do you think it was this man’s idea to cut himself? The man had an unclean spirit that was affecting his mind. What happened when Jesus healed the man?
Mark 5:6-15: “But when he (the man) saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.”
People possessed by evil spirits are not in their right minds. Where does Hollywood get all of its ideas for Satanic and spiritually wicked movies, television shows, and music? The minds working in Hollywood are influenced by evil spirits, who want to program the public to have certain beliefs and behaviors. What about modern science? Genetically modified foods are produced by mingling foreign genes never meant to be mixed. Strawberry plants have had fish genes added into their DNA, cabbage has been modified with scorpion genes, and potatoes have had jellyfish genes inserted into their makeup. Cows have been genetically modified with human genes to produce “human” breast milk. Look at this quote from an nbcnews.com article from back in 2005:
“In the past two years, scientists have created pigs with human blood, fused rabbit eggs with human DNA and injected human stem cells to make paralyzed mice walk.”
The article goes on to mention a proposal to create mice with brains made of human brain cells. These kinds of ideas are passed onto the public as good because they will help scientists study diseases, and genetic modification will produce healthier and more bountiful crops. Yeah, and I’m sure the Kool-Aid man truly exists as well. Crops have been genetically modified for years now, and yet people are still undernourished and/or starving. Now you may think that genetic engineering is good science meant to improve our way of life, but many studies that have not gotten attention by the media have proven that genetically engineered foods have serious, detrimental side effects to a person’s health. You won’t hear much about these findings when the FDA and Monsanto (the biggest and richest biotech company) work hand-in-hand with each other, and many times people switch careers by leaving one to go to the other.
So why am I bringing up all of this talk of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)? I have a point to make. Remember how the fallen Watchers mingled themselves with humans? That produced a hybrid race of people with human DNA mixed with angelic DNA. But was that all of the genetic tampering that occurred in that time period?
Genesis 6:12: “And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.”
The word “corrupted” there came from a Hebrew word that meant to “decay” or to “ruin.” We know that there are different kinds of flesh (1st Corinthians 15:39), and we know how human flesh became corrupted (the mingling of human and angel DNA and forbidden secrets taught by the fallen angels). What corrupted human flesh should have had no effect on the flesh of animals. So why did the Bible say that “all flesh” was corrupted?
According to the Book of Enoch, the fallen angels taught man “eternal secrets.” And note the following:
Enoch 7:5: “And they (the Nephilim, the giants) began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one another's flesh, and drink the blood.”
How do you sin against animals? Would genetically modifying them fit the bill? Consider the following:
Genesis 1:24-25: “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”
God created animals to reproduce after their own kind, meaning that dogs can’t mix with cats, birds can’t mix with fish, etc. That would be unnatural, and it would require genetic tampering. And yes, I believe God would consider that a sin. Angels were not meant to mix with humans, and animal species were not meant to mix with other animal species or humans. But perhaps the fallen angels introduced the dangerous concept of genetic engineering to the world (just like they did with abortion). Though we don't know how widespread the problem may have become, genetic engineering would have tarnished the animal kingdom. Animals cannot sin, but sin can be committed against animals, and the sin was genetic modification. And that is why God did not just destroy people, but all flesh.
Genesis 6:17: "And, behold, I (God), even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die."
When Noah brought the animals onto the ark, those animals were pure and uncontaminated, allowing God to give His creation a fresh start.
(Could genetic modification have occurred so long ago? Perhaps this is where those “mythical” creatures from Egyptian hieroglyphics came from. I said before that the fallen angels and/or the Nephilim built the pyramids. Ancient Egyptian religion more than likely centered around the teachings of the fallen angels (which continued through Nephilim, evil spirits, and/or carved records), which is why the Egyptians utilized the pyramids, and why there are Egyptian depictions of giants. Were these depictions truly Egyptian? Were the artists inspired by evil spirits to depict past abominations? Or were these leftover relics from a corrupt civilization that existed before the Flood (along with those depictions of mythical creatures)? Just some ideas to consider....)
Strange creatures and hybrids exist within ancient Egyptian mythology. Perhaps this mythology was in fact reality that dated before the time of the Egyptians.
There are examples of hybrids represented by Assyrian artifacts as well.
Genetic engineering is not modern science. It occurred before the Flood, and it was performed by the Nephilim, who were highly intelligent, possessing secret knowledge passed down from their angelic fathers. Evil spirits, which came from these same Nephilim, inhabit people presently, and they are sharing old ideas with them. What was old is made new again, and people have no idea what is going on. Is it science? No. It is sin, and it is nothing new.
Ecclesiastes 1:9-11: “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.”
So to sum up what I believe: Aliens are deceivers who are actually evil spirits. They are creating part-human bodies to inhabit, which must be superior to the synthetic bodies they created for themselves. These evil spirits are denying Jesus Christ and taking credit for what God created. Evil spirits are teaching terrible ideas to people, corrupting society in a long-term plan that mirrors what happened when the fallen Watchers and Nephilim corrupted man before the Flood. And finally, as I stated before, the Nephilim more than likely played a big part in building the pyramids. Once the Nephilim died, their spirits became the evil spirits that wander the earth, and some of these now pose as alien beings. Isn't it ironic that there is a theory being pushed that aliens built the pyramids? Aliens did not build the pyramids, but aliens are actually evil spirits who came from Nephilim who probably did build the pyramids. So while you are being lied to, there is a hidden layer of truth within the lie. This is nothing more than mockery.
Ecclesiastes 1:9-11: “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.”
So to sum up what I believe: Aliens are deceivers who are actually evil spirits. They are creating part-human bodies to inhabit, which must be superior to the synthetic bodies they created for themselves. These evil spirits are denying Jesus Christ and taking credit for what God created. Evil spirits are teaching terrible ideas to people, corrupting society in a long-term plan that mirrors what happened when the fallen Watchers and Nephilim corrupted man before the Flood. And finally, as I stated before, the Nephilim more than likely played a big part in building the pyramids. Once the Nephilim died, their spirits became the evil spirits that wander the earth, and some of these now pose as alien beings. Isn't it ironic that there is a theory being pushed that aliens built the pyramids? Aliens did not build the pyramids, but aliens are actually evil spirits who came from Nephilim who probably did build the pyramids. So while you are being lied to, there is a hidden layer of truth within the lie. This is nothing more than mockery.
What happens when a believer dies?
The following was written by the Apostle Paul:
2nd Corinthians 5:1-8: “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle (our bodies of flesh) were dissolved, we have a building of God (a new body, not of flesh), an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body (of flesh), we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
Believers can look forward to receiving better bodies to inhabit (which will be given at the Rapture, according to 1st Corinthians 15:51-54). In the meantime, when a believer dies, or separates from the flesh, that believer's spirit is present with the Lord. We see this with Stephen:
Acts 7:59-60: “And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
Stephen’s spirit was released to go to Heaven, while Stephen’s body “fell asleep”, or died. Paul alluded to this concept again in the following:
Philippians 1:21-24: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot (know) not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.”
Paul wanted to leave his body of flesh and be with Jesus in Heaven, but Paul knew that the early churches he helped to start had a need for him to remain on earth. Abiding in the flesh was necessary, though Paul wanted to abandon the flesh and see his spirit go to Heaven.
2nd Corinthians 5:1-8: “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle (our bodies of flesh) were dissolved, we have a building of God (a new body, not of flesh), an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body (of flesh), we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
Believers can look forward to receiving better bodies to inhabit (which will be given at the Rapture, according to 1st Corinthians 15:51-54). In the meantime, when a believer dies, or separates from the flesh, that believer's spirit is present with the Lord. We see this with Stephen:
Acts 7:59-60: “And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
Stephen’s spirit was released to go to Heaven, while Stephen’s body “fell asleep”, or died. Paul alluded to this concept again in the following:
Philippians 1:21-24: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot (know) not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.”
Paul wanted to leave his body of flesh and be with Jesus in Heaven, but Paul knew that the early churches he helped to start had a need for him to remain on earth. Abiding in the flesh was necessary, though Paul wanted to abandon the flesh and see his spirit go to Heaven.
Flesh and blood: The problem and the solution
Romans 7:17-18: “Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”
Romans 7:23: “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”
Sin is in the flesh. We are born into corruption (sinful flesh), but God has a plan to repair what is broken at the Rapture. Let’s look at a passage from 1st Corinthians, split into two sections so we can take time to consider what is being taught.
1st Corinthians 15:39-49: “All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds (There goes the ridiculous theory of evolution.). There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead (Paul is referring to the resurrection that will take place at the Rapture.). It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam (Jesus Christ) was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.”
Remember when Paul talked about the “old man?” Here, Paul speaks of Adam, the “first man”, or the man that was “natural” or “earthy”. (When Paul spoke of the old man and the new man, he was referring to the flesh nature and the spiritual nature of believers. When Paul speaks here about the natural body and the spiritual body, he is referring to the body of flesh and the future Heavenly body of a believer. More on those Heavenly bodies in a moment. The old man was describing the nature of man, while the first, or natural, or earthy man describes the body of man. These are different but similar concepts.) The natural man represents the physical, fleshly state of every person, which came forth through the first birth. First came Adam, the natural man, then came Jesus Christ, the spiritual man. For a believer, first comes the body of flesh, and then comes the Heavenly body. The natural man is tainted with sin, and the wages of sin is death. The body must die because of the sin that resides in the body. God will not allow sin in His presence, so how could God allow flesh, the very dwelling place of sin, into Heaven? Paul goes on to explain that flesh and blood will not be allowed to enter Heaven, and then Paul describes God's solution.
1st Corinthians 15:50-53: “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep (die), but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
When the Rapture occurs, believers still alive in the flesh, along with the bodies of deceased believers, will be called up to meet Jesus in the air. Something big is going to happen on that flight. Believers alive in the flesh are going to upgrade to new, Heavenly bodies, while the bodies of deceased believers will be transformed into Heavenly bodies as well, which will once again house the spirits they originally contained. Why must this change occur? Because flesh and blood are banned from Heaven. Flesh cannot go to Heaven because of sin, and blood has a connection to flesh.
Leviticus 17:11: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”
Blood gives life to the flesh, so blood gives life to the place where sin dwells.
(Please note in the verse of Scripture above that blood is what atones, or reconciles, the soul. Blood must be offered to God in order for sins to be forgiven (Hebrews 9:22). In the Old Testament, it was the blood of bulls, goats, and lambs. For the age of grace, animal sacrifices are not necessary, because Jesus Christ offered His own blood to God for the sins of the world.
Romans 5:9-11: “Much more then, being now justified by his (Jesus Christ’s) blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”
Colossians 1:14: “In whom we have redemption through his (Jesus Christ’s) blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”
There are “Christians” out there who do not take the blood of Jesus seriously, like John MacArthur. I am also reminded of a card game where the phrase “The Blood of Christ” is written on a card that is meant to be played as a funny answer to a question. This is no laughing matter, and this is not something to downplay. Folks, the blood of Jesus Christ is a big deal.
Hebrews 10:28-29: “He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”
The blood of Jesus is holy, and it plays a huge part in the salvation of believers. Anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong.)
Jesus Christ shed His blood on the cross. The loss of blood killed the flesh of Jesus, and the blood itself was taken by Jesus to Heaven and offered to God as the payment for the sins of the world (Hebrews 9:12, 10:12). Just as Jesus did, believers will not go to Heaven with bodies of flesh and blood. Believers are born into bodies of corruption, and they must be clothed with incorruption. Flesh is of the earth, and people are clothed with this covering for their time on the earth. While on the earth, people “have borne the image of the earthy”. To be in Heaven, people must “bear the image of the heavenly”, which means new bodies must be given. These bodies will not contain flesh or blood.
"It is sown in corruption (sinful flesh); it is raised in incorruption (a sinless, Heavenly body)".
“It is sown a natural body (of flesh, the image of the earthy); it is raised (from the dead) a spiritual body (the image of the heavenly).”
“There is a natural body (inherited from Adam), and there is a spiritual body (received through faith in Jesus Christ).”
Romans 7:23: “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”
Sin is in the flesh. We are born into corruption (sinful flesh), but God has a plan to repair what is broken at the Rapture. Let’s look at a passage from 1st Corinthians, split into two sections so we can take time to consider what is being taught.
1st Corinthians 15:39-49: “All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds (There goes the ridiculous theory of evolution.). There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead (Paul is referring to the resurrection that will take place at the Rapture.). It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam (Jesus Christ) was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.”
Remember when Paul talked about the “old man?” Here, Paul speaks of Adam, the “first man”, or the man that was “natural” or “earthy”. (When Paul spoke of the old man and the new man, he was referring to the flesh nature and the spiritual nature of believers. When Paul speaks here about the natural body and the spiritual body, he is referring to the body of flesh and the future Heavenly body of a believer. More on those Heavenly bodies in a moment. The old man was describing the nature of man, while the first, or natural, or earthy man describes the body of man. These are different but similar concepts.) The natural man represents the physical, fleshly state of every person, which came forth through the first birth. First came Adam, the natural man, then came Jesus Christ, the spiritual man. For a believer, first comes the body of flesh, and then comes the Heavenly body. The natural man is tainted with sin, and the wages of sin is death. The body must die because of the sin that resides in the body. God will not allow sin in His presence, so how could God allow flesh, the very dwelling place of sin, into Heaven? Paul goes on to explain that flesh and blood will not be allowed to enter Heaven, and then Paul describes God's solution.
1st Corinthians 15:50-53: “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep (die), but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
When the Rapture occurs, believers still alive in the flesh, along with the bodies of deceased believers, will be called up to meet Jesus in the air. Something big is going to happen on that flight. Believers alive in the flesh are going to upgrade to new, Heavenly bodies, while the bodies of deceased believers will be transformed into Heavenly bodies as well, which will once again house the spirits they originally contained. Why must this change occur? Because flesh and blood are banned from Heaven. Flesh cannot go to Heaven because of sin, and blood has a connection to flesh.
Leviticus 17:11: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”
Blood gives life to the flesh, so blood gives life to the place where sin dwells.
(Please note in the verse of Scripture above that blood is what atones, or reconciles, the soul. Blood must be offered to God in order for sins to be forgiven (Hebrews 9:22). In the Old Testament, it was the blood of bulls, goats, and lambs. For the age of grace, animal sacrifices are not necessary, because Jesus Christ offered His own blood to God for the sins of the world.
Romans 5:9-11: “Much more then, being now justified by his (Jesus Christ’s) blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”
Colossians 1:14: “In whom we have redemption through his (Jesus Christ’s) blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”
There are “Christians” out there who do not take the blood of Jesus seriously, like John MacArthur. I am also reminded of a card game where the phrase “The Blood of Christ” is written on a card that is meant to be played as a funny answer to a question. This is no laughing matter, and this is not something to downplay. Folks, the blood of Jesus Christ is a big deal.
Hebrews 10:28-29: “He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”
The blood of Jesus is holy, and it plays a huge part in the salvation of believers. Anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong.)
