We have a mandate to protect the spirit. How do we protect it from people, sin, and the cancer of the Fall?

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5. The human spirit. How to protect it? (Part 4)

6. The human soul. Can it be killed? (Part 5)

5 – The human spirit. How to protect it?

God advises and commands us to protect our spirit, soul, and body. We were freely given a human form composed of these three parts, and we are meant to care for them. Therefore, we should not be obese or morbidly thin. We should avoid chemical drugs whenever possible and steer clear of „corporate food.” Caring for the body does not mean listening to authorities in the field of pharmaceutical medicine; the agents of that system do not know how to cure diseases. We should avoid such doctors—products of the medical system—who merely suppress illnesses while causing new ones.

We must take care of our bodies ourselves—reading and listening to wise doctors and specialists. We must completely shut out those agents so they do not steer us into another „PLAN”… just like during COVID.

How do we care for the spirit? That is the question… Let us look at some verses to better understand the subject.

5.1 The human spirit comes from God:

„An oracle: the word of the YHWH concerning Israel—declares the YHWH, who stretched out the heavens, founded the earth, and formed the spirit of man within him” — Zechariah 12:1.

The human spirit is neither a random energy nor an independent entity detached from God. God creates and shapes the human spirit:

„Thus says God, YHWH, who created the heavens and spread them out, who stretched out the earth and what grows from it; who gives breath (*neshamah*, H5397: breath, breath of life) to the people upon it and spirit (*ruach*, H7307: spirit, movement) to those who walk on it” — Isaiah 42:5.

The verse distinguishes breath and spirit, but both are gifts from God. Man is not merely a biological body; he possesses a spirit given by God.

5.2 The spirit within man gives understanding:

„But it is the spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding” — Job 32:8.

Elihu thought that older people ought to have the best understanding of Job’s situation. He therefore waited for them to speak, but he saw that their answers failed to clarify the matter.

So he says: a person has a spirit within, but it is the breath of the Almighty that grants true understanding.

The point is this: being older, experienced, or self-confident is not enough. To truly understand the affairs of God and man, one needs understanding from God.

5.3 God can gather a person’s spirit:

„If He were to set His heart upon Himself, if He were to gather to Himself his spirit (*rucho*, from *ruach*, H7307: spirit, movement) and his breath (*nishmato*, from *neshamah*, H5397: breath, breath of life), then all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust” — Job 34:14-15.

When God takes away the spirit and the breath, the body returns to dust. The spirit is thus bound to human life in the body.

5.4 The spirit returns to God:

„And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it” — Ecclesiastes 12:7.

The body returns to the earth, and the spirit returns to God. Here, the Bible shows the difference between the human body and spirit.

5.5 The spirit of man is the lamp of YHWH:

“The spirit of man is the lamp of YHWH, searching all the innermost parts of his being” — Proverbs 20:27.

The human spirit is portrayed here as an inner „lamp” through which a person’s inner self is examined.

This verse reveals that a person possesses a depth not visible from the outside. One may speak eloquently, look presentable, and appear religious, yet harbor things within such as pride, fear, jealousy, deceit, lust, rebellion, anger, or hidden motives.

And that is precisely the point.

The human spirit is like God’s lamp within a person. This lamp can illuminate what lies deeply hidden.

5.6 The spirit is the inner strength of the human being:

“The spirit of a man can sustain him in sickness, but who can lift up a broken spirit?” — Proverbs 18:14.

A person’s spirit can sustain them even in the face of illness. But when the spirit is broken, a person loses their inner strength. Then they falter and lose control over their life.

5.7 The spirit can be broken:

“A joyful heart acts well like medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones” — Proverbs 17:22.

The spirit is not merely an abstract part of a person. Its state affects the whole person, even the body. That is why Scripture says: love, forgive, laugh, cast away sorrow.

5.8 Man is to rule over his own spirit:

„Better is one slow to anger than a mighty warrior, and he who rules his spirit than he who captures a city” — Proverbs 16:32.

This verse does not say that physical strength or a warrior’s courage are of no account. It says that self-control is a greater power.

A man may conquer a city yet suffer defeat within himself. He may overcome others but fail to restrain anger, pride, lust, envy, or an impulsive reaction.

The Bible presents a powerful idea here: he who rules his own spirit achieves a greater victory than the one who conquers a city.

5.9 A lack of spiritual self-control is like a city without walls:

“Like a city broken down, without walls, is a man who has no control over his spirit” — Proverbs 25:28.

The human spirit requires order and self-control. A person who lacks mastery over their spirit becomes defenseless and quickly succumbs to evil.

5.10 God accepts a broken spirit:

„The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise” — Psalm 51:17.

A „broken spirit” does not mean a person who has lost his life, lost his will, has broken down mentally and can no longer do anything.

It is about a man who was repentant before God.

David does not talk about losing in life.

It talks about the condition of a person who:

• does not justify sin,

• does not feign innocence,

• does not fight against God,

• does not hide behind religion,

• does not offer an empty sacrifice,

• but acknowledges the truth about himself before God.

This is contrition, not a depressive capitulation.

5.11 God can renew the spirit within a person:

„Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” — Psalm 51:10.

David asks for more than just forgiveness; he asks God for an inner transformation.

First, he says, „Create in me a clean heart”—meaning: God, I need a pure spirit.

Then he adds, „Renew a steadfast spirit within me”—meaning: God, restore within me a spirit that is not wavering, fractured, or prone to sin.

5.12 The spirit is capable of seeking God:

„With my soul I yearn for You in the night; also with my spirit within me I earnestly seek You” — Isaiah 26:9.

