SOUL

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 – Genesis 2:7 (KJV)

The SOUL is the seat of SELF. It is connected to the spirit; they are closely-linked, but separate and distinct. The two can be separated only by the “Sword of the Spirit” – the Word of God (Heb.4:12). This deep and complex part of Man has three faculties. Although the word ‘soul’ is often used interchangeably with ‘mind,’ the soul comprises the mind (and Intellect), the emotions, and the Will. The first faculty is the MIND, which has the departments of reasoning, thinking, and imagination. This is where the human being acquires knowledge. It is a storage and operational area for information, learning, logic, and reason, like a hard drive on a computer; only, it is alive! The mind is closely connected to the brain (which links the soul to body). Every action taken by the body is dictated by the mind, via the brain. The second faculty is the EMOTIONS; these control our feelings and desires. The third faculty if the WILL, the centre of decision-making.

The soul is the central control organ of Man. Essentially, the human spirit relates to the body only through the soul and vice-versa. The soul is directly connected to the human spirit and goes wherever the spirit may go, even at death. It is however ironic that many Christians under-value the role of the soul or the mind due to a supposed ‘spirituality’, and often to the detriment of their lives. If we realise that no communication gets to the spirit except through the soul, we would begin to pay closer attention to the faculties of the soul, and work on our minds! What is heard and received by the senses is that which the mind digests and analyses, and the spirit absorbs and assimilates. God would not have given us such a powerful organ as the mind if it were not to be positively and optimally utilised. The soul or mind however needs continued transformation through renewal in the Word (Rom.12:2). The soul is also the battlefield where spiritual warfare is won or lost.

That is why you must be renewed in the spirit of your mind (Eph 4:23; Col.3:10). You must fill your soul with the knowledge of God’s Word so you will be forearmed against Satan’s deception in every aspect of life. The soul was designed to operate in harmony with divinity, if not for the blight of Sin. By God’s breath “man became a Living Soul” (Gen.2:7). In God’s hand are “the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:10). The soul is the aspect of the human being which will either be eternally saved, at home with Christ, or damned and lost in a Christ-less eternity in hell. Every human Soul is therefore of immense value. That’s why God gives us passion for souls and “he who wins souls is wise” (Pro.11:30). However, it is vital to note that God does not contact or communicate directly with the human soul, because He does not live in the soulish or soulical realm. God is a Spirit. He operates in the spirit realm and contacts man through the human spirit.

The state of a soul is extremely important before God. Psalm 107 identifies certain states of souls for which divine intervention would be required: wandering soul (v.4); fainting soul (v.5); longing soul (v.9); famished soul (v.9); melted soul  (v.26). Also, souls can be lean (Ps.106:15); bitter (Job.7:11, 15); weary (Job 10:1); wounded (Job 24:12); vexed (Job 27:2; Ps.6:3); cursed (Pro.31:30); needy (Ps.72:13); dying (Job.33:22); or in the pit (Job.33:28,30). The devil pursues souls for destruction. Whereas, God pursues to deliver, save, and keep souls (Ps.25: 20; 33:19-20; 34:22). He redeems our souls from destruction (Ps.35:17). He desires that our souls pant and thirst for Him (Ps.42:1-2). And He doesn’t want our souls to be cast down (Ps.42:5-11). Have you received the Lord Jesus Christ as the Shepherd and Bishop of your soul? (1Pet.2:25).