Jesus Christ shed His blood on the cross. The loss of blood killed the flesh of Jesus, and the blood itself was taken by Jesus to Heaven and offered to God as the payment for the sins of the world (Hebrews 9:12, 10:12). Just as Jesus did, believers will not go to Heaven with bodies of flesh and blood. Believers are born into bodies of corruption, and they must be clothed with incorruption. Flesh is of the earth, and people are clothed with this covering for their time on the earth. While on the earth, people “have borne the image of the earthy”. To be in Heaven, people must “bear the image of the heavenly”, which means new bodies must be given. These bodies will not contain flesh or blood.
"It is sown in corruption (sinful flesh); it is raised in incorruption (a sinless, Heavenly body)".
“It is sown a natural body (of flesh, the image of the earthy); it is raised (from the dead) a spiritual body (the image of the heavenly).”
“There is a natural body (inherited from Adam), and there is a spiritual body (received through faith in Jesus Christ).”
The Holy Spirit and the Tribulation
In my “Dividing the Word” series of articles, I made the claim that the Holy Spirit will not be on earth during the Tribulation. Let’s briefly cover this topic.
The book of Revelation describes a vision that the Apostle John was given. Here’s how it all began:
Revelation 1:9-10: “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,”
As Paul instructed believers to do in Galatians 5:16, John was walking in the Spirit, which is the Holy Spirit. Suddenly, Jesus Christ began speaking to John, which continues through chapter three. Then it came time for the vision, and an interesting thing happened:
Revelation 4:1-2: “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.”
John was still alive and in his body of flesh, but for a time, he was taken away in his spirit. Remember, flesh cannot go to Heaven, because sin is in the flesh. John had to be in the spirit in order to have his vision in Heaven.
Revelation 17:1-3: “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.”
Revelation 21:10: “And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,”
In John’s vision of the Tribulation, the Holy Spirit is only once said to be on the earth. The Holy Spirit came down on the day of Pentecost to usher in the age of grace (Acts 2). During the age of grace, the Holy Spirit seals believers (Ephesians 1:13). At the Rapture, the age of grace ends, and the Holy Spirit returns to Heaven (2nd Thessalonians 2:7). This is why believers in the Tribulation must endure to the end for Jesus to be saved (Matthew 24:13), because God’s grace and the Holy Spirit will no longer be present on earth for people to receive. So when is the one time that the Holy Spirit is said to be on the earth in the Tribulation? During the first three and a half years of the Tribulation, God uses two prophets to reach out to the people of the world. These prophets will be killed after forty-two months, and their lifeless bodies will be left on earth for three and a half days. Then God will send the Holy Spirit down to show the world a miracle, to frighten the world and let them know that they made a huge mistake.
Revelation 11:11-12: “And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them (the bodies of the prophets), and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.”
“Come up hither” is spoken to the two prophets, the exact same phrase that was said to John before he was taken in the spirit to Heaven. I wouldn’t be surprised if these are the words that Jesus Christ speaks at the Rapture when he calls up every believer to meet Him in the air. The world will not hear these words, because this phrase will be for spiritual ears only.
Now, take note of the other two mentions of the Holy Spirit from John’s account of his vision.
Revelation 14:13: “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.”
The Holy Spirit is clearly said to be in Heaven here, during the Tribulation. The next mention of the Holy Spirit is from a time after the Tribulation, and furthermore, after the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ on earth.
Revelation 22:17: “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
The “bride” refers to the bride of Jesus Christ, which is the collection of believers who were saved in the age of grace (Ephesians 5:22-32, 2nd Corinthians 11:2, Revelation 19:7-9). The Holy Spirit and the bride of Christ are pictured here calling out from a future time, inviting people to come and drink of “the water of life”. This refers to a river that will be in the New Jerusalem, the city that will exist on the new earth after the 1,000-year reign of Christ.
Revelation 22:1: “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
As we end this section of the article, here is what we have learned: During the Tribulation, the Holy Spirit will not be available to people on earth, aside from the two prophets of God.
The book of Revelation describes a vision that the Apostle John was given. Here’s how it all began:
Revelation 1:9-10: “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,”
As Paul instructed believers to do in Galatians 5:16, John was walking in the Spirit, which is the Holy Spirit. Suddenly, Jesus Christ began speaking to John, which continues through chapter three. Then it came time for the vision, and an interesting thing happened:
Revelation 4:1-2: “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.”
John was still alive and in his body of flesh, but for a time, he was taken away in his spirit. Remember, flesh cannot go to Heaven, because sin is in the flesh. John had to be in the spirit in order to have his vision in Heaven.
Revelation 17:1-3: “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.”
Revelation 21:10: “And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,”
In John’s vision of the Tribulation, the Holy Spirit is only once said to be on the earth. The Holy Spirit came down on the day of Pentecost to usher in the age of grace (Acts 2). During the age of grace, the Holy Spirit seals believers (Ephesians 1:13). At the Rapture, the age of grace ends, and the Holy Spirit returns to Heaven (2nd Thessalonians 2:7). This is why believers in the Tribulation must endure to the end for Jesus to be saved (Matthew 24:13), because God’s grace and the Holy Spirit will no longer be present on earth for people to receive. So when is the one time that the Holy Spirit is said to be on the earth in the Tribulation? During the first three and a half years of the Tribulation, God uses two prophets to reach out to the people of the world. These prophets will be killed after forty-two months, and their lifeless bodies will be left on earth for three and a half days. Then God will send the Holy Spirit down to show the world a miracle, to frighten the world and let them know that they made a huge mistake.
Revelation 11:11-12: “And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them (the bodies of the prophets), and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.”
“Come up hither” is spoken to the two prophets, the exact same phrase that was said to John before he was taken in the spirit to Heaven. I wouldn’t be surprised if these are the words that Jesus Christ speaks at the Rapture when he calls up every believer to meet Him in the air. The world will not hear these words, because this phrase will be for spiritual ears only.
Now, take note of the other two mentions of the Holy Spirit from John’s account of his vision.
Revelation 14:13: “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.”
The Holy Spirit is clearly said to be in Heaven here, during the Tribulation. The next mention of the Holy Spirit is from a time after the Tribulation, and furthermore, after the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ on earth.
Revelation 22:17: “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
The “bride” refers to the bride of Jesus Christ, which is the collection of believers who were saved in the age of grace (Ephesians 5:22-32, 2nd Corinthians 11:2, Revelation 19:7-9). The Holy Spirit and the bride of Christ are pictured here calling out from a future time, inviting people to come and drink of “the water of life”. This refers to a river that will be in the New Jerusalem, the city that will exist on the new earth after the 1,000-year reign of Christ.
Revelation 22:1: “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
As we end this section of the article, here is what we have learned: During the Tribulation, the Holy Spirit will not be available to people on earth, aside from the two prophets of God.
The law of Moses: Can it be obeyed?
There is a lot of confusion out there over Moses’ law. Must the law be obeyed to be saved? Or must the law be obeyed after salvation in order to maintain salvation? But let’s consider a question that legalist “Christians” have failed to ponder: Is it even possible for a person to obey the law?
Romans 7:4-14: “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law (Moses’ law) by the body of Christ (all the believers on Jesus Christ, explained in 1st Corinthians 12:12-31); that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit (sins) unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter (the law). What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion (opportunity) by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence (lust). For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal (fleshly), sold under sin.”
Here we find the purpose of the law. God gave the law in order for people to understand the concept of sin. Without the law, there is no sin. People could just carry on disobeying God, and they would not even know it. The law was written by God so that people could be aware of their own disobedience. The law helps us understand something God needs us to know: We are all guilty of breaking God’s rules. God is righteous, and He cannot tolerate sin. We are all sinners, and we know this thanks to the law. But can the law ever truly be obeyed? Are you ready for a great truth that many “Christians” and “churches” will not teach you? Look again at what the Apostle Paul said:
“For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal (fleshly), sold under sin.”
The law is spiritual, but people are made of flesh. People cannot obey the spiritual rules of the law because they are living in bodies of sinful flesh. The law could only inform people of the sin problem. The law could never deal with the sin problem.
Romans 8:2-3: “For the law of the Spirit of life (the Holy Spirit) in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 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:”
A person's inability to obey the law because of sinful flesh makes the law weak, and thus the law is unable to grant eternal life.
Galatians 3:21: “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.”
If the law could be obeyed, then the way to be saved would be a life lived in obedience to the law. But the law cannot grant eternal life, because it cannot be obeyed by sinful flesh. The law grants righteousness to the person who obeys it, but that righteousness is never enough for salvation.
Philippians 3:9: “And be found in him (Jesus Christ), not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
We cannot be expected to obey the law, so God gave us another way to receive righteousness. We believe on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the work of God that was performed to offer us salvation.
Romans 4:5: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
Romans 3:19-28: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (an atonement, a reconciliation) through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
Again, the law cannot be kept because spiritual rules cannot be obeyed by sinful flesh. God is well aware of this fact, and this is why the law was never meant to give eternal life, but rather point to who can: Jesus Christ.
Galatians 3:24: “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
A saved person will break Moses’ law, because that person is still living in a body of sinful flesh. Don’t place your trust in the law. Place your trust in Jesus Christ. He fulfilled the law (Matthew 5:17), so no one else has to. All we must do is believe on Him who took the law out of our way.
Colossians 2:14-17: “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances (the law) that was against us, which was contrary to us (the law was against us because it condemned us as guilty sinners), and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”
The law was a shadow of what was to come, which was Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:1, 9:11). Before Jesus died for the sins of the world, all that was available was His shadow, which was the law. What is better? The shadow, which is merely an image of something or someone? Or that which casts the shadow? The law is weak because of the flesh. Anyone who tells you that you must obey the law to be or remain saved is trying to make you a slave to a weak system that cannot and will not save anyone ever.
The law is spiritual and cannot be obeyed by sinful flesh. Fortunately, righteousness is given to those who believe on the work of Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ seals the believer with the Holy Spirit, resulting in a spiritual birth (John 3:5-6). The law does not connect a person to God. Faith in Jesus Christ does. With all of this in mind, now you understand what Paul was trying to tell us:
Romans 8:3-4: “For what the law could not do (give eternal life), in that it was weak through the flesh (the spiritual law cannot be obeyed by sinful flesh), God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh (The sinless body of Jesus Christ was punished by death for sins Jesus never committed. Sin was sentenced to the flesh so that the spirit could be free.): That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (believers have the Holy Spirit living inside of them).”
This is sure to offend legalist “Christians,” but the Bible clearly teaches that the law cannot be obeyed due to the flesh. Some people teach that after salvation, a person must keep the law to stay saved. If this is true, then why did Jesus Christ have to die? People could have simply been told to live a life of obedience to the law. But there would be no security with this method, because salvation would never be a done deal. Let's say you managed to keep the law for ten years straight (even though this would be entirely impossible). Then you slipped up and broke one part of the law. Breaking one part of the law is equal to breaking the whole thing (James 2:10). Now what? Is your salvation lost? Do you recommit to the law and hope you don't mess up again? What if you break the law and die before getting a chance to make things right with God? What a terrible system this would be, and it's a good thing God isn't as awful at making a plan for eternal salvation as some people are. Jesus Christ died so that salvation could be a secure thing for you and I. Righteousness is needed to be saved, and the Apostle Paul had some great news to share: You don't get that righteousness from keeping the law, which you cannot do anyways. You get that righteousness by believing in the work of Jesus Christ. If obeying the law plays a part in keeping you saved, then Jesus died for nothing. Don't take my word for it. Listen to Paul:
Galatians 2:21: “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
Romans 7:4-14: “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law (Moses’ law) by the body of Christ (all the believers on Jesus Christ, explained in 1st Corinthians 12:12-31); that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit (sins) unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter (the law). What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion (opportunity) by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence (lust). For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal (fleshly), sold under sin.”
Here we find the purpose of the law. God gave the law in order for people to understand the concept of sin. Without the law, there is no sin. People could just carry on disobeying God, and they would not even know it. The law was written by God so that people could be aware of their own disobedience. The law helps us understand something God needs us to know: We are all guilty of breaking God’s rules. God is righteous, and He cannot tolerate sin. We are all sinners, and we know this thanks to the law. But can the law ever truly be obeyed? Are you ready for a great truth that many “Christians” and “churches” will not teach you? Look again at what the Apostle Paul said:
“For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal (fleshly), sold under sin.”
The law is spiritual, but people are made of flesh. People cannot obey the spiritual rules of the law because they are living in bodies of sinful flesh. The law could only inform people of the sin problem. The law could never deal with the sin problem.
Romans 8:2-3: “For the law of the Spirit of life (the Holy Spirit) in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 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:”
A person's inability to obey the law because of sinful flesh makes the law weak, and thus the law is unable to grant eternal life.
Galatians 3:21: “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.”
If the law could be obeyed, then the way to be saved would be a life lived in obedience to the law. But the law cannot grant eternal life, because it cannot be obeyed by sinful flesh. The law grants righteousness to the person who obeys it, but that righteousness is never enough for salvation.
Philippians 3:9: “And be found in him (Jesus Christ), not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
We cannot be expected to obey the law, so God gave us another way to receive righteousness. We believe on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the work of God that was performed to offer us salvation.
Romans 4:5: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
Romans 3:19-28: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (an atonement, a reconciliation) through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
Again, the law cannot be kept because spiritual rules cannot be obeyed by sinful flesh. God is well aware of this fact, and this is why the law was never meant to give eternal life, but rather point to who can: Jesus Christ.
Galatians 3:24: “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
A saved person will break Moses’ law, because that person is still living in a body of sinful flesh. Don’t place your trust in the law. Place your trust in Jesus Christ. He fulfilled the law (Matthew 5:17), so no one else has to. All we must do is believe on Him who took the law out of our way.
Colossians 2:14-17: “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances (the law) that was against us, which was contrary to us (the law was against us because it condemned us as guilty sinners), and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”
The law was a shadow of what was to come, which was Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:1, 9:11). Before Jesus died for the sins of the world, all that was available was His shadow, which was the law. What is better? The shadow, which is merely an image of something or someone? Or that which casts the shadow? The law is weak because of the flesh. Anyone who tells you that you must obey the law to be or remain saved is trying to make you a slave to a weak system that cannot and will not save anyone ever.
The law is spiritual and cannot be obeyed by sinful flesh. Fortunately, righteousness is given to those who believe on the work of Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ seals the believer with the Holy Spirit, resulting in a spiritual birth (John 3:5-6). The law does not connect a person to God. Faith in Jesus Christ does. With all of this in mind, now you understand what Paul was trying to tell us:
Romans 8:3-4: “For what the law could not do (give eternal life), in that it was weak through the flesh (the spiritual law cannot be obeyed by sinful flesh), God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh (The sinless body of Jesus Christ was punished by death for sins Jesus never committed. Sin was sentenced to the flesh so that the spirit could be free.): That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (believers have the Holy Spirit living inside of them).”
This is sure to offend legalist “Christians,” but the Bible clearly teaches that the law cannot be obeyed due to the flesh. Some people teach that after salvation, a person must keep the law to stay saved. If this is true, then why did Jesus Christ have to die? People could have simply been told to live a life of obedience to the law. But there would be no security with this method, because salvation would never be a done deal. Let's say you managed to keep the law for ten years straight (even though this would be entirely impossible). Then you slipped up and broke one part of the law. Breaking one part of the law is equal to breaking the whole thing (James 2:10). Now what? Is your salvation lost? Do you recommit to the law and hope you don't mess up again? What if you break the law and die before getting a chance to make things right with God? What a terrible system this would be, and it's a good thing God isn't as awful at making a plan for eternal salvation as some people are. Jesus Christ died so that salvation could be a secure thing for you and I. Righteousness is needed to be saved, and the Apostle Paul had some great news to share: You don't get that righteousness from keeping the law, which you cannot do anyways. You get that righteousness by believing in the work of Jesus Christ. If obeying the law plays a part in keeping you saved, then Jesus died for nothing. Don't take my word for it. Listen to Paul:
Galatians 2:21: “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
The weakness of the flesh
In the beginning of this article, we looked at how the Holy Spirit and the flesh are at war with each other. In the previous section, we learned that people can never keep the law of Moses because the law is spiritual and people inhabit bodies of flesh. These two teachings are connected, and when placed together, they give us a bigger picture of what is going on behind the scenes. Let me show you how. Recall the following verse that describes the war between the Holy Spirit and the flesh:
Galatians 5:17: “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”
Now recall the following verse, which gives us a hint of what the problem with the law is:
Colossians 2:14: “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances (the law of Moses) that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”
Do you see it now? The word “contrary” in the two verses above means to oppose or to be an adversary. Two things that are contrary to each other are against each other. Paul taught that the Holy Spirit is contrary to the flesh. Paul also taught that the law of Moses is contrary to people (because the law is spiritual while people are in bodies of flesh according to Romans 7:14, and the law condemns people according to Romans 3:19). Now we see a pattern, and we get the bigger picture: That which is spiritual (and from God) will always be opposed by the flesh. Why does this happen?
We have examined how the flesh is sinful because sin dwells in the flesh, but the flesh also faces another problem: It is weak. Jesus Christ alluded to this fact during His earthly ministry. It’s a popular verse, and you have probably heard it before. But now, you will understand it better.
Matthew 26:41: “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Jesus taught that the flesh opposes the spirit, and this lines up with how I said that the flesh opposes spiritual things from God. The weakness of the flesh causes the flesh to oppose the spirit, and I believe this weakness also creates opposition between the flesh and spiritual things from God. The weakness of the flesh is something that every believer will struggle with. So how exactly does this weakness affect us? How does the flesh oppose the spirit? There are two basic ways:
1. You don’t do what you know you should.
Have you ever known that you should do something, but you realized that it was going to be difficult, and so you chose not to do it? Your spirit wanted to do something that it knew was right, but the right thing can be hard to do. Your flesh was weak and did not feel like making the effort.
2. You do what you know you shouldn’t.
Have you ever done something that you knew was wrong? Have you ever done something that you said you would not do again? Your spirit knew there was something you should not do, but your flesh got into the driver seat and did that thing anyway. Why does this occur? Because the flesh is weak, and avoiding sin is hard to do. Sin is easy and takes no effort (plus sin is enjoyable and natural to sinful flesh).
Whether the spirit has a will to do something or not do something, the spirit will be opposed by the flesh. Jesus mentioned this problem, and later in Scripture, the Apostle Paul described this same problem in more detail:
Romans 7:15: “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.”
Romans 7:18-19: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me (Paul’s spirit was willing); but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.”
Paul's spirit had a will to do good and avoid evil, but something was opposing that will. That something was the flesh.
Believers on Jesus Christ are sealed with the Holy Spirit, and a new spirit is created inside each and every one of them. Unfortunately, this spirit is given a run-down shack to call its home: A body of flesh which is weak and sinful. A believer who reads the Bible, or at least knows some basics, is aware that there are things that he or she should and should not do. The spirit is aware, but the flesh does not care.
We know how the flesh opposes the spirit. Now we will find out why. We start with a question: Why is living right so hard to do? Because it requires the flesh to do things that go against the very nature of the flesh. Nothing good dwells in the flesh (Romans 7:18), and everything the flesh naturally produces is sinful (Galatians 5:19-21). If you attempt to live right, then you are expecting your flesh to do many things that are completely unnatural to the flesh. That would require hard work, as the flesh would have to oppose its own nature. (The eyes could not look at what they want, the ears could not listen to what they want, the mouth could not speak what it wants, etc. Instead, the flesh would have to produce whatever is good.) Breathing in air is natural to your body. Have you ever held your breath? It's hard to do, and it becomes harder the longer you go. Holding your breath is unnatural, just like when the flesh tries to live right. If you want to live right, by doing the things you should do and avoiding the things you should not do, it will take lots of hard work and continuous effort. The flesh wants no part of that. The flesh is weak and is not strong enough to conquer its own evil nature. Perhaps in the struggle to live right, the spirit could encourage the flesh to win a few battles and accomplish some good, but the war could never be won. (Despite what the sinless perfection and/or Lordship Salvation crowds want you to believe, you can never truly overcome sin. Remember what Paul said? How he did what he hated? How he did the evil that he knew was wrong? Are you a believer on Jesus Christ who cannot seem to conquer sin? You are in good company, because Paul could not conquer sin either, and Paul wrote the bulk of the New Testament Scripture that applies to us in the age of grace.) As I was saying, if the flesh tries to fight against its own evil nature, it could never totally win, because that which is natural cannot simply be undone. The war would continue on and on, and the flesh is weak and does not feel like fighting that war against itself. This only applies to believers on Jesus Christ. Unbelievers do not have this struggle because they do not have a dual nature. For them, there is only the flesh, the "old man." Nothing good can be expected from unbelievers because they have no choice but to live through their flesh, and nothing good is in the flesh or is naturally produced by the flesh. Believers have a dual nature because they have been given a spirit born of the Holy Spirit, and this spirit is called the "new man." This spirit resides in/alongside the flesh. The spirit and the flesh possess different natures and conflicting desires. A believer can live through the old man (the flesh) or the new man (the spirit), and because of this dual nature, the flesh of a believer is always in a battle. There is a choice that must be made constantly, at every moment, unless we are sleeping. The flesh must battle against itself or against the spirit. Battling against itself is hard work, and because the flesh is weak, the flesh prefers the easier option, which is to oppose the spirit and do what comes naturally to the flesh.
Consider some examples of the weakness of the flesh:
A believer may know that it is wrong to covet. The believer’s spirit may determine to not covet. And then one day, the believer sees a neighbor bringing their boat home from a day on the lake. Maybe the believer has always wanted a boat, but she has never been in a financial position to be able to purchase one. In that moment, the believer begins to covet the neighbor’s boat. Her spirit may have decided to be content with what God had provided, but the flesh wants a boat. Resisting the urge to covet would take work, so the flesh takes the easy way out and covets.
A believer may know that it is wrong to lust. The believer’s spirit may determine to not lust. And then one day, the believer is at the store and sees a woman who is dressed inappropriately. Maybe the believer thinks the woman to be attractive, and he finds himself staring at her. In that moment, the believer begins to lust after the stranger. His spirit may have decided to focus on clean thoughts, but the flesh wants to see more of that woman. Resisting the urge to lust would take work, so the flesh takes the easy way out and lusts.
A believer may know that prayer is a powerful and necessary tool. The believer’s spirit may determine to pray every night. And then one night, the believer finds it hard to turn off the television. Or that video game. Or Facebook. Or maybe it’s too easy to just continue that conversation on the phone. In that moment, the believer puts off prayer to do any number of other things. The believer’s spirit may have decided to devote some time to prayer, but the flesh finds that to be utterly boring. Spending time in prayer would take work, so the flesh takes the easy way out and does something more enticing.
Now consider some thoughts about the weakness of the flesh:
The flesh does not care what the spirit wants, or what is best for the person as a whole. When you were a child, didn’t you always want to eat more junk food, even though a parent may have told you that’s not good for you? Did you care? No. Because junk food tastes good to the flesh. Think of your flesh as that little child, and think of sin as junk food. Your spirit knows that sin (junk food) is bad, but the flesh (the little child) nags until it gets its way. Children do not know what is best for them. And neither does the flesh.
The flesh is like a teenager, while the spirit is like a parent. The Holy Spirit and the law of Moses could be viewed as parent figures as well. The teenager (the flesh) is rebellious and opposes the rules of the parent (the spirit). The teenager doesn't understand the need for rules, discipline, authority, etc. The teenager will oppose something or someone that they feel is trying to control them. The teenager says "You don't own me! You don't understand me! I'm gonna do what I want!" The teenager cannot see that the parent is trying to protect them.
The spirit knows that there are people on their way to Hell that need to be told about the Gospel of Christ. The flesh says "That's no fun. I don't want to do that. That sounds hard. And I want to be popular, not offend people." The spirit knows that the Bible needs to be read on a regular basis. The flesh says "That's no fun. I don't want to do that. Those are just old stories, not exciting like other things I could be doing." When the spirit says do, the flesh says don't. When the spirit says don't, the flesh says do.
Jesus Christ had it right when He said “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Now let’s put this statement from Jesus back into its proper context for further learning.
Matthew 26:36-43: “Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.”
Jesus was about to be crucified, and He was feeling anxious. Jesus took three of His disciples to a garden, where Jesus told them to wait for Him, while He went deeper into the garden to pray. Jesus returned to His disciples to find them sleeping. After waking the disciples, Jesus told them again to wait for Him. For a long time, Jesus had known the terrible fate that awaited His flesh on the cross. Now, that fate was at the doorstep. Jesus was dreading His crucifixion, and He wanted the moral support of His disciples and friends. But instead, while Jesus went deeper into the garden to pray, the disciples fell asleep again.
The first time that Jesus found His disciples sleeping, He told them “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” The disciples were to pray, or remain spiritual. Why were they told to do this? Because the only way to deny the flesh of getting what it wants is to focus on the spirit, or the spiritual. Jesus told His disciples that if they did not remain spiritual, then they would enter into temptation. Temptation is an experience that tests the discipline of a person, and temptation uses whatever appeals to the flesh. It does not always have to be sin. In this case, it was sleep. The disciples were tired, and so their flesh was tempted to fall asleep, even though Jesus had told them to wait for Him. For the believer on Jesus Christ, there will always be the choice of living in the flesh or in the spirit. When a believer does not remain in the spirit, the attention of the flesh begins to wander, and this wandering will lead the believer into temptation. The flesh is weak, and it will choose to do anything other than what the spirit knows the flesh should do, unless the flesh is kept suppressed by living in the spirit. The body of flesh will always be weak, until it is upgraded to its Heavenly form at the Rapture.
1st Corinthians 15:43: “It (the body) is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:”
The preceding verse of Scripture was written by the Apostle Paul. Just like Jesus had done, Paul taught that the flesh was weak. He mentions the problem again here:
Romans 6:19: “I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity (translated from a Greek word that meant “feebleness,” or weakness) of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.”
Jesus and Paul taught that there is weakness in the flesh. This problem with the flesh causes the law to be weak as well (Romans 8:3). Some “Christians” teach that an adherence to the law is a necessary step for a person to be saved. Consider this carefully. How can something that is weak give you assurance that you are saved? It cannot. What is the opposite of weak? Perhaps you would say “strong.” When something is strong, it has power. Did you know that God gave us something very powerful to assure us of our salvation?
Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
The Gospel of Christ is the message that Jesus died for the sins of the world, was buried, and rose again three days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). This message is so powerful that a person is saved just for believing it. The power is in what Jesus Christ did, not in what you can do. The law cannot save because it is weak and would depend on you to obey it. The Gospel of Christ can save because it is powerful and depends on the completed work of Jesus.
In closing: The sinful nature of the flesh causes sin to be appealing to the flesh. The weak nature of the flesh causes the flesh to disregard the desires of the believer’s spirit and the spiritual things of God. The sinful nature of the flesh puts the flesh at a disadvantage. If the flesh was strong, it could resist its own sin nature, but because the flesh is weak, the flesh tends to give in to sin. At other times, the flesh simply gives in to its own, non-sinful desires. Temptation always lies in wait to lead the flesh astray. A believer must choose to live for the flesh or the spirit at any given moment. This is essentially the same thing as saying that a believer must walk in the flesh or the Holy Spirit. Both have desires, but they cannot both get their way.
Galatians 5:17: “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”
Walking in the Holy Spirit denies the flesh of doing what it wants to do. Walking in the flesh denies the Holy Spirit of doing what He wants to do. Someone is going to get their way, and someone is going to do without. This is how it works, because the flesh is weak and sinful, so believers must serve God in the spirit rather than in the flesh.
Philippians 3:3: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
Galatians 5:17: “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”
Now recall the following verse, which gives us a hint of what the problem with the law is:
Colossians 2:14: “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances (the law of Moses) that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”
Do you see it now? The word “contrary” in the two verses above means to oppose or to be an adversary. Two things that are contrary to each other are against each other. Paul taught that the Holy Spirit is contrary to the flesh. Paul also taught that the law of Moses is contrary to people (because the law is spiritual while people are in bodies of flesh according to Romans 7:14, and the law condemns people according to Romans 3:19). Now we see a pattern, and we get the bigger picture: That which is spiritual (and from God) will always be opposed by the flesh. Why does this happen?
We have examined how the flesh is sinful because sin dwells in the flesh, but the flesh also faces another problem: It is weak. Jesus Christ alluded to this fact during His earthly ministry. It’s a popular verse, and you have probably heard it before. But now, you will understand it better.
Matthew 26:41: “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Jesus taught that the flesh opposes the spirit, and this lines up with how I said that the flesh opposes spiritual things from God. The weakness of the flesh causes the flesh to oppose the spirit, and I believe this weakness also creates opposition between the flesh and spiritual things from God. The weakness of the flesh is something that every believer will struggle with. So how exactly does this weakness affect us? How does the flesh oppose the spirit? There are two basic ways:
1. You don’t do what you know you should.
Have you ever known that you should do something, but you realized that it was going to be difficult, and so you chose not to do it? Your spirit wanted to do something that it knew was right, but the right thing can be hard to do. Your flesh was weak and did not feel like making the effort.
2. You do what you know you shouldn’t.
Have you ever done something that you knew was wrong? Have you ever done something that you said you would not do again? Your spirit knew there was something you should not do, but your flesh got into the driver seat and did that thing anyway. Why does this occur? Because the flesh is weak, and avoiding sin is hard to do. Sin is easy and takes no effort (plus sin is enjoyable and natural to sinful flesh).
Whether the spirit has a will to do something or not do something, the spirit will be opposed by the flesh. Jesus mentioned this problem, and later in Scripture, the Apostle Paul described this same problem in more detail:
Romans 7:15: “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.”
Romans 7:18-19: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me (Paul’s spirit was willing); but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.”
Paul's spirit had a will to do good and avoid evil, but something was opposing that will. That something was the flesh.
Believers on Jesus Christ are sealed with the Holy Spirit, and a new spirit is created inside each and every one of them. Unfortunately, this spirit is given a run-down shack to call its home: A body of flesh which is weak and sinful. A believer who reads the Bible, or at least knows some basics, is aware that there are things that he or she should and should not do. The spirit is aware, but the flesh does not care.