The verse distinguishes between the soul and the spirit. The soul yearns, while the spirit within man seeks God.

5.13 God revives the spirit of the humble:

„For thus says the High and Exalted One, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite'” — Isaiah 57:15.

God sees the state of a person’s spirit. The spirit can be humbled, crushed, and weakened. God can revive such a spirit—that is, lift it up, strengthen it, and restore it to spiritual joy.

5.14 God can give a person a new spirit:

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the heart of stone out of your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh.”—Ezekiel 36:26.

A new spirit signifies an inner transformation. God does not merely change a person’s outward behavior; He can transform a person’s inner state—their direction, hardness of heart, resistance to God, and bad habits or addictions.

5.15 Man is to reject sin and possess a new spirit:

“Cast away from yourselves all the offenses you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, O house of Israel?” — Ezekiel 18:31.

This verse highlights human responsibility. God can give a new spirit, but a person cannot persist in sin and pretend that nothing is happening. The human spirit is linked to repentance, obedience, and a change of life.

5.16 Man must guard his spirit:

„So guard your spirit, and do not act treacherously” — Malachi 2:16.

The human spirit can be damaged by sin, betrayal, and falsehood. That is why God tells man to guard his spirit. It is not merely a matter of outward conduct; it concerns the inner self, from which decisions arise.

5.17 The spirit may be willing, but the flesh is weak:

„Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” — Matthew 26:41.

Lord Yeshu distinguishes between spirit and body. The spirit may be operating at a high level, yet the body may be weak. Therefore, a person cannot rely solely on their own desires; they must watch and pray.

5.18 The human spirit should rejoice in God:

“And my spirit rejoiced in God my Savior” — Luke 1:47.

This shows that the spirit is not a cold, technical concept. The human spirit can be spiritualized and rejoice in God.

5.19 The return of the spirit signifies the return of life:

„And her spirit returned, and she got up at once; and He ordered that she be given something to eat” — Luke 8:55.

When the spirit returned, the girl rose. This demonstrates the strong connection between the spirit and a person’s life in the body. A body without the spirit is dead, and the return of the spirit signifies the return of life.

5.20 Lord Yeshu entrusted His spirit to the Father:

„Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” — Luke 23:46.

At the moment of death, the Lord Yeshu entrusts His spirit to the Father. This shows that the death of the body is not merely the disappearance of the human person in their entirety.

5.21 At his death, Stephen asked the Lord to receive his spirit:

„Lord Yeshu, receive my spirit” — Acts 7:59.

As he is dying, Stephen speaks of his spirit. He does not say, „Receive my body.” This shows that the human spirit is not merely a function of the body. The spirit is entrusted to the Lord.

5.22. Man can serve God in his spirit:

„For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the good news of His Son” — Romans 1:9.

Paul shows that serving God is not merely an external task. A person can serve God in their spirit. In other words, true service begins at a deeper level than visible action.

5.23. The Spirit of God bears witness together with our spirit:

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” — Romans 8:16.

This verse shows that the human spirit cooperates with the Spirit of God.

5.24. The human spirit knows what is within man:

“For who among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? So, too, no one has come to know the things of God except the Spirit of God” — 1 Corinthians 2:11.

The human spirit resides within a person and knows their inner self. It is not merely a matter of breath, but of a person’s inner consciousness—as if the spirit were a record of a person’s life.

5.25. The spirit can be saved:

„To hand such a one over to satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord Yeshu” — 1 Corinthians 5:5.

Paul distinguishes between body and spirit. We lose the body at the first death; the spirit remains until the judgment. Only God can annihilate or save it.

5.26. Whoever is united with the Lord is one spirit with Him:

„But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him” — 1 Corinthians 6:17.

This does not mean that a person becomes God. It is about a deep bond between the individual and the Lord. The human spirit can be united with the Lord and belong to Him. For this to happen, one must learn to be of one mind with God. It is God who establishes the laws that we, as human beings, are to come to know and put into practice in our lives.

5.27. Holiness concerns body and spirit:

“And the unmarried woman and the virgin are concerned about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy both in body and in spirit” — 1 Corinthians 7:34.

The body is meant to be holy, but so is the spirit. A person cannot care only for what is visible; God looks at the inner self as well.

5.28. The human spirit can pray:

„For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind bears no fruit. What then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the mind also” — 1 Corinthians 14:14-15.

We cannot leave the spirit out of our service to God. We serve with speech, body, and deed, and to this we add the spirit of love, faith, and good works.

5.29. The human spirit may lack peace:

“I had no peace of mind, because I did not find Titus my brother” — 2 Corinthians 2:13.

Paul reveals a profound inner state that affects a person in ministry and relationships. The absence of a close companion caused a certain kind of stress, anxiety, and weakness.

5.30. The spirit can be defiled:

“Let us cleanse ourselves of every defilement of body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” — 2 Corinthians 7:1.

Sin can affect the body, but it can also affect the spirit. Falsehood, pride, hatred, rebellion, and spiritual impurity destroy a person’s inner self. God desires the purification of the whole person.

5.31. The spirit of the mind is to be renewed:

“And be renewed in the spirit of your mind” — Ephesians 4:23.

The renewal of a person consists in a change of thinking.

5.32. There are spirits of the just made perfect:

“And to the assembly of the firstborn who have been enrolled in the heavens, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous ones made perfect” — Hebrews 12:23.

The verse speaks of the spirits of the righteous. This shows that the human spirit is not merely biological breath. It requires constant training. One can bring oneself to perfection…

5.33. The grace of the Lord is to be with the spirit of man: