What It Really Means to Be Born Again: Living Your New Life in Christ
Your New Life in Christ – What It Means to Be Born Again
Bible Verse:
“If anyone belongs to Christ, they are a new person. The old life is gone. A new life has begun!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
What Changes When We Are Born Again?
When we say “yes” to Jesus, something amazing happens inside us. Our spirit becomes new! It reconnects with God, our Creator. We move from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light with Jesus.
We are now under new management – God's loving leadership. We live by a new law: the Law of Life. This gives us power and authority to heal from pain and break free from things that hold us back.
Jesus Prayed for Us
In John 17:15–17, Jesus prayed:
“Father, don’t take them out of the world, but protect them from evil.”
“They don’t belong to this world, just like I don’t.”
“Make them holy by Your truth. Your Word is truth.”
This means we live in the world, but we don’t follow its ways. We follow God’s truth, not our feelings. Emotions can’t always tell us what’s right. Only God’s Word can.
Spirit vs. Soul – What’s the Difference?
Let’s break it down simply:
Part of You What It Has What It Does
Spirit Mind, Will, Emotions Connects with God
Soul Mind, Will, Emotions Feels, thinks, chooses
Body Brain Helps the soul express itself
Your spirit is the part that becomes new when you’re born again. Your soul still needs healing and help. Your body grows and learns to follow what your spirit and soul decide.
How Your Brain Grows – And Why Your Spirit Is Ahead!
What Is Myelination?
When a baby is born, their brain is still growing. One important part of this growth is called myelination. Think of it like wrapping wires with insulation so messages can travel smoothly. These “wires” are the nerve sheets in the brain.
Before this wrapping happens, the brain sends random signals that don’t make sense. But once myelination starts (from about 4–6 weeks to 24 months), the brain begins to:
Send messages
Store information
Exchange thoughts
That’s why babies learn slowly – their brains are still building the pathways needed to think and remember.
Can Babies Remember Things Before They Can Think?
Doctors say babies can’t think or remember before their brains are ready. And that’s true for the soul, which uses the brain to think and feel.
BUT – the spirit is different!
The spirit doesn’t need the brain to work. It’s fully alive and active from the start. That’s why prayer ministers know that babies can remember things from the womb or birth trauma – through their spirit.
God’s Amazing Design
God gave your spirit a 10-month head start before your soul begins to think and say things like “No!”
Why did He do this?
So your spirit would lead your life, not your soul.
So there wouldn’t be competition between the two.
So you could walk in the spirit, not be ruled by emotions or thoughts from the soul.
Learning to Tell the Difference Between Spirit and Soul
God’s Breath Gives Life
When God breathes, He creates. His breath is full of power and life. Just like He spoke the world into being, He also breathed life into us.
We are made in God’s image. That doesn’t mean we all live the same life, but it does mean we each have a special purpose. You were created for a reason!
God Guides Us From the Inside
Psalm 16:7–11 shows how God speaks to our hearts and gives us peace:
He gives us counsel (advice).
He helps us feel safe.
He shows us the path of life.
In His presence, there is joy forever.
Even when we sleep or go through hard times, God is close. He speaks to our spirit, and our spirit responds with joy and peace.
Your Spirit Is a Pattern for Your Soul
Your spirit-man is like a blueprint or template for your soul-man. Both have:
Mind
Will
Emotions
But here’s the key difference:
Your spirit is connected to God and knows truth. Your soul is still learning and growing.
The Bible shows us that the spirit can feel everything the soul feels – joy, sadness, peace, and more. But the spirit is led by God, while the soul often reacts to the world around us.
Why This Matters
We need to discern (tell the difference) between the spirit and the soul. That way, we can know:
Who is speaking to us
What voice to follow
God wants us to recognize four voices:
God’s Voice – full of truth and love
The Devil’s Voice – full of lies and fear
Your Spirit’s Voice – peaceful and wise
Your Soul’s Voice – emotional and reactive
When we learn to listen to the right voice, we can walk in truth, make better choices, and live the life God planned for us.
Your Spirit Has a Mind – Learning to Hear God Clearly
Your Spirit Can Know God's Will
When you truly search your heart with honesty, you can begin to understand the Mind and Will of God. The Bible says:
“He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit prays for God’s people in line with God’s will.”
– Romans 8:27
This means the Holy Spirit helps us know what God wants. He speaks to our spirit and guides us.
