Who Am I? Understanding Spirit, Soul, and Body
Have you ever asked yourself, “Who am I really?” The Bible gives us a clear answer:
“I am a spirit, I have a soul, and I live in a body.”
This means we are made of three parts:
Spirit – the part of us that connects with God.
Soul – our thoughts, feelings, and choices.
Body – the physical part we can see and touch.
📖 Bible Truth: 1 Thessalonians 5:23
“May God Himself, the God of peace, make you pure and holy. May your spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless until Jesus comes again.”
God’s order is clear: Spirit first, then Soul, then Body. Let’s look at what each part means.
1. Spirit – God Consciousness
Your spirit is the part of you that connects with God. It helps you know Him, feel His love, and hear His voice.
But something happened long ago…
When Adam and Eve sinned, their spirits died. They were no longer connected to God.
📖 Genesis 2:17
“If you eat from that tree, you will surely die.”
This doesn’t mean their bodies died right away. It means their spirits were separated from God.
But there’s good news!
📖 John 3:3
Jesus said, “Unless someone is born again, they cannot see God’s kingdom.”
To be close to God again, we must be born again—this means our spirit becomes alive through Jesus.
📖 Ephesians 2:1
“You were dead because of your sins, but God made you alive.”
📖 Ezekiel 36:26-27
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will take away your hard heart and give you a heart that loves.”
2. Soul – Self Consciousness
Your soul is made of your mind, will, and emotions. It’s how you think, feel, and make choices.
This part of you helps you understand yourself and others. It’s where you decide what’s right and wrong, and how you respond to life.
3. Body – World Consciousness
Your body is how you live in the world. It helps you see, hear, touch, taste, and smell.
But the body can also be tempted to do wrong things. That’s why we need God’s help to live in a way that pleases Him.
📖 Romans 7:22-23
“I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to sin.”
📖 Romans 8:13
“If you live by your sinful nature, you will die. But if you live by the Spirit and say no to sin, you will live.”
📖 Ephesians 2:4-6
“God loved us so much that even when we were dead in sin, He gave us life through Christ. He raised us up and seated us with Him in heaven.”
Our bodies are not bad, but they need to be led by the Spirit of God—not by feelings or temptations.
📖 Romans 12:1
“Give your bodies to God. Let them be a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to Him. This is true worship.”
Your Five Senses
Your body helps you experience the world through:
Touch
Taste
Sight
Hearing
Smell
These senses are gifts from God, but they can also be used wrongly. That’s why we need to let the Holy Spirit guide us every day.
Understanding the Soul – The Heart of Who You Are
Did you know your soul is a big part of who you are? The Bible teaches that we are made of spirit, soul, and body. Your soul is where your personality lives. It’s made up of three parts:
Mind – how you think
Will – how you choose
Emotions – how you feel
These parts shape your character and how you respond to life.
The Soul Is Like Clay
In Hebrew, the word “asah” means “to do” or “to make,” and it’s like shaping wet clay on a potter’s wheel. If the potter is gentle and loving, the clay becomes a beautiful pot. But if the potter is rough, the clay can be damaged.
This is how life shapes us. If we’ve had bad role models or been hurt by others, and we didn’t deal with it God’s way, our soul can carry wounds. These wounds affect how we think, feel, and act.
Stories from the Past
Have you ever heard stories from older people? They often talk about the “good old days.” They remember the fun times and the small joys, like what they could buy with just a little money. But sometimes, they forget how hard life really was.
Our mind helps us remember and make sense of life. It’s not just about being smart—it’s about how we’ve been taught to see the world.
The Mind – How We Think
Your mind is part of your soul. It includes:
Intelligence – how you learn
Intuition – your inner sense of things
Reason – how you figure things out
Logic – how you make sense of problems
📖 Romans 12:2
“Don’t copy the behavior of this world. Let God change the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do.”
Your mind can be shaped by the world or by God. The world teaches us that success means having lots of stuff, being famous, or doing everything on your own. But the Bible teaches something different.
Two Ways of Thinking
There are two ways to see life:
1. Worldly Thinking (Greco-Roman mindset)
Success = performance
Focus on self
Value things more than people
2. Biblical Thinking (Hebraic mindset)
Success = relationships
Focus on community
Value love, covenant, and God’s Word
The way we think shapes our choices. That’s why it’s so important to renew our minds with God’s truth.
📖 Bible Warnings About the Mind
The Bible warns us not to let our minds chase after the wrong things.
📖 Philippians 3:19
“They think only about this life here on earth. Their god is their stomach, and they brag about shameful things.”
📖 Romans 8:5
“People who live by their sinful nature think about sinful things. But those who live by the Spirit think about what pleases God.”
📖 Colossians 2:18
“Don’t let anyone trick you with false ideas or pride. Some people think they are better because of visions or spiritual experiences, but they are just proud and wrong.”
📖 Ephesians 4:17
“Don’t live like people who don’t know God. Their thinking is empty and their hearts are far from Him.”
