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This topic may be unfamiliar to many, but it is based on the clear word of the Bible, and our experience also confirms it. If we want to experience the spiritual life, understand the operation of God’s life within us, and live an overcoming life free from sin, we must realize that there are three kinds of life and four laws that affect our living. This is a very important truth in the Bible, but we can only cover it briefly in this chapter.
Three parts of man
Spirit — including the conscience, intuition, and fellowship; soul — including the mind, emotion, and will; body — including all its members
“Sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete” (1 Thes. 5:23).
The Bible clearly states that man has three parts — spirit, soul, and body. This verse does not say “spirit-soul” but rather “spirit and soul.” This shows that our spirit and soul are distinct from each other. In God’s eyes a complete man has a spirit and soul and body. All three parts — our spirit, soul, and body — need to be preserved so that our whole being can be sanctified.
“The dividing of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow” (Heb. 4:12).
The soul and spirit are distinct because the Bible clearly says that they can be divided. A footnote in Darby’s translation says that dividing refers to “the sense of dividing between each pair of objects and not of dividing each of the things by itself.” In addition to speaking of the soul and spirit in Hebrews 4:12, Paul also refers to joints and marrow. Joints and marrow are related to the body. Therefore, this verse confirms that man has three parts — spirit and soul and body.
“Jehovah God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul” (Gen. 2:7).
In the beginning, when God formed man, He made man with three parts — spirit, soul, and body. God formed a physical body for man out of the dust of the ground. Then He breathed the breath of life into man’s nostrils. When the breath of life entered into man’s body, the spirit of man was formed within him (Zech. 12:1). As a result of this breathing, man became a living soul. Therefore, in the beginning God created a tripartite being with a spirit, soul, and body.
“You shall love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deut. 6:5).
This verse speaks of loving God with our whole being. If man loves God wholly, he needs to love God with all his heart, all his soul, and all his might. Heart is related to the spirit, soul is related to the soul, and might is related to the body. Loving God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our might means to love God with our spirit, soul, and body. Loving God with our spirit, soul, and body is the way to love God with our whole being, because our spirit, soul, and body represent the totality of our being. Thus, this verse shows that our whole being consists of spirit, soul, and body.
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has exulted in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47).
Our soul magnifies the Lord, and our spirit exults in God. Our soul magnifies the Lord because our spirit exults in God. This verse also shows that our soul and spirit are distinct. According to the Bible, our spirit is our most inward part. It is the means by which we contact God and touch the spiritual realm. Our spirit involves the functions of conscience, intuition, and fellowship. Conscience is related to knowing what is right and wrong according to God. It reveals the things that God approves and disapproves of; it supports what God justifies, and it exposes what He condemns. Intuition is related to a direct sense of God’s will. We do not have to rely upon outward circumstances in order to know God’s will because of the function of the intuition. Fellowship is related to contacting God. The body, our outermost part, is related to outward actions and to contacting things in the physical realm. The soul, the inward part between our spirit and our body, is the place of our personality, or self. It is the organ for us to contact the psychological realm. It includes the mind, emotion, and will. The mind is related to thinking and reasoning; the emotion is related to feelings, such as happiness, anger, sadness, and joy; and the will is related to planning and deciding. The mind, emotion, and will are functions of our soul. According to human psychology, the soul is the metaphysical aspect of man, the invisible, essential part of man, and the body is the physical aspect of man, the visible, material part of man. Consequently, psychology divides man into only two parts: a metaphysical part, which is the soul, and a physical part, which is the body. However, the Bible reveals that there is another part of man in addition to the soul and the body. This part is our spirit. Although the soul is an inward part of man, there is another part, an innermost part, which is the spirit. The spirit is man’s innermost part, the body is man’s outermost part, and the soul is situated between the body and the spirit. Man is a being with a spirit, soul, and body.
Three kinds of life in the garden
Adam — representing man; the tree of life — referring to God; and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil — referring to Satan
“Jehovah God planted a garden in Eden...and there He put the man...the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen. 2:8-9).
After God formed Adam out of the dust of the ground, He placed him before two trees in the garden of Eden. One tree was the tree of life, and the other was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. According to the Bible, these two trees have symbolic meaning. The tree of life refers to God, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil refers to Satan. Adam represents man. Therefore, the picture of Adam and the two trees symbolizes that man stands before both God and Satan. In the garden there was man, God, and Satan, and even in the universe now, there is man, God, and Satan. In the garden the created life of man was good, the uncreated life of God was divine, and the fallen life of Satan was corrupted. The Bible speaks of Satan as God’s enemy, and it reveals that there is a struggle between Satan and God over man. Both Satan and God want to gain man. God wants to gain man to accomplish His purpose, and Satan wants to gain man to destroy God’s purpose. God gains man by giving him His uncreated, divine life, causing man to be one with Him. Satan gains man by injecting his fallen, corrupted life into man, causing man to be fallen and corrupted.
Man has three parts — spirit, soul, and body, and in the universe there are three kinds of life — the good created life of man, the uncreated divine life of God, and the fallen corrupted life of Satan. God desires to impart His uncreated life into man, and Satan wants to inject his fallen life into man.
Three great events
Man’s creation
“God created man in His own image” (Gen. 1:27).