You Are God’s Beloved – And Your Gifts Matter
God says the Deliverer (Yeshua) comes from Zion, and those who accept Him are His beloved. If you belong to Jesus, your gifts and calling are irrevocable – they cannot be taken away.
“For God’s gifts and His call can never be withdrawn.”
– Romans 11:29
When you use your gifts, you gain access to God’s deep wisdom and knowledge. But no matter how much we learn, we will never fully understand the Mind of God.
“Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! No one can explain His decisions or understand His ways.”
– Romans 11:33–34
Why Does God Allow Hard Times?
Sometimes we go through hard things because of our own choices. But other times, God allows stress and trials so we can learn to hear His voice and understand His mindset.
In the Bible, a young man was put in custody after he cursed God. They waited until God revealed His decision.
“They put him in custody until the will of the Lord could be made clear to them.”
– Leviticus 24:12
Let’s look at the Hebrew meanings behind this verse:
Custody (“mishmâr”) – to guard, to hold, to wait
Mind (“peh”) – mouth, speech, a sharp word
Declared (“pârash”) – to separate, to explain, to sting
This shows that sometimes God holds us in a place of waiting so He can speak clearly, separate truth, and reveal His will.
Your Spirit and Soul Work Together
God created you with a spirit-man and a soul-man. They are meant to work together. Your spirit connects directly with God, while your soul learns and grows through life.
When you understand this connection, you can walk in God’s wisdom and make better choices.
Learning to Respond from the Spirit – Not the Soul
We Are Made to Learn from God
God created us to learn from Him through our spirit. When people hurt us—whether they’re believers or not—we often feel attacked. If we respond from our soul, we might feel:
Fear
Anger
The need to fight back
But if we respond from our spirit, we can connect with God’s Spirit and answer with love, peace, and wisdom.
Job 20:3 says:
“I heard the words that made me feel ashamed, but my spirit answered with understanding.”
Job 32:8 says:
“There is a spirit in people, and the breath of God gives understanding.”
This shows us that true understanding comes from the spirit, not just from our thoughts or emotions.
Quieting the Heart to Hear God
When we pray, we ask God to quiet our hearts so we don’t react in a hurtful way. Instead, we want to respond with:
God’s love
God’s peace
God’s truth
This helps protect what we care about and restore what we’ve worked hard for.
Your Words Can Bring Life to Others
The Story of Jacob and Joseph
Joseph’s brothers lied to their father Jacob, saying Joseph was dead. For many years, Jacob lived in sadness and grief. The brothers never told the truth or tried to comfort him.
But one day, Joseph sent gifts and messages. When Jacob heard Joseph’s words and saw the wagons, something amazing happened:
Genesis 45:27 says:
“When Jacob heard Joseph’s words and saw the wagons, his spirit came alive again.”
Jacob’s spirit was revived—he felt warmth and life again!
Speak Words That Heal
Your words have power. When you speak with love, life, and hope, you can revive someone else’s spirit—especially someone who is hurting.
But only words that come from God’s Spirit and your spirit can do this. Words from the soul might be emotional or reactive, but words from the spirit bring healing.
A Strong Spirit – Learning to Trust God and Keep Peace
Your Spirit-Man Has Character
When your spirit is strong, you can:
Keep a secret
Stay faithful
Show love even when things are hard
A faithful spirit is someone who keeps their mind focused on God’s Spirit. They know God is good in every situation. When we truly understand how kind and patient God is with us, we can:
Love others, even when they make mistakes
Stay quiet instead of gossiping or spreading hurt
Proverbs 11:12–13 says:
“A person who insults others lacks wisdom, but someone with understanding stays silent.
A gossip tells secrets, but a faithful person keeps things private.”
This doesn’t mean we stay silent about sin or abuse. It means we don’t gossip or speak badly about others.
When Your Spirit Feels Heavy
Sometimes life feels too hard. We carry pain, injustice, and stress. The Bible calls this feeling heaviness.
The Hebrew word kehah (Strong’s 3544) means:
Feeble
Obscure
Like a smoky sky
Today, we call this stress. But God has a beautiful plan to help us!
God’s Exchange Plan
When we turn to God, He gives us something better in exchange for our pain:
Beauty for ashes
Joy for sadness
Praise instead of heaviness
Isaiah 61:3 says:
“God gives joy to those who mourn, beauty instead of ashes, and praise instead of a heavy spirit. They will be strong like oak trees, planted by God to show His glory.”
Even in hard times, we can lift our spirit by choosing to praise God and trust His plan.