God’s Way to Renew Your Mind
To have a healthy soul, we need to renew our minds with God’s Word. That means reading the Bible, praying, and asking God to help us think like He does.
📖 Deuteronomy 6:4
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”
This verse reminds us that God is the only true God, and we are all equal in His eyes. When we believe this, it helps us build a strong, godly mind.
The Battle in the Mind – Staying Focused on God’s Truth
Our mind is powerful. It helps us think, choose, and understand. But sometimes, our thoughts can get confused or hurt. The Bible shows us four ways our minds can struggle—and how God wants to heal and renew them.
Blinded to God’s Purpose
Sometimes, we walk through life not knowing what God wants us to do. We listen to other people’s opinions more than we listen to God. This can make us feel lost or unsure.
📖 2 Corinthians 3:14
“Their minds were hard and could not understand. A veil covered their hearts, and only in Christ is it taken away.”
📖 James 1:8
“A person who has two minds is confused and unsure about everything.”
📖 James 4:8
“Come close to God, and He will come close to you. Clean your hands and purify your hearts.”
God wants us to know His plan for our lives. When we come close to Him, He helps us see clearly.
Defiled Minds
We often think “defiled” means doing something really bad. But even small wrong choices—like ignoring someone who is hurting or being dishonest—can defile our minds.
📖 Titus 1:15
“To those who are pure, everything is pure. But to those who are corrupt and don’t believe, nothing is pure. Their minds and hearts are dirty.”
📖 2 Corinthians 11:3
“I’m afraid that just as Eve was tricked by the serpent, your minds may be led away from pure devotion to Christ.”
God wants our thoughts to be pure, kind, and honest. Even small choices matter.
At War with God
Some people choose to go against God. This doesn’t always mean hurting others physically—it can be through gossip, lies, or trying to control others.
📖 Romans 1:28
“They didn’t think it was important to know God, so He let them follow their own wrong thinking.”
📖 Romans 8:7
“The mind that follows the flesh fights against God. It doesn’t obey God’s law and can’t do so.”
God gives us a way to measure our thoughts and actions. In the book of Amos, He talks about a plumb-line—a tool that helps builders see if something is straight. God’s Word is our plumb-line. It helps us know if we’re walking in His truth.
A Mind After God’s Heart
God wants our minds to be:
1. Focused on His Calling
A godly mind is ready to follow the Holy Spirit. It’s willing to let go of personal plans and listen to God’s voice.
📖 Acts 17:11
“They were eager to hear God’s message and searched the Scriptures every day to see if it was true.”
📖 2 Corinthians 8:12
“If you are willing to give, it is accepted based on what you have—not what you don’t have.”
📖 Isaiah 26:3
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are focused on You, because they trust You.”
2. Pure and Humble
A mind that follows God is not proud or selfish. It’s humble, peaceful, and full of love.
📖 Acts 20:19
“I served the Lord with humility and tears, even when I faced many troubles.”
📖 2 Timothy 1:7
“God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.”
📖 2 Peter 3:1
“I’m writing to stir up your sincere mind and help you remember.”
How the Will Is Formed
As children grow, they learn how to respond to authority. If adults treat children with kindness and godly guidance, their will is shaped in a healthy way. But if they are treated harshly or unfairly, their will can become:
Too strong – like a tyrant who wants control
Too weak – like a slave who feels powerless
God doesn’t want us to be either. He wants us to be sons and daughters—free, loved, and submitted to Him.
Transforming the Will
To become more like Jesus, we need to transform our will. That means breaking down fear, oppression, and confusion, and building a new foundation based on God’s truth.
Sometimes we think we’re doing okay. We believe we have a “free will” and that we usually choose the right thing. But the Bible says we need to look into the Mirror of God’s Word to see the truth.
📖 Romans 12:1
“Give your bodies to God. Let them be a living sacrifice. This is true worship.”
This means we should take care of our bodies and live in a way that pleases God. Our will is tested every day:
What do we choose to eat and drink?
Do we take time to rest and sleep?
Do we care about the environment we live in?
In today’s world, everything moves fast. We’re pushed to perform and stay busy. But God calls us to moderation—to live with balance and peace.
A Will Aligned with God
When our will is aligned with God, we:
Submit to His plans
Let go of our own agenda
Trust Him with our future
This is what it means to live as a true son or daughter of God.
The Will – Living in Obedience and Purpose
Your will is the part of you that makes decisions. It’s shaped by how you were treated as a child—especially by people in authority. If you were raised with love and respect, your will may be strong and healthy. But if you were hurt, controlled, or ignored, your will might be broken or confused.
God wants your will to be transformed—not to be a tyrant or a slave, but to be a child of God, walking in humility and obedience.
Breaking Down Strongholds
To align your will with God’s, you may need to break down strongholds like:
Fear
Oppression
Uncertainty
Then, you can build a new foundation based on truth and Sonship—knowing you are loved and chosen by God.
