Spirit and Body

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63)

Aristotle, born centuries before Jesus Christ, had a very interesting perspective on the spirit. Whereas we think of the body being filled by the spirit, Aristotle thought it the other way around. Instead of a body with a spirit, he thought we were a spirit with a body. He thought the spirit had form and substance. To a large degree he was correct.

Our spirit does have effect on our physical presence, essence, and being. Without a doubt, the body is a manifestation and representation of the spirit. Now our we talking about the spirit making us tall or short, Black or Asian, male or female, etc.? No. Things like that are by will and design of God.  

So how would the spirit affect us physically? Let’s think of some extremes. Think of the grumpiest, most angry person you can think of. What did they look like? Now think of the most pleasant and positive person. What did they look like? What is inside of the person is always revealed on the outside.

A disturbed spirit can manifest physical conditions such as heart attacks, ulcers, skin problems, arched back, loss of hair and more.

So, it is evident that the spirit can manifest itself in the body. But does it manifest as the body?

Let’s examine this even closer. Jesus was in Jerusalem and saw a sick man laying by the pool named Bethesda. Once a year an angel would come and disturb the waters of this pool and whoever entered it immediately afterwards would be healed of the infirmity they had. This particular sick man had been ill for 38 years, trying to make it into the pool.

“When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?” (John 5:6)

Jesus asked this man, who had been sick for 38 years and trying to make it into the pool to be cured, Jesus asked him, “Do you want to get healed?” What kind of question was that? The man had been trying to get cured for almost 4 decades and Jesus asks, “Do you want to be healed”?!?

But you see, Jesus didn’t ask that question to the body of the man. The question was directed at the spirit of the man. Jesus circumvented the body, which was lame and went straight to the source, the spirit.

The man responded in physical terms, “Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.” (John 5:7)

Jesus stayed focused on the spirit and said, “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” (John 5:8)

The man was immediately made whole, “and took up his bed, and walked” (John 5:9)

The physical failed this man for years. But Jesus addressed the controlling factor, the spirit.

Sin effects the spirit, which in turn effects the body. Paul wrote about this phenomenon and the problems it creates.

“But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind” (Romans 7:23). This war between body and spirit caused Paul to do what, “I allow not” and, “for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I” (Romans 7:15).

Paul understood what was going on. His mind (soul) saw the war raging between his body and spirit and new that it was all due to sin.

Body and spirit are not harmonious and are battling with each other due to sin. This is the war each of God’s children must battle today. What keeps us alive and pressing forward is the hope of the promise of Christ which produces the love and faith in Him.

Let’s take this a step further. Jesus Christ is a choice. But how do we choose? Aristotle said that deliberate choice is a result of reason and desire. But does not the spirit have influence over these things? Desire is easy to see as being influenced by the spirit. It may be a bit more difficult to understand that our reasoning capabilities are too because we associate reason with logic, which is devoid of sentiment and passions.

This is why the Holy Spirit intermingles with our spirit (Romans 8:26). The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to truth and reality, and acts as a counterbalance to sin. This is the only way we are able to make an intelligent, truthful decision about Jesus Christ. Otherwise we would be under the influence of sin which acts as a blinder to righteousness and the way of Christ.

Are we a body with a spirit, or are we a spirit with a body? You know what? If I had to choose one over the other, I would say that we are a spirit with a body. The reason being is that the spirit is supernatural and perpetual. The body came from and that’s where it is returning to.

Bill Hitchcock