We know how the flesh opposes the spirit. Now we will find out why. We start with a question: Why is living right so hard to do? Because it requires the flesh to do things that go against the very nature of the flesh. Nothing good dwells in the flesh (Romans 7:18), and everything the flesh naturally produces is sinful (Galatians 5:19-21). If you attempt to live right, then you are expecting your flesh to do many things that are completely unnatural to the flesh. That would require hard work, as the flesh would have to oppose its own nature. (The eyes could not look at what they want, the ears could not listen to what they want, the mouth could not speak what it wants, etc. Instead, the flesh would have to produce whatever is good.) Breathing in air is natural to your body. Have you ever held your breath? It's hard to do, and it becomes harder the longer you go. Holding your breath is unnatural, just like when the flesh tries to live right. If you want to live right, by doing the things you should do and avoiding the things you should not do, it will take lots of hard work and continuous effort. The flesh wants no part of that. The flesh is weak and is not strong enough to conquer its own evil nature. Perhaps in the struggle to live right, the spirit could encourage the flesh to win a few battles and accomplish some good, but the war could never be won. (Despite what the sinless perfection and/or Lordship Salvation crowds want you to believe, you can never truly overcome sin. Remember what Paul said? How he did what he hated? How he did the evil that he knew was wrong? Are you a believer on Jesus Christ who cannot seem to conquer sin? You are in good company, because Paul could not conquer sin either, and Paul wrote the bulk of the New Testament Scripture that applies to us in the age of grace.) As I was saying, if the flesh tries to fight against its own evil nature, it could never totally win, because that which is natural cannot simply be undone. The war would continue on and on, and the flesh is weak and does not feel like fighting that war against itself. This only applies to believers on Jesus Christ. Unbelievers do not have this struggle because they do not have a dual nature. For them, there is only the flesh, the "old man." Nothing good can be expected from unbelievers because they have no choice but to live through their flesh, and nothing good is in the flesh or is naturally produced by the flesh. Believers have a dual nature because they have been given a spirit born of the Holy Spirit, and this spirit is called the "new man." This spirit resides in/alongside the flesh. The spirit and the flesh possess different natures and conflicting desires. A believer can live through the old man (the flesh) or the new man (the spirit), and because of this dual nature, the flesh of a believer is always in a battle. There is a choice that must be made constantly, at every moment, unless we are sleeping. The flesh must battle against itself or against the spirit. Battling against itself is hard work, and because the flesh is weak, the flesh prefers the easier option, which is to oppose the spirit and do what comes naturally to the flesh.
Consider some examples of the weakness of the flesh:
A believer may know that it is wrong to covet. The believer’s spirit may determine to not covet. And then one day, the believer sees a neighbor bringing their boat home from a day on the lake. Maybe the believer has always wanted a boat, but she has never been in a financial position to be able to purchase one. In that moment, the believer begins to covet the neighbor’s boat. Her spirit may have decided to be content with what God had provided, but the flesh wants a boat. Resisting the urge to covet would take work, so the flesh takes the easy way out and covets.
A believer may know that it is wrong to lust. The believer’s spirit may determine to not lust. And then one day, the believer is at the store and sees a woman who is dressed inappropriately. Maybe the believer thinks the woman to be attractive, and he finds himself staring at her. In that moment, the believer begins to lust after the stranger. His spirit may have decided to focus on clean thoughts, but the flesh wants to see more of that woman. Resisting the urge to lust would take work, so the flesh takes the easy way out and lusts.
A believer may know that prayer is a powerful and necessary tool. The believer’s spirit may determine to pray every night. And then one night, the believer finds it hard to turn off the television. Or that video game. Or Facebook. Or maybe it’s too easy to just continue that conversation on the phone. In that moment, the believer puts off prayer to do any number of other things. The believer’s spirit may have decided to devote some time to prayer, but the flesh finds that to be utterly boring. Spending time in prayer would take work, so the flesh takes the easy way out and does something more enticing.
Now consider some thoughts about the weakness of the flesh:
The flesh does not care what the spirit wants, or what is best for the person as a whole. When you were a child, didn’t you always want to eat more junk food, even though a parent may have told you that’s not good for you? Did you care? No. Because junk food tastes good to the flesh. Think of your flesh as that little child, and think of sin as junk food. Your spirit knows that sin (junk food) is bad, but the flesh (the little child) nags until it gets its way. Children do not know what is best for them. And neither does the flesh.
The flesh is like a teenager, while the spirit is like a parent. The Holy Spirit and the law of Moses could be viewed as parent figures as well. The teenager (the flesh) is rebellious and opposes the rules of the parent (the spirit). The teenager doesn't understand the need for rules, discipline, authority, etc. The teenager will oppose something or someone that they feel is trying to control them. The teenager says "You don't own me! You don't understand me! I'm gonna do what I want!" The teenager cannot see that the parent is trying to protect them.
The spirit knows that there are people on their way to Hell that need to be told about the Gospel of Christ. The flesh says "That's no fun. I don't want to do that. That sounds hard. And I want to be popular, not offend people." The spirit knows that the Bible needs to be read on a regular basis. The flesh says "That's no fun. I don't want to do that. Those are just old stories, not exciting like other things I could be doing." When the spirit says do, the flesh says don't. When the spirit says don't, the flesh says do.
Jesus Christ had it right when He said “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Now let’s put this statement from Jesus back into its proper context for further learning.
Matthew 26:36-43: “Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.”
Jesus was about to be crucified, and He was feeling anxious. Jesus took three of His disciples to a garden, where Jesus told them to wait for Him, while He went deeper into the garden to pray. Jesus returned to His disciples to find them sleeping. After waking the disciples, Jesus told them again to wait for Him. For a long time, Jesus had known the terrible fate that awaited His flesh on the cross. Now, that fate was at the doorstep. Jesus was dreading His crucifixion, and He wanted the moral support of His disciples and friends. But instead, while Jesus went deeper into the garden to pray, the disciples fell asleep again.
The first time that Jesus found His disciples sleeping, He told them “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” The disciples were to pray, or remain spiritual. Why were they told to do this? Because the only way to deny the flesh of getting what it wants is to focus on the spirit, or the spiritual. Jesus told His disciples that if they did not remain spiritual, then they would enter into temptation. Temptation is an experience that tests the discipline of a person, and temptation uses whatever appeals to the flesh. It does not always have to be sin. In this case, it was sleep. The disciples were tired, and so their flesh was tempted to fall asleep, even though Jesus had told them to wait for Him. For the believer on Jesus Christ, there will always be the choice of living in the flesh or in the spirit. When a believer does not remain in the spirit, the attention of the flesh begins to wander, and this wandering will lead the believer into temptation. The flesh is weak, and it will choose to do anything other than what the spirit knows the flesh should do, unless the flesh is kept suppressed by living in the spirit. The body of flesh will always be weak, until it is upgraded to its Heavenly form at the Rapture.
1st Corinthians 15:43: “It (the body) is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:”
The preceding verse of Scripture was written by the Apostle Paul. Just like Jesus had done, Paul taught that the flesh was weak. He mentions the problem again here:
Romans 6:19: “I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity (translated from a Greek word that meant “feebleness,” or weakness) of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.”
Jesus and Paul taught that there is weakness in the flesh. This problem with the flesh causes the law to be weak as well (Romans 8:3). Some “Christians” teach that an adherence to the law is a necessary step for a person to be saved. Consider this carefully. How can something that is weak give you assurance that you are saved? It cannot. What is the opposite of weak? Perhaps you would say “strong.” When something is strong, it has power. Did you know that God gave us something very powerful to assure us of our salvation?
Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
The Gospel of Christ is the message that Jesus died for the sins of the world, was buried, and rose again three days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). This message is so powerful that a person is saved just for believing it. The power is in what Jesus Christ did, not in what you can do. The law cannot save because it is weak and would depend on you to obey it. The Gospel of Christ can save because it is powerful and depends on the completed work of Jesus.
In closing: The sinful nature of the flesh causes sin to be appealing to the flesh. The weak nature of the flesh causes the flesh to disregard the desires of the believer’s spirit and the spiritual things of God. The sinful nature of the flesh puts the flesh at a disadvantage. If the flesh was strong, it could resist its own sin nature, but because the flesh is weak, the flesh tends to give in to sin. At other times, the flesh simply gives in to its own, non-sinful desires. Temptation always lies in wait to lead the flesh astray. A believer must choose to live for the flesh or the spirit at any given moment. This is essentially the same thing as saying that a believer must walk in the flesh or the Holy Spirit. Both have desires, but they cannot both get their way.
Galatians 5:17: “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”
Walking in the Holy Spirit denies the flesh of doing what it wants to do. Walking in the flesh denies the Holy Spirit of doing what He wants to do. Someone is going to get their way, and someone is going to do without. This is how it works, because the flesh is weak and sinful, so believers must serve God in the spirit rather than in the flesh.
Philippians 3:3: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
Is there a connection between alcohol and spirits?
Did you know that liquor, or hard alcohol, is referred to as a spirit? You may have noticed this at some point, but I bet you never thought about it.
The following was taken from http://alcoholrehab.com/alcoholism/spirituality-and-rehab/:
“Through the ages, many people have described the effect of alcohol as a spiritual experience, of an awakening to a higher power. Interestingly, alcohol plays an important role in spiritual and religious ceremonies all over the world, from the ancient Egyptians to modern Christianity. It has been said that alcohol as well as other drugs show people different worlds, spiritual beings and ghosts.
One interesting fact about alcohol is that the word alcohol comes from the Arabic word for spirit which is al-kuhl (الكحول ). In Middle Eastern folklore, the al-kuhl is a body eating spirit or ghoul which is an interesting correlation to the way the effect of alcohol has been described. The term spirit, which refers to distilled alcohol, comes from this connection. It is then no surprise that alcohol and spirituality have a close connection.”
I don’t know what role alcohol is playing in modern Christianity, so I’m just going to ignore that strange statement above. The important thing to understand here is that the word “alcohol” came from the Arabic word for “spirit.” This gets real interesting when you consider the following verse of Scripture:
Ephesians 5:18: “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;”
Does alcohol contain spirits? The verse above seems to suggest that it does. Paul is telling believers not to be filled with the spirits of alcohol, but to be filled with the Holy Spirit instead. Think about this. Why would being filled with alcohol be contrasted with being filled with the Holy Spirit? It doesn’t make much sense, until you understand that there is a connection between alcohol and spirits. And consider the following:
Proverbs 23:29-35: “Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.”
The Bible teaches that a person should not even look at alcohol. Why is that? Is it because alcohol contains spirits? When people drink alcohol, are they actually placing spirits inside of themselves?
In 1st Timothy 4:1, “seducing spirits” are mentioned. These spirits deceive and mislead people. Does alcohol deceive and mislead people? Note the following:
Proverbs 20:1: “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”
“Through the ages, many people have described the effect of alcohol as a spiritual experience, of an awakening to a higher power. Interestingly, alcohol plays an important role in spiritual and religious ceremonies all over the world, from the ancient Egyptians to modern Christianity. It has been said that alcohol as well as other drugs show people different worlds, spiritual beings and ghosts.
One interesting fact about alcohol is that the word alcohol comes from the Arabic word for spirit which is al-kuhl (الكحول ). In Middle Eastern folklore, the al-kuhl is a body eating spirit or ghoul which is an interesting correlation to the way the effect of alcohol has been described. The term spirit, which refers to distilled alcohol, comes from this connection. It is then no surprise that alcohol and spirituality have a close connection.”
I don’t know what role alcohol is playing in modern Christianity, so I’m just going to ignore that strange statement above. The important thing to understand here is that the word “alcohol” came from the Arabic word for “spirit.” This gets real interesting when you consider the following verse of Scripture:
Ephesians 5:18: “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;”
Does alcohol contain spirits? The verse above seems to suggest that it does. Paul is telling believers not to be filled with the spirits of alcohol, but to be filled with the Holy Spirit instead. Think about this. Why would being filled with alcohol be contrasted with being filled with the Holy Spirit? It doesn’t make much sense, until you understand that there is a connection between alcohol and spirits. And consider the following:
Proverbs 23:29-35: “Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.”
The Bible teaches that a person should not even look at alcohol. Why is that? Is it because alcohol contains spirits? When people drink alcohol, are they actually placing spirits inside of themselves?
In 1st Timothy 4:1, “seducing spirits” are mentioned. These spirits deceive and mislead people. Does alcohol deceive and mislead people? Note the following:
Proverbs 20:1: “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”
The believer and other spirits
Believers on Jesus Christ are sealed with the Holy Spirit, and each believer is given a new spirit that will live forever with God. Salvation is secure, because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. But does this mean that believers are safe from the attacks of Satan? Even though believers have the Holy Spirit of God living inside of them, could other spirits infiltrate and influence believers? According to Scripture, this is definitely possible. This will not affect salvation, but it will affect believers during their time on earth, in a negative way. Let’s look at some examples of other spirits.
2nd Corinthians 11:3-4: “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”
The Apostle Paul was concerned that believers would be fooled into accepting another Jesus, another spirit, and another gospel. And this does indeed happen. This is why there are people out there who believed on the Gospel of Christ, which caused them to become saved, but then these people got caught up and confused by false teachings. They turned away from the truth of the Gospel of Christ, and they started preaching a message of salvation by works. This message tells of a false Jesus who cannot save sinners unless they agree to stop sinning. This is a weak imitation of the real Jesus, who can save the soul of anyone who simply believes on Him. Every false Jesus comes to us by way of a false gospel, and these false gospels do not come to us by way of the Holy Spirit. Each false gospel comes from “another spirit”. Let me say it again: Any “Christian” who tells you that you are saved by anything other than simple faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has accepted another spirit. Many of these people may actually believe they are doing the right thing and sharing the correct message with the world. This is why it is so important that believers read the Bible and find out what is truly taught.
Ephesians 4:14: “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;”
2nd Timothy 3:15: “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
Read the Bible for yourself. Don’t believe and accept doctrine just because it comes from some “religious” authority. Question everything, and test each doctrine. Pray for wisdom. Don’t blindly follow men in suits who stand behind pulpits and write books, who have large audiences of people craving their every word. And this goes for me too. Don’t accept everything I say as automatic truth. Study it for yourself. See if what people are teaching is Biblical and accurate. There are false teachers everywhere. Don’t be one of their victims.
Romans 16:17-18: “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”
I have two King James Bibles from two different publishers, and these Bibles contain footnotes and interpretations offered to help the reader in his or her studies. I have found multiple errors in the notes of both Bibles. In one instance, I actually circled a note in the center of a page and wrote the word “No” next to it. Are these lies intentional? I would like to think that is not the case. Either way, understand that you need to test every doctrine. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth (John 14:17). False doctrines and faulty interpretations of doctrines come from other spirits. Be careful to not receive these other spirits. Learn Scripture and don’t leave yourself susceptible to the lies of deceivers.
Now, let’s keep it going.
1st Timothy 4:1-3: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”
Here, the Holy Spirit revealed to Paul that days would come when believers would leave behind their faith and give in to “seducing spirits”. The word “seducing” there is from a Greek word that suggested “an imposter or misleader.” The passage goes on to describe what sounds like legalism, which is strict adherence to the law of Moses, or perhaps Catholicism. Believers on Jesus Christ do not need to get bogged down in legalism, because they have been given liberty.
Galatians 5:1: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”
The Holy Spirit dwells inside of each and every believer. What do you find where the Holy Spirit is?
2nd Corinthians 3:17: “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
So there are spirits that bring other gospels and spirits that teach legalism. What other spirits are there?
1st John 4:1-6: “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”
Every spirit that does not admit that Jesus Christ came in the flesh (meaning that Jesus was God come in the flesh) is the “spirit of antichrist”. This is “the spirit of error”, which is the opposite of “the spirit of truth”, the Holy Spirit. Look again at the following:
“They (the spirits of antichrist) are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.”
Satan is the god of this world (2nd Corinthians 4:4). This is why there is an antichrist spirit that is of the world and in the world. Believers don’t receive this spirit, but rather the Holy Spirit.
1st Corinthians 2:12: “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”
People who don’t have the Holy Spirit living inside of them have the spirit of the world in them. This is why they listen to the spirit of antichrist, which is the same as the spirit of the world. This is why Jesus Christ is mocked by Hollywood, where the spirit of antichrist prevails. If anyone tells you that Jesus Christ was not the Son of God, that He did not die for your sins, that He is not coming back, etc., you just remember the following:
2nd John 7-11: “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ (the Gospel of Christ), hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”
The college professor that tells you that the Bible is fiction is a deceiver. The evolutionist on TV that tells you that you evolved from reptiles is a deceiver. Anyone who comes to you in the guise of a teacher, and who teaches you something contrary to the truth that Jesus Christ came to the earth in the flesh to take away the sins of the world, is a deceiver and an antichrist. But you say “How does an evolutionist have the spirit of antichrist? They are not anti-Christ, but anti-Creation.” Someone who is against the Biblical account of Creation is indeed antichrist. Why? Because Jesus played a part in the Creation.
Colossians 1:13-16: “Who (God) hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son (Jesus Christ): In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him (Jesus Christ) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”
Ephesians 3:9: “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:”
The evolutionist is tainted with an antichrist spirit, and that is why evolutionists are deceivers, hiding behind faulty, unprovable science. The spirit of the world, also known as the spirit of antichrist, also known as the spirit of error, dwells inside of each deceiver. Believers do not face opposition from other people. It is much deeper than that.
Ephesians 6:12: “For we (believers) wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
2nd Corinthians 10:3-5: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (fleshly), but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”
Believers fight against wicked spirits. These spirits work through unbelievers, and they also work through believers who have received other spirits. Believers should always remember that the Holy Spirit is greater than the spirit of error.
1st John 4:4: “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them (the spirits of antichrist): because greater is he (the Holy Spirit) that is in you, than he that is in the world (the spirit of the world).”
The spirit of the world wants to keep people lost, or unsaved.
2nd Corinthians 4:4: “In whom the god of this world (Satan) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
How do you overcome the spirit of the world?
1st John 5:5: “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”
When a person believes on Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit comes into that person and evicts the spirit of the world. That doesn’t mean that the believer won’t be affected by the spirit of the world, or other wicked spirits. But the believer has a fighting chance with the Holy Spirit living inside. The believer has a spirit which is saved, but the flesh will still be tempted by spirits which seek to seduce, deceive, and mislead. Let me give you an example: There are believers who think that God used evolution to create the world. These believers have married truth to the lies of false science. Don't get your opinions from television, magazines, radio, celebrities, etc. They are filled with the spirit of the world. Satan is the god of this world, and he only promotes people who will feed you deception. (See my article "The Uncensored Truth About America" to learn about how Satan controls much of what you are told.) The spirit of the world can affect believers, and the same goes for all wicked spirits.
2nd Corinthians 11:3-4: “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”
The Apostle Paul was concerned that believers would be fooled into accepting another Jesus, another spirit, and another gospel. And this does indeed happen. This is why there are people out there who believed on the Gospel of Christ, which caused them to become saved, but then these people got caught up and confused by false teachings. They turned away from the truth of the Gospel of Christ, and they started preaching a message of salvation by works. This message tells of a false Jesus who cannot save sinners unless they agree to stop sinning. This is a weak imitation of the real Jesus, who can save the soul of anyone who simply believes on Him. Every false Jesus comes to us by way of a false gospel, and these false gospels do not come to us by way of the Holy Spirit. Each false gospel comes from “another spirit”. Let me say it again: Any “Christian” who tells you that you are saved by anything other than simple faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has accepted another spirit. Many of these people may actually believe they are doing the right thing and sharing the correct message with the world. This is why it is so important that believers read the Bible and find out what is truly taught.
Ephesians 4:14: “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;”
2nd Timothy 3:15: “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
Read the Bible for yourself. Don’t believe and accept doctrine just because it comes from some “religious” authority. Question everything, and test each doctrine. Pray for wisdom. Don’t blindly follow men in suits who stand behind pulpits and write books, who have large audiences of people craving their every word. And this goes for me too. Don’t accept everything I say as automatic truth. Study it for yourself. See if what people are teaching is Biblical and accurate. There are false teachers everywhere. Don’t be one of their victims.
Romans 16:17-18: “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”
I have two King James Bibles from two different publishers, and these Bibles contain footnotes and interpretations offered to help the reader in his or her studies. I have found multiple errors in the notes of both Bibles. In one instance, I actually circled a note in the center of a page and wrote the word “No” next to it. Are these lies intentional? I would like to think that is not the case. Either way, understand that you need to test every doctrine. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth (John 14:17). False doctrines and faulty interpretations of doctrines come from other spirits. Be careful to not receive these other spirits. Learn Scripture and don’t leave yourself susceptible to the lies of deceivers.
Now, let’s keep it going.
1st Timothy 4:1-3: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”
Here, the Holy Spirit revealed to Paul that days would come when believers would leave behind their faith and give in to “seducing spirits”. The word “seducing” there is from a Greek word that suggested “an imposter or misleader.” The passage goes on to describe what sounds like legalism, which is strict adherence to the law of Moses, or perhaps Catholicism. Believers on Jesus Christ do not need to get bogged down in legalism, because they have been given liberty.
Galatians 5:1: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”
The Holy Spirit dwells inside of each and every believer. What do you find where the Holy Spirit is?
2nd Corinthians 3:17: “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
So there are spirits that bring other gospels and spirits that teach legalism. What other spirits are there?
1st John 4:1-6: “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”
Every spirit that does not admit that Jesus Christ came in the flesh (meaning that Jesus was God come in the flesh) is the “spirit of antichrist”. This is “the spirit of error”, which is the opposite of “the spirit of truth”, the Holy Spirit. Look again at the following:
“They (the spirits of antichrist) are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.”
Satan is the god of this world (2nd Corinthians 4:4). This is why there is an antichrist spirit that is of the world and in the world. Believers don’t receive this spirit, but rather the Holy Spirit.
1st Corinthians 2:12: “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”
People who don’t have the Holy Spirit living inside of them have the spirit of the world in them. This is why they listen to the spirit of antichrist, which is the same as the spirit of the world. This is why Jesus Christ is mocked by Hollywood, where the spirit of antichrist prevails. If anyone tells you that Jesus Christ was not the Son of God, that He did not die for your sins, that He is not coming back, etc., you just remember the following:
2nd John 7-11: “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ (the Gospel of Christ), hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”
The college professor that tells you that the Bible is fiction is a deceiver. The evolutionist on TV that tells you that you evolved from reptiles is a deceiver. Anyone who comes to you in the guise of a teacher, and who teaches you something contrary to the truth that Jesus Christ came to the earth in the flesh to take away the sins of the world, is a deceiver and an antichrist. But you say “How does an evolutionist have the spirit of antichrist? They are not anti-Christ, but anti-Creation.” Someone who is against the Biblical account of Creation is indeed antichrist. Why? Because Jesus played a part in the Creation.
Colossians 1:13-16: “Who (God) hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son (Jesus Christ): In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him (Jesus Christ) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”
Ephesians 3:9: “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:”
The evolutionist is tainted with an antichrist spirit, and that is why evolutionists are deceivers, hiding behind faulty, unprovable science. The spirit of the world, also known as the spirit of antichrist, also known as the spirit of error, dwells inside of each deceiver. Believers do not face opposition from other people. It is much deeper than that.
Ephesians 6:12: “For we (believers) wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
2nd Corinthians 10:3-5: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (fleshly), but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”
Believers fight against wicked spirits. These spirits work through unbelievers, and they also work through believers who have received other spirits. Believers should always remember that the Holy Spirit is greater than the spirit of error.
1st John 4:4: “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them (the spirits of antichrist): because greater is he (the Holy Spirit) that is in you, than he that is in the world (the spirit of the world).”
The spirit of the world wants to keep people lost, or unsaved.
2nd Corinthians 4:4: “In whom the god of this world (Satan) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
How do you overcome the spirit of the world?
1st John 5:5: “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”
When a person believes on Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit comes into that person and evicts the spirit of the world. That doesn’t mean that the believer won’t be affected by the spirit of the world, or other wicked spirits. But the believer has a fighting chance with the Holy Spirit living inside. The believer has a spirit which is saved, but the flesh will still be tempted by spirits which seek to seduce, deceive, and mislead. Let me give you an example: There are believers who think that God used evolution to create the world. These believers have married truth to the lies of false science. Don't get your opinions from television, magazines, radio, celebrities, etc. They are filled with the spirit of the world. Satan is the god of this world, and he only promotes people who will feed you deception. (See my article "The Uncensored Truth About America" to learn about how Satan controls much of what you are told.) The spirit of the world can affect believers, and the same goes for all wicked spirits.
Why Jesus Christ manifested in the flesh
Why did Jesus Christ come to the earth as a man? Jesus solved the sin problem, but why was it necessary for Him to do it in the form of a man? We will soon find out. But first, before dealing with the sin problem, Jesus had some other business to tend to when He took on human form. What did John the Baptist say about Jesus Christ?
John 1:31: “And I knew him (Jesus) not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.”
Jesus had two reasons for coming to the earth. The first reason was to present Himself to the Jews (Israel).
Romans 15:8: “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision (the Jews) for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:”
The Jews were promised a King and a kingdom, and Jesus came to fulfill that promise.
Mark 15:1-2: “And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate (the governor). And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto them, Thou sayest it.”
Here, Jesus admits to Pilate that He is the King of the Jews. Let’s continue.
Mark 15:3-9: “And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing. And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee. But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled. Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them. But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy. But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify him. Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him. And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.”
The Jews demanded that Jesus be crucified. Why? Because they did not recognize their King.
John 1:10-11: “He (Jesus) was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own (the Jews), and his own received him not.”
Jesus came to the earth as a Jew to be the King of His people, but they demanded His crucifixion (not every Jew, but the nation as a whole). Jesus did not give a defense to Pilate, because Jesus always knew that He would be rejected. The plan was never to set up the earthly kingdom at that point in time. Jesus was here for a much larger purpose, but first, Jesus had to offer Himself to the Jews, or else God’s promise of a King and a kingdom would have seemed like a lie. The Jews were God’s chosen people, and they had to be given the chance to accept Jesus as their King. But they chose to reject Him. Why? Remember how we previously examined various spirits? God sent down a very interesting spirit to afflict the nation of Israel during the time when Jesus was on earth.
Romans 11:7-8: “What then? Israel (the Jews) hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election (the Jews who believed on Jesus) hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.”
The “spirit of slumber” caused many Jews to not recognize their King, even as He was in their presence. Why did God allow this?
Romans 11:9-11: “And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.”
Romans 11:25: “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.”
Romans 11:32: “For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.”
God wanted to be fair. The Jews had always had an advantage over the Gentiles, so God decided to level the playing field. When the Jews rejected their King, they temporarily forfeited the special relationship they had with God. Going forward, faith was what allowed access to God, not a Jewish/religious background. Everyone in the age of grace has equal opportunity to reach out to God through faith.
Romans 3:29-30: “Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision (Jews) by faith, and uncircumcision (Gentiles) through faith.”
What made this change possible? Jesus dealt with the sin problem (His second reason for coming to the earth). What did John the Baptist say when he first saw Jesus?
John 1:29: “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
Why was Jesus called the Lamb of God? And how could Jesus take away the sin of the world when people are still sinning constantly?
Let’s answer that first question. Lambs were sacrificed under Old Testament law for sins committed, along with bulls and goats. These lambs had to be without blemish, as was first mentioned in regards to the Passover.
Exodus 12:5-7: “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.”
The sacrifice of lambs continued after this event.
Numbers 6:14: “And he shall offer his offering unto the Lord, one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings,”
Lambs were to be sacrificed daily.
Numbers 28:3-4: “And thou shalt say unto them, This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the Lord; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt offering. The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even;”
When Jesus was on the earth, He never sinned.
2nd Corinthians 5:21: “For he (God) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Hebrews 4:14-15: “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
Remember how those lambs had to be without blemish? This was a picture of Jesus Christ.
1st Peter 1:18-19: “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”
Being free from sin meant that Jesus was without blemish, just as those lambs that were chosen to be sacrificed to God. The sacrifice of Jesus was much greater than the sacrifice of lambs, bulls, or goats.
Hebrews 10:11-12: “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man (Jesus), after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;”
Jesus presented Himself as a lamb without blemish, sacrificed to God for the sins of the world. This is why Jesus was called the Lamb of God.
Now, onto the second question. How can it be said that Jesus took away the sin of the world? Sin is running rampant everywhere. Even believers still sin. Jesus never took away the sinful nature of the flesh. Jesus condemned sin in the flesh so that sin could lose its power over that which is spiritual. Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation (Ephesians 1:13), which is the spiritual birth into the family of God. Believers are born twice but die only once, and the death of the flesh is caused by sin (Romans 6:23). At the time of death, a person’s sinful nature perishes along with the body, leaving the spirit to go to a different place (Heaven or Hell). Sin is still in existence, but people have their sinful nature attached to the flesh, disconnected from the spirit. Belief in Jesus takes away the condemnation that sin brings (Hell, or spiritual death). Sin cannot condemn the spirit and soul of a believer because sin was condemned in the flesh, and so sin can only condemn the flesh. Sin once stood between people and God, but Jesus took sin out of the way, by confining it to the flesh. The reason it can be said that Jesus took away the sin of the world is because Jesus took sin out of the way and placed Himself between people and God. Sin no longer separates people from God, but rather unbelief in Jesus is the problem. When a person rejects Jesus, God continues to record that person’s sins to their account, which He does not do for believers (Romans 4:8). Unbelief in Jesus Christ gives sin the power to cause spiritual death. Belief in Jesus Christ removes sin from a believer’s account, eliminating the chance for a spiritual death and leaving only the future death of the flesh, wherein the sin is contained.
Now, back to my original question. Why did Jesus Christ come to the earth as a man? The high priests of the Old Testament offered the blood of bulls and goats to God yearly as a sacrifice for the sins of the Jews.
Hebrews 9:6-7: “Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:”
Sins cannot be forgiven without the shedding of blood.
Hebrews 9:22: “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission (forgiveness).”
The flesh and blood of Jesus would be offered to God just as it was for the sacrificial animals.
Luke 22:19-20: “And he (Jesus) took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them (the disciples), saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”
The flesh of Jesus was killed, and His blood was spilled, just like those sacrificial animals under Old Testament law. The way that Jesus was put to death was no accident. To achieve His mission, Jesus could not be killed by just any method, such as being hung. The blood of Jesus had to be shed. Jesus hung on His cross and bled out, and then Jesus gave up His spirit.
John 19:28-30: “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”
What happened next? Jesus resurrected three days later and took His blood to Heaven to offer to God for the sins of the world.
