What Spirit Dwells in You?

The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all the innermost parts of his being. Proverbs 20:27

It is the spirit of man that is the source of life and the point of connection with the Divine. It is the spirit of man that is the innermost part of his being; as his spirit is, so is he. How we act, depends on what spirit dwells in us. Is it the spirit of fear, or of faith? The spirit of light or of darkness? The spirit of deception, or of truth? The spirit is what bears fruit. The person in whom dwells the Spirit of God bears the fruit of that Spirit, be it joy, faithfulness, kindness, goodness, patience, love, gentleness, self-control, or peace (Gal.5:22). God as it were searches through our spirit and sees our truth, our essence.

God does His work in our spirit, which exposes our inner thoughts, our heart, our intentions, our sins, and our fears. That is where Christ transforms us. He searches our inner spirit for the hidden wounds, and hidden marks left by the blows of life. That is where His grace heals. The inner person is renewed through this grace-infused transformation. That is where sanctification takes place and holiness takes over a life. The apostle Paul explains that for a person who walks with God, though his outer man, his physical existence, is decaying, yet his inner man, his spirit, is being renewed day by day (2 Cor.4:16).

Therefore, it is also our spirit that is the target of Enemy. The devil tries to oppress and persecute the spirit. That is how he stops someone in their tracks. It is in our spirit that we feel both the joy of the Lord that is beyond all comprehension and the torment of the forces of darkness that bring depression and confusion and chaos. Whatever happens in our spirit will not only affect our emotional and mental health, but will also affect our bodies, and our physical health. What happens in our spirit shapes our life, our desires, our perspectives, our outlook, and our deeds. That is why the focus of God’s work through His Holy Spirit is on our spirit. Healing and restoration come when the Holy Spirit engulfs our spirit. Pray for that and desire it fervently!