Looking in the Mirror of God’s Word
We often think we’re doing okay. We believe we have a free will and usually choose the right thing. But the Bible says we need to look into the Mirror of God’s Word to see what’s really going on inside us.
The more clearly we understand God’s standard, the closer we can move toward it.
Presenting Our Bodies as a Living Sacrifice
📖 Romans 12:1
“Give your bodies to God. Let them be a living sacrifice—holy and pleasing to Him. This is your true and spiritual worship.”
This means we should take care of our bodies and live in a way that honors God. Our will is tested in everyday choices:
What we eat and drink
How much we rest and sleep
How we care for our environment
Whether we live in peace or stress
God calls us to live in moderation, not in constant busyness or pressure.
You Are God’s Temple
📖 1 Corinthians 3:16–17
“Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that His Spirit lives in you? If anyone harms God’s temple, God will deal with them. You are holy.”
Your body is sacred. It’s a place where God’s Spirit lives. That’s why it matters how we treat ourselves and others.
Reasonable Service and Obedience
Some people think grace means we don’t need to obey God’s commands. But the Bible teaches that grace and obedience go together. God saved us so we can serve Him and make a difference in the world.
📖 Matthew 12:33, 35
“A tree is known by its fruit. A good person brings good things from a good heart. An evil person brings evil things from an evil heart.”
God wants our lives to show good fruit—kindness, love, truth, and peace.
The Beatitudes – Living Out God’s Will
Jesus gave us a beautiful picture of what it looks like to live with a godly will. These are called the Beatitudes:
📖 Matthew 5:3–12
Blessed are the humble—they belong to God’s Kingdom.
Blessed are those who mourn—they will be comforted....
The Will – Living by God’s Truth Every Day
God doesn’t just want us to know His Word—He wants us to live it out. Our will must be transformed so we can walk in obedience and reflect His truth in our daily lives.
Don’t Copy the World—Be Transformed
📖 Romans 12:2
“Don’t copy the behavior of this world. Let God change the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do—His good, pleasing, and perfect will.”
The world teaches us to chase success, comfort, and popularity. But God calls us to renew our minds and live by His standards, not the world’s.
Truth Must Be Lived, Not Just Learned
Knowing the Bible is important—but applying it is what brings transformation. God’s Word is powerful and alive. It shows us what’s in our hearts and helps us grow.
📖 Hebrews 4:12
“God’s Word is alive and powerful. It cuts deep into our soul and spirit. It shows us the thoughts and desires of our hearts.”
📖 2 Timothy 3:16
“All Scripture is inspired by God. It teaches us what is true, helps us correct our mistakes, and trains us to live right.”
Listen First, Speak Less
Living by God’s truth also means having a humble attitude. We should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
📖 James 1:19
“Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.”
Real Faith Is Shown in Action
True worship isn’t just singing songs or going to church—it’s helping others and staying pure in a world full of distractions.
📖 James 1:27
“Real religion means helping orphans and widows and keeping yourself pure from the world.”
Living by the Spirit, Not the Flesh
We don’t owe anything to our old sinful nature. Instead, we are called to live by the Holy Spirit, who helps us say no to sin and yes to life.
📖 Romans 8:12–13
“We don’t have to live by our sinful nature. If we do, we will die. But if we let the Holy Spirit help us say no to sin, we will live forever.”
God’s Benchmark vs. The World’s Standard
The world has its own ideas of success and happiness. But God has a higher standard. We must study His Word (the Torah) to understand His ways.
If something in our life doesn’t match God’s standard, we need to:
Recognize it
Reject it
Replace it with truth
This is how we renew our will and walk in obedience.
Common Emotions We All Feel
Sadness
Anger
Love
Joy
These emotions are natural and part of being human. But they are also shaped by what we think and choose.
What the mind thinks… the heart will feel.
Emotions Like Anger and Anxiety
Sometimes our emotions can feel overwhelming:
Anger
Anxiety or Depression
Pressure
Greed
These feelings often come from wrong thinking or a self-focused will. If our thoughts are negative or our choices are selfish, our emotions will reflect that.
Emotions Are Like a Dashboard
Think of emotions like the dashboard in a car. They don’t drive the car, but they show what’s going on inside. Emotions are a barometer—they help us see the health of our heart and mind.
If we feel anxious, angry, or sad all the time, it’s a sign that something deeper needs healing. God wants to help us renew our mind, transform our will, and bring peace to our emotions.
Final Thoughts
Emotions are a gift from God. They help us connect with others, express love, and feel joy. But they also reveal when something is wrong. That’s why it’s important to:
Think godly thoughts
Choose God’s way with your will
Let your emotions be guided by truth
When your mind, will, and emotions are aligned with God, you’ll experience peace, joy, and freedom. Keep renewing your mind with the Word and watch your life bear Kingdom fruit.
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A worrier needing God’s peace
A little prophet learning to hear His voice
A brave heart learning to choose light over fear
A child learning about boundaries
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Let’s raise faith-filled kids who know how to renew their minds from the start!