Hebrews 9:12: “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”
The sin of one man (Adam) brought condemnation to the world. To solve this problem, Jesus Christ became a man so that his sinless life could bring salvation to the world. If sin began in the flesh, then sin had to be dealt with in the flesh.
Romans 5:15-19: “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence (sin) of one (Adam) many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”
Sin is in the flesh (Romans 7:17-23, 8:3), and blood is the life of the flesh (Leviticus 17:11). In this sense, blood enables sin, or blood is what powers sinful flesh. When blood is shed, the flesh dies, and along with it, the sinful nature. Jesus needed flesh and blood for His mission. He shed His blood, which killed His flesh, and this flesh and blood, both unspotted by sin, was the perfect sacrifice to offer God. The body of Jesus was killed, and the blood was taken to Heaven. Flesh and blood are earthly, but Jesus was spiritual, so it was necessary for Jesus to take on the form of a man. Flesh cannot obey spiritual laws (Romans 7:14), and likewise, that which is spiritual cannot fix that which is flesh. Jesus took on a body of flesh in order to deal with the ultimate problem of the flesh, which is sin.
John 1:31: “And I knew him (Jesus) not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.”
Jesus had two reasons for coming to the earth. The first reason was to present Himself to the Jews (Israel).
Romans 15:8: “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision (the Jews) for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:”
The Jews were promised a King and a kingdom, and Jesus came to fulfill that promise.
Mark 15:1-2: “And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate (the governor). And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto them, Thou sayest it.”
Here, Jesus admits to Pilate that He is the King of the Jews. Let’s continue.
Mark 15:3-9: “And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing. And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee. But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled. Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them. But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy. But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify him. Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him. And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.”
The Jews demanded that Jesus be crucified. Why? Because they did not recognize their King.
John 1:10-11: “He (Jesus) was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own (the Jews), and his own received him not.”
Jesus came to the earth as a Jew to be the King of His people, but they demanded His crucifixion (not every Jew, but the nation as a whole). Jesus did not give a defense to Pilate, because Jesus always knew that He would be rejected. The plan was never to set up the earthly kingdom at that point in time. Jesus was here for a much larger purpose, but first, Jesus had to offer Himself to the Jews, or else God’s promise of a King and a kingdom would have seemed like a lie. The Jews were God’s chosen people, and they had to be given the chance to accept Jesus as their King. But they chose to reject Him. Why? Remember how we previously examined various spirits? God sent down a very interesting spirit to afflict the nation of Israel during the time when Jesus was on earth.
Romans 11:7-8: “What then? Israel (the Jews) hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election (the Jews who believed on Jesus) hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.”
The “spirit of slumber” caused many Jews to not recognize their King, even as He was in their presence. Why did God allow this?
Romans 11:9-11: “And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.”
Romans 11:25: “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.”
Romans 11:32: “For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.”
God wanted to be fair. The Jews had always had an advantage over the Gentiles, so God decided to level the playing field. When the Jews rejected their King, they temporarily forfeited the special relationship they had with God. Going forward, faith was what allowed access to God, not a Jewish/religious background. Everyone in the age of grace has equal opportunity to reach out to God through faith.
Romans 3:29-30: “Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision (Jews) by faith, and uncircumcision (Gentiles) through faith.”
What made this change possible? Jesus dealt with the sin problem (His second reason for coming to the earth). What did John the Baptist say when he first saw Jesus?
John 1:29: “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
Why was Jesus called the Lamb of God? And how could Jesus take away the sin of the world when people are still sinning constantly?
Let’s answer that first question. Lambs were sacrificed under Old Testament law for sins committed, along with bulls and goats. These lambs had to be without blemish, as was first mentioned in regards to the Passover.
Exodus 12:5-7: “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.”
The sacrifice of lambs continued after this event.
Numbers 6:14: “And he shall offer his offering unto the Lord, one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings,”
Lambs were to be sacrificed daily.
Numbers 28:3-4: “And thou shalt say unto them, This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the Lord; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt offering. The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even;”
When Jesus was on the earth, He never sinned.
2nd Corinthians 5:21: “For he (God) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Hebrews 4:14-15: “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
Remember how those lambs had to be without blemish? This was a picture of Jesus Christ.
1st Peter 1:18-19: “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”
Being free from sin meant that Jesus was without blemish, just as those lambs that were chosen to be sacrificed to God. The sacrifice of Jesus was much greater than the sacrifice of lambs, bulls, or goats.
Hebrews 10:11-12: “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man (Jesus), after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;”
Jesus presented Himself as a lamb without blemish, sacrificed to God for the sins of the world. This is why Jesus was called the Lamb of God.
Now, onto the second question. How can it be said that Jesus took away the sin of the world? Sin is running rampant everywhere. Even believers still sin. Jesus never took away the sinful nature of the flesh. Jesus condemned sin in the flesh so that sin could lose its power over that which is spiritual. Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation (Ephesians 1:13), which is the spiritual birth into the family of God. Believers are born twice but die only once, and the death of the flesh is caused by sin (Romans 6:23). At the time of death, a person’s sinful nature perishes along with the body, leaving the spirit to go to a different place (Heaven or Hell). Sin is still in existence, but people have their sinful nature attached to the flesh, disconnected from the spirit. Belief in Jesus takes away the condemnation that sin brings (Hell, or spiritual death). Sin cannot condemn the spirit and soul of a believer because sin was condemned in the flesh, and so sin can only condemn the flesh. Sin once stood between people and God, but Jesus took sin out of the way, by confining it to the flesh. The reason it can be said that Jesus took away the sin of the world is because Jesus took sin out of the way and placed Himself between people and God. Sin no longer separates people from God, but rather unbelief in Jesus is the problem. When a person rejects Jesus, God continues to record that person’s sins to their account, which He does not do for believers (Romans 4:8). Unbelief in Jesus Christ gives sin the power to cause spiritual death. Belief in Jesus Christ removes sin from a believer’s account, eliminating the chance for a spiritual death and leaving only the future death of the flesh, wherein the sin is contained.
Now, back to my original question. Why did Jesus Christ come to the earth as a man? The high priests of the Old Testament offered the blood of bulls and goats to God yearly as a sacrifice for the sins of the Jews.
Hebrews 9:6-7: “Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:”
Sins cannot be forgiven without the shedding of blood.
Hebrews 9:22: “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission (forgiveness).”
The flesh and blood of Jesus would be offered to God just as it was for the sacrificial animals.
Luke 22:19-20: “And he (Jesus) took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them (the disciples), saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”
The flesh of Jesus was killed, and His blood was spilled, just like those sacrificial animals under Old Testament law. The way that Jesus was put to death was no accident. To achieve His mission, Jesus could not be killed by just any method, such as being hung. The blood of Jesus had to be shed. Jesus hung on His cross and bled out, and then Jesus gave up His spirit.
John 19:28-30: “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”
What happened next? Jesus resurrected three days later and took His blood to Heaven to offer to God for the sins of the world.
Hebrews 9:12: “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”
The sin of one man (Adam) brought condemnation to the world. To solve this problem, Jesus Christ became a man so that his sinless life could bring salvation to the world. If sin began in the flesh, then sin had to be dealt with in the flesh.
Romans 5:15-19: “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence (sin) of one (Adam) many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”
Sin is in the flesh (Romans 7:17-23, 8:3), and blood is the life of the flesh (Leviticus 17:11). In this sense, blood enables sin, or blood is what powers sinful flesh. When blood is shed, the flesh dies, and along with it, the sinful nature. Jesus needed flesh and blood for His mission. He shed His blood, which killed His flesh, and this flesh and blood, both unspotted by sin, was the perfect sacrifice to offer God. The body of Jesus was killed, and the blood was taken to Heaven. Flesh and blood are earthly, but Jesus was spiritual, so it was necessary for Jesus to take on the form of a man. Flesh cannot obey spiritual laws (Romans 7:14), and likewise, that which is spiritual cannot fix that which is flesh. Jesus took on a body of flesh in order to deal with the ultimate problem of the flesh, which is sin.
The children of disobedience
Ephesians 2:2-3: “Wherein in time past ye (believers on Jesus Christ) 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.”
There is a spirit that works in a group of people that Paul referred to as “the children of disobedience”. This group faces the wrath of God.
Ephesians 5:3-6: “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.”
But there is another group of “children.”
Galatians 3:26: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
Believers on Jesus Christ are adopted into the family of God through faith. Believers are the very children of God. So who are the children of disobedience? We can conclude that they are unbelievers on Jesus Christ. And what are they disobeying?
2nd Thessalonians 1:7-8: “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:”
The Gospel of Christ is the message that Jesus died for the sins of the world, was buried, and rose again three days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Why don’t people believe the Gospel of Christ?
2nd Corinthians 4:4: “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
The “god of this world” is Satan, and he is very resourceful. When Paul refers to Satan as “the god of this world”, don’t underestimate what Paul is telling us here. Satan has power over the whole world, controlling it through people and institutions in positions of authority who have sold out to him. (Read my article “The Uncensored Truth About America” for much more on this subject.) There is a popular misconception that Satan resides in Hell, an image that seems to have been created and perpetuated by Hollywood. Satan is not in Hell. His place is still in Heaven, where it will be until he is evicted during the Tribulation (Revelation 12:7-10), and he will eventually be thrown into the lake of fire at the end of Jesus Christ’s 1,000-year reign on earth (Revelation 20:10). God created the lake of fire for the purpose of punishing sin, but God also created a way for people to escape the lake of fire by sending His Son down in the form of a man to die for the sins of the world. Satan is jealous of God (Isaiah 14:12-14), and man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). This is why Satan hates people, and to spite God, Satan has made it his mission to take as many people into the lake of fire with him as possible. Remember how God gave the Jews “the spirit of slumber” and how “blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in”? Who caused this blinding? The Apostle Paul informs us that in the age of grace, people who do not believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ have been affected by Satan, who has “blinded the minds of them which believe not”. If believers, through faith, are the children of God, then unbelievers, through lack of faith, are the children of disobedience. This latter group has been blinded from the truth and has not obeyed the Gospel of Christ by not believing on it.
Why is there such an increasingly anti-Christian bias in the world? Why is it that fake science and liberal opinions are constantly forced onto the public, through the media, to try to manipulate their beliefs? Do people just hate God and His Son? It’s not that simple. Remember, when a person believes on Jesus Christ, that person is made a child of God and sealed with the Holy Spirit. This means that a person who has not believed is a child of disobedience, and this person has another spirit.
1st Corinthians 2:12: “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”
Ephesians 2:2: “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:”
When a believer finds himself or herself fighting against a world that does not believe on Jesus Christ, he or she must remember that believers do not fight against people. There is a spirit at work.
Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
The Holy Spirit is the one spirit that you need. All others are deceivers. Some even pose as good spirits, coming to you in the name of Jesus (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4). It may seem complex at times, but in reality, there are really only two spirits.
1st John 4:6: “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth (the Holy Spirit), and the spirit of error (the spirit of the world).”
(But can it truly be said that there are only two spirits? What if a person is a “Christian” who believes that you must turn away from all of your sins to be saved? How can this person contain the spirit of the world when this person claims to believe in Jesus? Because this person is teaching of another Jesus, one who requires more than simple faith. If a person believes in a false Jesus and a false gospel, this person is subscribing to concepts that are not coming from the Holy Spirit. The spirit of the world comes from Satan, who has made it his job to keep people from becoming saved. The spirit of the world resides in unbelievers. If a person believes in a false Jesus, then they are just as much an unbeliever as someone who is an atheist. Any spirit, even one that is religious, that is contrary to the Holy Spirit is merely an extension of the spirit of the world.)
This is a black and white issue, meaning it is really quite simple. There are two different groups of children, and they are inhabited by two different spirits. The children of God who have the Spirit of truth, and the children of disobedience who have the spirit of error. God’s wrath is coming for the children of disobedience. Why?
Ephesians 5:3-6: “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.”
Colossians 3:5-6: “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:”
God is full of wrath because of the sins of these people. How do these people escape God’s wrath? Jesus Christ was the sacrifice for their sins when He died on the cross. While it can be true to say that God has wrath against sinners, because of the work of Jesus, there is another way to look at the group of people that God will direct His wrath at.
John 3:36: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
We are all sinners, but because of the work of Jesus Christ, God’s wrath is reserved only for unbelievers. Adoption into the family of God is just one simple step of belief away. Every person contains either the Holy Spirit or the spirit of the world, and which spirit you have will determine where you will go after death. We all have a physical father, and we all have a spiritual father. You are either a child of God or a child of disobedience.
There is a spirit that works in a group of people that Paul referred to as “the children of disobedience”. This group faces the wrath of God.
Ephesians 5:3-6: “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.”
But there is another group of “children.”
Galatians 3:26: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
Believers on Jesus Christ are adopted into the family of God through faith. Believers are the very children of God. So who are the children of disobedience? We can conclude that they are unbelievers on Jesus Christ. And what are they disobeying?
2nd Thessalonians 1:7-8: “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:”
The Gospel of Christ is the message that Jesus died for the sins of the world, was buried, and rose again three days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Why don’t people believe the Gospel of Christ?
2nd Corinthians 4:4: “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
The “god of this world” is Satan, and he is very resourceful. When Paul refers to Satan as “the god of this world”, don’t underestimate what Paul is telling us here. Satan has power over the whole world, controlling it through people and institutions in positions of authority who have sold out to him. (Read my article “The Uncensored Truth About America” for much more on this subject.) There is a popular misconception that Satan resides in Hell, an image that seems to have been created and perpetuated by Hollywood. Satan is not in Hell. His place is still in Heaven, where it will be until he is evicted during the Tribulation (Revelation 12:7-10), and he will eventually be thrown into the lake of fire at the end of Jesus Christ’s 1,000-year reign on earth (Revelation 20:10). God created the lake of fire for the purpose of punishing sin, but God also created a way for people to escape the lake of fire by sending His Son down in the form of a man to die for the sins of the world. Satan is jealous of God (Isaiah 14:12-14), and man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). This is why Satan hates people, and to spite God, Satan has made it his mission to take as many people into the lake of fire with him as possible. Remember how God gave the Jews “the spirit of slumber” and how “blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in”? Who caused this blinding? The Apostle Paul informs us that in the age of grace, people who do not believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ have been affected by Satan, who has “blinded the minds of them which believe not”. If believers, through faith, are the children of God, then unbelievers, through lack of faith, are the children of disobedience. This latter group has been blinded from the truth and has not obeyed the Gospel of Christ by not believing on it.
Why is there such an increasingly anti-Christian bias in the world? Why is it that fake science and liberal opinions are constantly forced onto the public, through the media, to try to manipulate their beliefs? Do people just hate God and His Son? It’s not that simple. Remember, when a person believes on Jesus Christ, that person is made a child of God and sealed with the Holy Spirit. This means that a person who has not believed is a child of disobedience, and this person has another spirit.
1st Corinthians 2:12: “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”
Ephesians 2:2: “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:”
When a believer finds himself or herself fighting against a world that does not believe on Jesus Christ, he or she must remember that believers do not fight against people. There is a spirit at work.
Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
The Holy Spirit is the one spirit that you need. All others are deceivers. Some even pose as good spirits, coming to you in the name of Jesus (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4). It may seem complex at times, but in reality, there are really only two spirits.