Renewing Your Spirit’s Mind
Just like Pharaoh in Genesis 41:8, sometimes our spirit feels troubled. But instead of looking to the world for answers, we can look to God’s wisdom.
When your spirit’s mind is renewed, you begin to expect God’s goodness. You start to believe in His exchange plan and live in a way that glorifies Him.
Choosing to Walk in the Spirit – Not in Rebellion
1. Our Spirit Can Choose to Rebel
Even though our spirit is connected to God, we can still choose to go against Him. This happens when our spirit-mind becomes hard, and our heart becomes stubborn.
Life is full of crossroads—moments where we must stop, pray, and ask God what to do. But sometimes, people choose to go the opposite way of the Holy Spirit’s guidance. This leads them further away from God.
There are two common paths:
Legalism – following rules without love or life.
Lawlessness – doing whatever we want without obeying God.
Both paths make our thinking rigid and resistant to change.
📖 Deuteronomy 2:30
“But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him; for the Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that He might give him into your hand, as at this day.”
Hebrew word “qashah” (Strongs 7285) means:
Hard
Stiff-necked
Dense
When we don’t renew our minds with God’s truth, we become obstinate—strong in our own way, but resistant to God.
📖 Hebrew word “amats” (Strongs 553) means:
Alert
Steadfast
Strong in defiance
God may allow trials and hard times to help us realize we need to change. If we don’t repent, we can fall into bondage—spiritual slavery.
2. Anger Against the Spirit Can Make Us Sick
God gave us the power to live in victory. That means our body and soul should follow our spirit, which is tuned to God’s will.
When we react in anger against our spirit’s guidance, it can affect our health.
📖 Psalm 106:32–33
“They angered the Lord also at the waters of Meribah, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes;
For they provoked Moses’ spirit, so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips.”
Even Moses, who was close to God, got angry when the people rebelled. His reaction caused him pain. When we walk closely with God, our reactions matter. Anger can lead to suffering.
3. Pride in the Spirit Can Lead Us Off Course
A humble spirit seeks God’s way and sees the future with hope. But a proud spirit trusts in its own strength and talents.
People with pride often:
React with anger
Speak negatively about others
Believe they can “walk alone”
📖 Ecclesiastes 7:8–10
“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning of it, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Do not be quick in spirit to be angry or vexed, for anger and vexation lodge in the bosom of fools.
Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?’ For it is not wise or because of wisdom that you ask this.”
God wants our spirit to be humble, so He can renew our minds and guide us with His wisdom.
God’s Wisdom Is Powerful
When we obey God and walk in His Spirit, His wisdom becomes:
A good inheritance
Profitable
A defense
Life-giving
📖 Exodus 7:11–14
“Then Pharaoh called for the wise men and sorcerers… they did similar things with their enchantments.
But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and stubborn, and he would not listen…
Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Pharaoh’s heart is hard and stubborn; he refuses to let the people go.’”
Even when people see God’s power, pride can blind them. But those who walk in the Spirit will see God’s truth and live in freedom.
The Emotions of Your Spirit – Yes, Your Spirit Feels Too!
Many people think emotions are just part of being human—messy, confusing, and sometimes out of control. But did you know that your spirit also has emotions? And even God’s Spirit feels deeply!
The Bible shows us that our spirit can feel:
Anguish
Jealousy
Sorrow
Woundedness
Vexation (frustration)
Let’s look at each one with examples from Scripture.
(a) My Spirit Can Feel Anguish
Sometimes life feels too heavy. The Israelites felt this when they were slaves in Egypt.
📖 Exodus 6:9
“Moses told this to the Israelites, but they refused to listen to Moses because of their impatience and anguish of spirit and because of their cruel bondage.”
Their spirit was hurting so much, they couldn’t even hear hope.
(b) My Spirit Can Feel Jealousy
Jealousy is a strong emotion that can rise up in our spirit, especially when we feel betrayed or insecure.
📖 Numbers 5:14
“If the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he is jealous and suspicious of his wife who has defiled herself—or even if she hasn’t…”
This shows that jealousy can live in the spirit, not just the mind.
(c) My Spirit Can Feel Sorrow
Hannah, who longed for a child, felt deep sorrow in her spirit.
📖 1 Samuel 1:15
“But Hannah answered, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I was pouring out my soul before the Lord.”
Her spirit was grieving, and she brought that pain to God.
(d) My Spirit Can Be Wounded
When we go through trauma or fear, our spirit can feel wounded.
📖 Psalm 18:4
“The cords or bands of death surrounded me, and the streams of ungodliness and the torrents of ruin terrified me.”