1st John 4:6: “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth (the Holy Spirit), and the spirit of error (the spirit of the world).”
(But can it truly be said that there are only two spirits? What if a person is a “Christian” who believes that you must turn away from all of your sins to be saved? How can this person contain the spirit of the world when this person claims to believe in Jesus? Because this person is teaching of another Jesus, one who requires more than simple faith. If a person believes in a false Jesus and a false gospel, this person is subscribing to concepts that are not coming from the Holy Spirit. The spirit of the world comes from Satan, who has made it his job to keep people from becoming saved. The spirit of the world resides in unbelievers. If a person believes in a false Jesus, then they are just as much an unbeliever as someone who is an atheist. Any spirit, even one that is religious, that is contrary to the Holy Spirit is merely an extension of the spirit of the world.)
This is a black and white issue, meaning it is really quite simple. There are two different groups of children, and they are inhabited by two different spirits. The children of God who have the Spirit of truth, and the children of disobedience who have the spirit of error. God’s wrath is coming for the children of disobedience. Why?
Ephesians 5:3-6: “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.”
Colossians 3:5-6: “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:”
God is full of wrath because of the sins of these people. How do these people escape God’s wrath? Jesus Christ was the sacrifice for their sins when He died on the cross. While it can be true to say that God has wrath against sinners, because of the work of Jesus, there is another way to look at the group of people that God will direct His wrath at.
John 3:36: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
We are all sinners, but because of the work of Jesus Christ, God’s wrath is reserved only for unbelievers. Adoption into the family of God is just one simple step of belief away. Every person contains either the Holy Spirit or the spirit of the world, and which spirit you have will determine where you will go after death. We all have a physical father, and we all have a spiritual father. You are either a child of God or a child of disobedience.
The spirit of conspiracies
Let’s talk about conspiracies. If you haven’t read my article “The Uncensored Truth About America,” please check it out. It details how Satan is the god of this world, and how because of that, there are many conspiracies against humanity. From Freemasonry to NASA to Hollywood, Satan is working behind the scenes. But perhaps you don’t take conspiracies seriously. If this is the case, have you been manipulated to feel this way? There is a push by the media and Hollywood to demonize “conspiracy theories” and “conspiracy theorists.” Why is that? And how could conspiracies exist without them being exposed and reported on? What about freedom of the press and the many outlets of journalism?
Satan is the god of this world (2nd Corinthians 4:4), and he is also called the father of lies (John 8:44). There are lies being carried out against the common people of this world. This has been going on for a very long time. If Satan opposes God, then Satan opposes the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth. What is the opposite of truth? A lie, or perhaps an error, which is something that is not correct. Satan’s spirit is the spirit of error (1st John 4:6). The spirit of Satan that permeates the world would by nature be a deceitful spirit full of lies. This spirit would seek to shut down truth and anyone who attempts to spread truth. Jesus Christ said He was the truth (John 14:6), while Satan opposes truth because he is the father of lies. Satan told the first lies in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-5), and he has been spreading lies ever since.
Now, let’s look at the idea of conspiracies. Conspiracies are mentioned in the Bible, and every single time, they are portrayed in a negative context. Let’s look at a few examples.
2nd Kings 12:20: “And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and slew Joash in the house of Millo, which goeth down to Silla.”
2nd Kings 14:19: “Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.”
Jeremiah 11:9-11: “And the Lord said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers. Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.”
If you have read other articles I have written, you may know by now that I recognize Paul as the apostle for the age of grace. Paul’s teachings apply directly to believers in this current period of time, which will last until the Rapture occurs and the Tribulation begins. There are many false Christians out there, and likewise, there are many false teachers. Some of these deceivers hate the Apostle Paul, because their mission is to keep people from the truth. With all of this in mind, you might find the following quite interesting:
Acts 23:12-15: “And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy. And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.”
There was a conspiracy to kill Paul, much like how in these days, there is a conspiracy within a segment of the “Christian” community to silence Paul by ignoring his teachings and calling him a deceiver. “Christians” who label Paul a deceiver are following after the spirit of error, and they themselves are the true deceivers. (The reason Paul is hated is because his teachings describe salvation by God’s grace, the pre-Tribulation Rapture, and other doctrines that are despised by Satan and his religious crowd of legalistic, Christian imposters.)
Now, we have learned that conspiracies in the Bible resulted in deaths or other negative consequences. But let’s keep it going by taking a look at examples from Scripture where it is said that people “conspired.”
Genesis 37:18: “And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.”
2nd Kings 15:25: “But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room.”
2nd Chronicles 33:24: “And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.”
In the Bible, people who conspired had evil intentions. When people conspire, they form a conspiracy. The following “simple” definitions of the word “conspiracy” were taken from merriam-webster.com:
a secret plan made by two or more people to do something that is harmful or illegal
the act of secretly planning to do something that is harmful or illegal
Conspiracies depend on secrecy. Why is that? Because when evil is the end result, the plan must be kept a secret so that it is not discovered and thwarted. In America, Freemasons, government agencies, Hollywood, etc., have been carrying out conspiracies against the public for a good long while. This is because Satan is the god of this world, and Satan opposes God and Jesus Christ. God and Jesus want people to be saved and know the truth, while Satan wants people to be lost and know nothing but lies. Satan makes himself the complete opposite of Jesus. What is one way that Jesus operates?
John 18:20: “Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.”
Satan counters this by instructing his followers to carry out their plans in secret. (Again, please read “The Uncensored Truth About America” for much more on how Satan controls the world through people in authority.) Whether the conspiracy is the fake NASA moon landings (meant to make the public believe in the fictional idea of outer space, the ball earth, and the possibility of alien life, while draining billions of dollars out of taxpayers), or the hoax shooting in Sandy Hook (meant to rally up public support of gun control), Satan has been behind all of them. Governments and kingdoms come and go, but Satan has authority on earth, and he gives it to those in power (Luke 4:6-7), who in return carry out Satan’s plans. You will never see a truly peaceful government in this world. Hoax shootings happen regularly in America, and then crisis actors portraying the family members and friends of “victims” get behind television cameras instantly, demanding gun control as they read their scripted cue cards and pretend to cry. They demand peace and safety, but when people give up their rights to tyrannical governments, they get anything but peace and safety. The Bible said it best:
1st Thessalonians 5:3: “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”
Governments will never provide peace and safety, because Satan is the god of this world, and governments are run by people who answer to Satan. However, there will indeed be peace on the earth one day. Jesus is coming back, and He is going to set up His kingdom on the earth, and in case you didn’t know, Jesus is called “The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
(I realize that I have stated some things here that may be considered controversial by some. These ideas may seem out of place on a website like this, but truth is truth. Jesus Christ is the truth (John 14:6), and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. If you’re reading this, then obviously you want to learn about the truth, and that’s what you’re going to get here. If you don’t agree with something you read here, check into it for yourself before deciding that what I’m saying is wrong. If you don’t do that, or if you do that and still don’t agree, then just ignore that part of my article. But don’t ignore Biblical truths just because you don’t agree with everything stated here. Chew on the meat and spit out the bones. We that have believed on the Gospel of Jesus Christ are all brothers and sisters, and if you’re not part of the family yet, you can easily join by faith.)
So why have we been examining the idea of conspiracies? How does this subject tie into the subject of the flesh and the spirit? Look carefully at the word “conspiracy.” It looks like the word “spirit” was inserted into the middle of the word. Note the origin of the word “conspire,” taken from dictionary.com:
1325-75; Middle English < Latin conspīrāre to act in harmony, conspire, equivalent to con- con- + spīrāre to breathe; see spirant, spirit
Now look at the origin of the word “spirit,” also taken from dictionary.com:
1200-50; Middle English (noun) < Latin spīritus orig., a breathing, equivalent to spīri-, combining form representing spīrāre to breathe + -tus suffix of v. action
The Latin root word “spīrāre” was used to form the words “conspire” and “spirit,” suggesting a connection between these two concepts. Spīrāre means “to breathe.” Recall how God breathed life into man (Genesis 2:7) and man was given a spirit (Zechariah 12:1), and how breath and spirit are connected throughout Scripture based on the original Hebrew and Greek words. Many times a word that meant “breath” was translated into English as “spirit.” So let me present you with my theory. If spīrāre means “to breathe,” and it is used to form the word “conspire,” this suggests that there is a breath in a conspiracy. What is it that breathes life into a conspiracy? The people involved? Or could it be Satan? I believe that the method of using conspiracies was devised by Satan, and that conspiracies are simply a trademark of Satan. Now if God breathed life into man, and this put a spirit into man, then when Satan breathes life into conspiracies, does this put a spirit into them? Does a spirit actually exist within a conspiracy, as the word seems to suggest? And what spirit would this be? If Jesus claimed that He did not say things in secret, and conspiracies are planned in secret, what spirit is involved in the formation of conspiracies? Is it the Spirit of truth, or the spirit of error? I believe that Satan, the god of this world, uses his human agents, placed in positions of authority, to carry out conspiracies against the people of the world, and these conspiracies are fueled by the spirit of error. This is my theory. I’m not presenting it as an absolute truth, but rather as something to consider. And there is more evidence that supports my theory. Note the following:
2nd Timothy 3:16: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
Note the origin of the word “inspire,” taken from dictionary.com:
1300-50; Middle English inspiren < Latin inspīrāre to breathe upon or into, equivalent to in- in-2+ spīrāre to breathe
The Latin root word “spīrāre” was also used to form the word “inspire,” suggesting there is a connection between spirits and inspiration as well. If all Scripture was given by inspiration of God, did God essentially breathe life into that inspiration? Did a spirit actually exist within the inspiration, as the word seems to suggest? When did the Apostle John have the vision that he recorded in the book of Revelation?
Revelation 1:10-11: “I was in the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.”
John was under the influence of the Holy Spirit. What about the prophet Isaiah?
Isaiah 61:1: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;”
Isaiah was under the influence of the Holy Spirit. And what is Scripture called?
2nd Timothy 2:15: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
If Scripture came from inspiration, and Scripture is the word of truth, then it is clear that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, was involved in the inspiration that affected the writers of the Bible. How did all of those Old Testament writers record prophecies way in advance that foretold of the coming of Jesus Christ? Because they were under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Look at what Jesus said to His disciples:
John 15:26: “But when the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”
John 16:13-14: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”
The Holy Spirit tells of Jesus Christ. And don’t forget the following:
1st John 5:5-7: “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
God, His Word, and the Holy Spirit are all one and the same. God gave inspiration to the writers of the Bible, and they recorded God’s Word. The inspiration itself contained the third part of God, the Holy Spirit.
In closing: The spirit of error (Satan’s spirit) is the force behind conspiracies, which are secret and evil. The Holy Spirit (God’s Spirit) is the force behind Scripture, which is truth. Satan conspires, while God inspires.
Now, let’s look at the idea of conspiracies. Conspiracies are mentioned in the Bible, and every single time, they are portrayed in a negative context. Let’s look at a few examples.
2nd Kings 12:20: “And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and slew Joash in the house of Millo, which goeth down to Silla.”
2nd Kings 14:19: “Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.”
Jeremiah 11:9-11: “And the Lord said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers. Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.”
If you have read other articles I have written, you may know by now that I recognize Paul as the apostle for the age of grace. Paul’s teachings apply directly to believers in this current period of time, which will last until the Rapture occurs and the Tribulation begins. There are many false Christians out there, and likewise, there are many false teachers. Some of these deceivers hate the Apostle Paul, because their mission is to keep people from the truth. With all of this in mind, you might find the following quite interesting:
Acts 23:12-15: “And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy. And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.”
There was a conspiracy to kill Paul, much like how in these days, there is a conspiracy within a segment of the “Christian” community to silence Paul by ignoring his teachings and calling him a deceiver. “Christians” who label Paul a deceiver are following after the spirit of error, and they themselves are the true deceivers. (The reason Paul is hated is because his teachings describe salvation by God’s grace, the pre-Tribulation Rapture, and other doctrines that are despised by Satan and his religious crowd of legalistic, Christian imposters.)
Now, we have learned that conspiracies in the Bible resulted in deaths or other negative consequences. But let’s keep it going by taking a look at examples from Scripture where it is said that people “conspired.”
Genesis 37:18: “And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.”
2nd Kings 15:25: “But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room.”
2nd Chronicles 33:24: “And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.”
In the Bible, people who conspired had evil intentions. When people conspire, they form a conspiracy. The following “simple” definitions of the word “conspiracy” were taken from merriam-webster.com:
a secret plan made by two or more people to do something that is harmful or illegal
the act of secretly planning to do something that is harmful or illegal
Conspiracies depend on secrecy. Why is that? Because when evil is the end result, the plan must be kept a secret so that it is not discovered and thwarted. In America, Freemasons, government agencies, Hollywood, etc., have been carrying out conspiracies against the public for a good long while. This is because Satan is the god of this world, and Satan opposes God and Jesus Christ. God and Jesus want people to be saved and know the truth, while Satan wants people to be lost and know nothing but lies. Satan makes himself the complete opposite of Jesus. What is one way that Jesus operates?
John 18:20: “Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.”
Satan counters this by instructing his followers to carry out their plans in secret. (Again, please read “The Uncensored Truth About America” for much more on how Satan controls the world through people in authority.) Whether the conspiracy is the fake NASA moon landings (meant to make the public believe in the fictional idea of outer space, the ball earth, and the possibility of alien life, while draining billions of dollars out of taxpayers), or the hoax shooting in Sandy Hook (meant to rally up public support of gun control), Satan has been behind all of them. Governments and kingdoms come and go, but Satan has authority on earth, and he gives it to those in power (Luke 4:6-7), who in return carry out Satan’s plans. You will never see a truly peaceful government in this world. Hoax shootings happen regularly in America, and then crisis actors portraying the family members and friends of “victims” get behind television cameras instantly, demanding gun control as they read their scripted cue cards and pretend to cry. They demand peace and safety, but when people give up their rights to tyrannical governments, they get anything but peace and safety. The Bible said it best:
1st Thessalonians 5:3: “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”
Governments will never provide peace and safety, because Satan is the god of this world, and governments are run by people who answer to Satan. However, there will indeed be peace on the earth one day. Jesus is coming back, and He is going to set up His kingdom on the earth, and in case you didn’t know, Jesus is called “The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
(I realize that I have stated some things here that may be considered controversial by some. These ideas may seem out of place on a website like this, but truth is truth. Jesus Christ is the truth (John 14:6), and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. If you’re reading this, then obviously you want to learn about the truth, and that’s what you’re going to get here. If you don’t agree with something you read here, check into it for yourself before deciding that what I’m saying is wrong. If you don’t do that, or if you do that and still don’t agree, then just ignore that part of my article. But don’t ignore Biblical truths just because you don’t agree with everything stated here. Chew on the meat and spit out the bones. We that have believed on the Gospel of Jesus Christ are all brothers and sisters, and if you’re not part of the family yet, you can easily join by faith.)