This verse shows how spiritual pain can feel like being trapped or overwhelmed.
(e) My Spirit Can Be Vexed (Frustrated)
Even wise people like King Solomon felt frustration in their spirit.
📖 Ecclesiastes 1:14
“I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity, a striving after the wind and a feeding on wind.”
Sometimes our spirit feels tired and discouraged, especially when things seem meaningless.
God Understands Our Spirit’s Emotions
God’s Spirit also feels emotions—He grieves, rejoices, and loves deeply. That means He understands your spirit’s emotions, too.
So when you feel:
Sad
Angry
Jealous
Hurt
Confused
You can bring those feelings to God. He knows how to heal your spirit and guide you with His truth.
The Will of Your Spirit – Choosing God’s Way
Your Will Can Choose to Serve God
God gave us a free will—the ability to choose. But only when our spirit-man’s will is connected to God’s will can we show the strong character He desires.
The Bible teaches us that our choices should reflect God’s heart. When our spirit is aligned with Him, we become willing to serve, give, and obey.
1. A Willing Spirit Brings Service and Offering
📖 Exodus 35:21
“They came, each one whose heart stirred him up and whose spirit made him willing, and brought the Lord’s offering for the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and the holy garments.”
When our spirit is connected to God, we feel stirred up—excited and ready to give and serve. This is a sign of a willing spirit.
2. A Pure Spirit Has No Deceit
We use our will to repent—to say sorry to God and others. This means:
Admitting when we’ve done wrong
Facing the consequences
Making things right
Even when we fail to help someone, God knows. Only you and God know what you were called to do. That’s why we must search our hearts regularly to keep our connection with Him open.
📖 Psalm 32:1–2
“Blessed is the one whose sin is forgiven, whose wrong is covered.
Blessed is the one whom the Lord does not blame and whose spirit has no deceit.”
3. A Steadfast Spirit Stays Strong in Trials
Life brings opposition, trials, and distractions. But when our will understands God’s character, we become resolute—firm in our obedience.
We stop listening to the noise of the world and stay focused on God’s truth.
📖 Psalm 34:18
“The Lord is close to those who have a broken heart and saves those who are crushed with sorrow for sin.”
📖 Psalm 51:17
“The sacrifice God accepts is a broken spirit; a heart that is truly sorry for sin, God will never reject.”
📖 Psalm 78:7
“So they would put their hope in God and not forget His works, but keep His commandments.”
What Does This Mean for Us Today?
When our spirit-man’s will is:
Willing, we serve and give joyfully.
Pure, we live without deceit and keep our hearts clean.
Steadfast, we stay strong even when life is hard.
This is how we walk in the Spirit and live the life God designed for us.
Pain in the Spirit, Soul, and Body – How God Heals Us
We all experience pain. But did you know that pain can happen in three places?
In the body
In the soul (our thoughts, emotions, and will)
In the spirit (the part of us connected to God)
Pain in the Body Is Easy to See
When we feel pain in our body—like a headache or broken bone—it’s easy to notice. Doctors and medical tools help us heal physically.
But pain in the soul and spirit is harder to see. And each kind of pain needs a different kind of healing.
Pain in the Spirit – Betrayal Hurts Deeply
📖 John 13:21
“After Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit and said, ‘I tell you the truth, one of you will betray Me.’”
Jesus felt troubled in His spirit when He knew Judas would betray Him. This shows us that betrayal wounds the spirit. It’s a deep kind of pain that affects our connection with others and with God.
Pain in the Soul – Bitterness and Anguish
📖 Job 7:11
“I will speak in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.”
Here, Job talks about two kinds of pain:
Anguish in the spirit
Bitterness in the soul
This helps us understand that different emotions come from different places. Knowing where the pain is helps us pray and minister more effectively.
How to Minister Healing
When reading the Bible, pay close attention to emotions and wounds. Ask:
Is this pain in the spirit or the soul?
What kind of healing is needed?
How can I partner with the Holy Spirit to help?
Understanding this helps us bring the right kind of healing to others—whether through prayer, comfort, or simply being present.
Final Thought
God wants to heal every part of us—body, soul, and spirit. When we learn to recognize where the pain is, we can walk with others in love and truth, helping them find freedom and healing through Jesus.
Bonus for Moms Raising Brave Kids!
I created a beautiful collection of faith-filled printables to help your children walk in truth, courage, and confidence — even in a world that feels loud and overwhelming.
Whether your child is:
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!