So why have we been examining the idea of conspiracies? How does this subject tie into the subject of the flesh and the spirit? Look carefully at the word “conspiracy.” It looks like the word “spirit” was inserted into the middle of the word. Note the origin of the word “conspire,” taken from dictionary.com:
1325-75; Middle English < Latin conspīrāre to act in harmony, conspire, equivalent to con- con- + spīrāre to breathe; see spirant, spirit
Now look at the origin of the word “spirit,” also taken from dictionary.com:
1200-50; Middle English (noun) < Latin spīritus orig., a breathing, equivalent to spīri-, combining form representing spīrāre to breathe + -tus suffix of v. action
The Latin root word “spīrāre” was used to form the words “conspire” and “spirit,” suggesting a connection between these two concepts. Spīrāre means “to breathe.” Recall how God breathed life into man (Genesis 2:7) and man was given a spirit (Zechariah 12:1), and how breath and spirit are connected throughout Scripture based on the original Hebrew and Greek words. Many times a word that meant “breath” was translated into English as “spirit.” So let me present you with my theory. If spīrāre means “to breathe,” and it is used to form the word “conspire,” this suggests that there is a breath in a conspiracy. What is it that breathes life into a conspiracy? The people involved? Or could it be Satan? I believe that the method of using conspiracies was devised by Satan, and that conspiracies are simply a trademark of Satan. Now if God breathed life into man, and this put a spirit into man, then when Satan breathes life into conspiracies, does this put a spirit into them? Does a spirit actually exist within a conspiracy, as the word seems to suggest? And what spirit would this be? If Jesus claimed that He did not say things in secret, and conspiracies are planned in secret, what spirit is involved in the formation of conspiracies? Is it the Spirit of truth, or the spirit of error? I believe that Satan, the god of this world, uses his human agents, placed in positions of authority, to carry out conspiracies against the people of the world, and these conspiracies are fueled by the spirit of error. This is my theory. I’m not presenting it as an absolute truth, but rather as something to consider. And there is more evidence that supports my theory. Note the following:
2nd Timothy 3:16: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
Note the origin of the word “inspire,” taken from dictionary.com:
1300-50; Middle English inspiren < Latin inspīrāre to breathe upon or into, equivalent to in- in-2+ spīrāre to breathe
The Latin root word “spīrāre” was also used to form the word “inspire,” suggesting there is a connection between spirits and inspiration as well. If all Scripture was given by inspiration of God, did God essentially breathe life into that inspiration? Did a spirit actually exist within the inspiration, as the word seems to suggest? When did the Apostle John have the vision that he recorded in the book of Revelation?
Revelation 1:10-11: “I was in the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.”
John was under the influence of the Holy Spirit. What about the prophet Isaiah?
Isaiah 61:1: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;”
Isaiah was under the influence of the Holy Spirit. And what is Scripture called?
2nd Timothy 2:15: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
If Scripture came from inspiration, and Scripture is the word of truth, then it is clear that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, was involved in the inspiration that affected the writers of the Bible. How did all of those Old Testament writers record prophecies way in advance that foretold of the coming of Jesus Christ? Because they were under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Look at what Jesus said to His disciples:
John 15:26: “But when the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”
John 16:13-14: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”
The Holy Spirit tells of Jesus Christ. And don’t forget the following:
1st John 5:5-7: “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
God, His Word, and the Holy Spirit are all one and the same. God gave inspiration to the writers of the Bible, and they recorded God’s Word. The inspiration itself contained the third part of God, the Holy Spirit.
In closing: The spirit of error (Satan’s spirit) is the force behind conspiracies, which are secret and evil. The Holy Spirit (God’s Spirit) is the force behind Scripture, which is truth. Satan conspires, while God inspires.
A filthy spirit
2nd Corinthians 7:1: “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved (believers on Jesus Christ), let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
If sin is indeed a problem with/in the flesh, then what do we do with a verse like the one above? Does this verse suggest that the spirit can sin?
Let’s consult The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. The word “filthiness” from the above verse of Scripture came from the Greek word “molusmos,” which means “a stain,” and figuratively means “immorality.” This Greek word came from another Greek word, “moluno,” which means “to soil,” and was translated as “defile.”
So what do we have? A believer should keep his or her flesh and spirit from becoming stained. How does the flesh become stained? From sin, and sin dwells in the flesh.
Romans 7:18-23: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members (body parts), warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”
Paul taught that believers should yield their body parts to righteousness.
Romans 6:12-13: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”
Romans 6:19: “I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.”
Paul taught that there is infirmity, or weakness, in the flesh. Unbelievers have no choice but to yield their bodies to sin, but believers have the choice to yield themselves to God, so that they can be used for righteous purposes. Look carefully at the following instructions that Paul wrote to believers:
Colossians 3:1-10: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify (subdue) therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:”
Paul said don’t be distracted by things on earth. Seek the better things above in Heaven. Paul taught in other places of Scripture that life on earth is like a race, and believers should run the best race they can, because there will be eternal rewards in Heaven for those who do well. What good are the distractions of life that will pass away? The rewards in Heaven are forever. Paul says again that believers should bring their bodies into subjection. Paul then says it is because of sin that God’s wrath comes down upon the children of disobedience, who we previously determined to be unbelievers. Remember, they only have their flesh, and their flesh is sinful. They do not have a spirit that was given to them by the Holy Spirit of God through faith. Paul then reminds believers that they left “the old man” behind when they became saved. Remember the old man? He represents the flesh, which is all we have until we become saved. The “new man” represents the spiritual nature that is born the moment a person believes in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The new man is a spirit, born of the Holy Spirit, residing in a body of flesh. Jesus taught that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. The flesh is an infirmity to people, because sin dwells in the flesh.
Does sin cause a stain on/in the flesh? Consider the following:
1st Peter 3:21: “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”
Here, Peter teaches that people are not saved by getting rid of the filth, or sin, of their flesh, but rather by baptism. And no, this is not speaking of water baptism. This refers to the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1st Corinthians 12:13), which takes place at the moment a person believes on the Gospel of Christ (Ephesians 1:13). In the verse above, the word "filth" was translated from a Greek word that meant "dirt." Dirt can stain something's appearance.
Sin is like filth, or dirt, and it stains the flesh. But what stains the spirit? I would submit this to you: When a believer accepts other spirits, or allows other spirits inside, that causes his or her spirit to become stained. Let’s start with the spirit of a false Jesus:
2nd Corinthians 11:2-4: “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”
Believers are known as the bride of Christ. Paul taught that believers should be faithful to their figurative husband, Jesus Christ. That figurative marriage has not yet occurred between believers and Jesus. It will occur in Heaven during the time that the Tribulation is taking place on earth (Revelation 19:7-8). Until then, believers should remain virgins, meaning they should not become defiled, or stained, by getting involved with other spirits, other gospels, or any other Jesus.
Galatians 1:6-9: “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”
Many believers become defiled by getting caught up in other gospels, such as gospels that teach that works are necessary for salvation. These believers have defiled spirits, because they have whored themselves out to another Jesus. The real Jesus Christ did all the work to save you, and all you need to do is believe in what He accomplished. That is the true Gospel of grace. There are other versions of Jesus out there who are not very efficient. They can’t save people unless those people quit sinning, and salvation is never a sure thing, because it can be lost. Getting involved with these other versions of Jesus is no different than having an affair with another man or woman when you are engaged. Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are truth. All other versions are imposters, and they will only stain, or defile, your spirit. Say no to any other Jesus than the real one. The fake versions do not come with the Holy Spirit, but with other spirits, which is why John warned believers to test the spirits (1st John 4:1), because not all spirits that appear to come from God are actually coming to you from God. There are many religious people in positions of authority out there who are simply actors, pretending to be ministers of God. Don’t blindly accept them until you know they are representing the real Jesus Christ and not a fake.
2nd Corinthians 11:13-15: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
So we know that a believer can receive a false spirit attached to a false Jesus. But what about the spirit of the world, or the spirit of error? We looked earlier at how the children of disobedience are unbelievers on Jesus Christ, and they are inhabited by the spirit of the world. Believers have the Spirit of truth living inside of them, but they can still choose to sin and do the same things as the children of disobedience. A believer can choose to be filthy, and Paul warned against this.
Ephesians 5:3-8: “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:”
Paul instructed believers not to commit the same sins as unbelievers, and he said that believers should choose to walk according to their new nature (believers are God’s children). So what if a believer chooses to be filthy? A sinful lifestyle will stain the flesh. But does stained flesh rid a believer of the Holy Spirit? No, because the Holy Spirit forms a seal inside the believer. But a sinful lifestyle surely brings with it the spirit of the world, and this spirit could dwell inside a believer. Or maybe the spirit of the world finds access in more of a subtle way. There are believers who get caught up with worldly teachers and their worldly teachings. Believers may allow themselves to be influenced by opinions and beliefs fed to them through television, radio, magazines, Internet, etc. (And remember, Satan is the god of this world, and he controls the media.) These teachings come from the spirit of the world, and believers who heed these teachings unknowingly invite the spirit of the world to live inside of them and be roommates with the Holy Spirit. There are multiple ways for a believer’s spirit to become stained. But does a stained spirit rid a believer of the Holy Spirit? No. However, that believer will not be presented as a virgin on the day of the wedding. If you have a shirt, and you spill something on it, the shirt will be stained. The stain may never go away, but you still have a shirt. A stained spirit is still a spirit. A believer on Jesus Christ is permanently sealed with the Holy Spirit, and he or she is given a spirit that will live forever, created though faith and the second birth. But a believer should be careful, because that spirit can easily become filthy, or defiled, or stained, when it is tainted with the spirit of a false Jesus, the spirit of the world, or any other spirit.
If sin is indeed a problem with/in the flesh, then what do we do with a verse like the one above? Does this verse suggest that the spirit can sin?
Let’s consult The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. The word “filthiness” from the above verse of Scripture came from the Greek word “molusmos,” which means “a stain,” and figuratively means “immorality.” This Greek word came from another Greek word, “moluno,” which means “to soil,” and was translated as “defile.”
So what do we have? A believer should keep his or her flesh and spirit from becoming stained. How does the flesh become stained? From sin, and sin dwells in the flesh.
Romans 7:18-23: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members (body parts), warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”
Paul taught that believers should yield their body parts to righteousness.
Romans 6:12-13: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”
Romans 6:19: “I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.”
Paul taught that there is infirmity, or weakness, in the flesh. Unbelievers have no choice but to yield their bodies to sin, but believers have the choice to yield themselves to God, so that they can be used for righteous purposes. Look carefully at the following instructions that Paul wrote to believers:
Colossians 3:1-10: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify (subdue) therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:”
Paul said don’t be distracted by things on earth. Seek the better things above in Heaven. Paul taught in other places of Scripture that life on earth is like a race, and believers should run the best race they can, because there will be eternal rewards in Heaven for those who do well. What good are the distractions of life that will pass away? The rewards in Heaven are forever. Paul says again that believers should bring their bodies into subjection. Paul then says it is because of sin that God’s wrath comes down upon the children of disobedience, who we previously determined to be unbelievers. Remember, they only have their flesh, and their flesh is sinful. They do not have a spirit that was given to them by the Holy Spirit of God through faith. Paul then reminds believers that they left “the old man” behind when they became saved. Remember the old man? He represents the flesh, which is all we have until we become saved. The “new man” represents the spiritual nature that is born the moment a person believes in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The new man is a spirit, born of the Holy Spirit, residing in a body of flesh. Jesus taught that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. The flesh is an infirmity to people, because sin dwells in the flesh.
Does sin cause a stain on/in the flesh? Consider the following:
1st Peter 3:21: “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”
Here, Peter teaches that people are not saved by getting rid of the filth, or sin, of their flesh, but rather by baptism. And no, this is not speaking of water baptism. This refers to the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1st Corinthians 12:13), which takes place at the moment a person believes on the Gospel of Christ (Ephesians 1:13). In the verse above, the word "filth" was translated from a Greek word that meant "dirt." Dirt can stain something's appearance.
Sin is like filth, or dirt, and it stains the flesh. But what stains the spirit? I would submit this to you: When a believer accepts other spirits, or allows other spirits inside, that causes his or her spirit to become stained. Let’s start with the spirit of a false Jesus:
2nd Corinthians 11:2-4: “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”
Believers are known as the bride of Christ. Paul taught that believers should be faithful to their figurative husband, Jesus Christ. That figurative marriage has not yet occurred between believers and Jesus. It will occur in Heaven during the time that the Tribulation is taking place on earth (Revelation 19:7-8). Until then, believers should remain virgins, meaning they should not become defiled, or stained, by getting involved with other spirits, other gospels, or any other Jesus.
Galatians 1:6-9: “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”
Many believers become defiled by getting caught up in other gospels, such as gospels that teach that works are necessary for salvation. These believers have defiled spirits, because they have whored themselves out to another Jesus. The real Jesus Christ did all the work to save you, and all you need to do is believe in what He accomplished. That is the true Gospel of grace. There are other versions of Jesus out there who are not very efficient. They can’t save people unless those people quit sinning, and salvation is never a sure thing, because it can be lost. Getting involved with these other versions of Jesus is no different than having an affair with another man or woman when you are engaged. Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are truth. All other versions are imposters, and they will only stain, or defile, your spirit. Say no to any other Jesus than the real one. The fake versions do not come with the Holy Spirit, but with other spirits, which is why John warned believers to test the spirits (1st John 4:1), because not all spirits that appear to come from God are actually coming to you from God. There are many religious people in positions of authority out there who are simply actors, pretending to be ministers of God. Don’t blindly accept them until you know they are representing the real Jesus Christ and not a fake.
2nd Corinthians 11:13-15: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
So we know that a believer can receive a false spirit attached to a false Jesus. But what about the spirit of the world, or the spirit of error? We looked earlier at how the children of disobedience are unbelievers on Jesus Christ, and they are inhabited by the spirit of the world. Believers have the Spirit of truth living inside of them, but they can still choose to sin and do the same things as the children of disobedience. A believer can choose to be filthy, and Paul warned against this.
Ephesians 5:3-8: “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:”
Paul instructed believers not to commit the same sins as unbelievers, and he said that believers should choose to walk according to their new nature (believers are God’s children). So what if a believer chooses to be filthy? A sinful lifestyle will stain the flesh. But does stained flesh rid a believer of the Holy Spirit? No, because the Holy Spirit forms a seal inside the believer. But a sinful lifestyle surely brings with it the spirit of the world, and this spirit could dwell inside a believer. Or maybe the spirit of the world finds access in more of a subtle way. There are believers who get caught up with worldly teachers and their worldly teachings. Believers may allow themselves to be influenced by opinions and beliefs fed to them through television, radio, magazines, Internet, etc. (And remember, Satan is the god of this world, and he controls the media.) These teachings come from the spirit of the world, and believers who heed these teachings unknowingly invite the spirit of the world to live inside of them and be roommates with the Holy Spirit. There are multiple ways for a believer’s spirit to become stained. But does a stained spirit rid a believer of the Holy Spirit? No. However, that believer will not be presented as a virgin on the day of the wedding. If you have a shirt, and you spill something on it, the shirt will be stained. The stain may never go away, but you still have a shirt. A stained spirit is still a spirit. A believer on Jesus Christ is permanently sealed with the Holy Spirit, and he or she is given a spirit that will live forever, created though faith and the second birth. But a believer should be careful, because that spirit can easily become filthy, or defiled, or stained, when it is tainted with the spirit of a false Jesus, the spirit of the world, or any other spirit.