Every believer is related to three great events. The first great event is creation. Every man has been created by God in His image and according to His likeness. Apart from God’s creation, man would not exist. God’s creation is the first great event in the history of man.
Man’s fall
“Through one man sin entered into the world” (Rom. 5:12).
The second great event in the history of man is the fall. Man was created, but he became fallen. With Adam there was a great fall, and sin entered into the world and into all of mankind through Adam. Every man has sin because every man is in Adam. When Adam fell, we fell. We were created by God, but we became fallen through Adam.
“Through the disobedience of one man the many were constituted sinners” (Rom. 5:19).
Through the disobedience of one man, Adam, the many, that is, all mankind, fell and became sinners. We do not need to commit a sin in order to be a sinner. We became sinners when we fell in Adam long ago.
“Through one offense unto condemnation to all men” (Rom. 5:18).
All of mankind has been condemned because of Adam’s one offense in the garden of Eden. We have not been condemned because of the sins we have committed but because of the one offense of Adam. As men in Adam, we share in his fall and in his condemnation.
Man’s salvation
“Through the obedience of the One the many will be constituted righteous” (Rom. 5:19).
The third great event in the history of man is salvation. Every believer is related not only to God’s creation and to Adam’s fall but also to Christ’s salvation. Although we were created and then fell, we were also saved. After being created by God, we became fallen in Adam, but then we were joined to Christ through His salvation. From God we passed through Adam into Christ. By passing through Adam we became fallen, and by entering into Christ we were saved. Just as the disobedience of Adam made all who are in him sinners, the obedience of Christ made all who are in Him righteous. Just as we fell in Adam, we were saved in Christ.
“Through one righteous act unto justification of life to all men” (Rom. 5:18).
We were condemned to death in Adam because of his one offense in the garden, and we have been justified unto life in Christ because of His one righteous act on the cross. Just as Adam’s one offense caused all men to be condemned to death as sinners, Christ’s one righteous act caused all men in Him to be justified to life as righteous. We fell in Adam, and we were saved in Christ. Salvation is the third great event in the history of a believer.
Three kinds of life
The life of man, received through creation, being good and upright
“Everything that He had made...was very good” (Gen. 1:31).
In each of the three great events in the history of a believer — creation, the fall, and salvation — a different life was received. Each event is related to a different life.
At the time of creation, man received a life that was good and upright. Following His creation, God saw that everything He had made, including man, was very good. Therefore, the created life that we received from God was good. It was not corrupted or evil.
“God made man upright” (Eccl. 7:29).
Since God made man upright, the created life of man was certainly upright. When man was created, the life that he received from God was upright, not crooked. This created life, however, is not the same as the uncreated life of God; it is only the good and upright life that God had created.
The life of Satan, received through the fall, being corrupt and evil
“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father” (John 8:44).
Through the fall we received the satanic life, which is the fallen life of Satan. This life is the same in element as Satan. It is corrupted, evil, and full of every kind of sin. It includes the seed of corruption and the element of sin.
In Adam’s fall the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil entered into his being. Since the tree of the knowledge of good and evil refers to Satan, the life of Satan entered into man. The indwelling life of the devil has been within man from the time that Adam ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Consequently, everyone who has been born in Adam also has the devil’s life. For this reason the Lord said that they were of the devil and that the devil was their father. The Lord’s word to the Jews indicates that we are all fallen human beings who have been born of the devil. With the devil’s life, every human being wants to do the desires of the devil.
“He who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has sinned from the beginning”; “Children of the devil” (1 John 3:8, 10).
Fallen people sin, and this proves that they are of the devil, have the life of the devil, and are one in nature with the devil because the devil is the one who has sinned from the beginning. We have the devil’s life because we are born of the devil. We are children of the devil, and the devil is our father. Just as children have the life and nature of their father, fallen man has the life and nature of the devil. We like what the devil likes and want to do the desires of the devil because we have the devil’s life and nature.
The life of God, received through salvation, being divine and eternal
“Everyone who believes into Him may have eternal life” (John 3:15, see also v. 36).
Through salvation we have received the uncreated life of God. Since unbelievers are related only to the history of the creation and the fall, they have only the created human life and the corrupt satanic life. However, believers have a history of salvation in addition to creation and the fall. Therefore, we not only have the created human life and the fallen satanic life but also the uncreated divine life. When we believed into and received the Lord, we obtained God’s uncreated life because the Holy Spirit brings God’s life into us. This life is divine and eternal. All the riches of God’s fullness are in this life because it is the life of God Himself. Everyone who believes into the Lord and is saved obtains the divine, eternal life of God.
“He who has the Son has the life” (1 John 5:12).
In His Son God’s life can be received and obtained by man. When man receives the Son of God, he receives the life of God. Therefore, he who has the Son of God has the life, which is the uncreated life of God. This life is in addition to the human life, which we received through creation, and the satanic life, which we obtained through the fall. We received another life when we received the Son of God by faith. Now there are three kinds of life within us.
The Bible clearly shows that at the time of man’s creation, he had only one kind of life, the created human life. He was simple and did not know sin, and he had no feeling of shame. He was naive. But after the fall Satan’s fallen, corrupted life entered into him. This brought in a great complication because the corrupted satanic life was added to his good created life. Therefore, man not only has a good and proper nature but also a corrupted and evil nature. This can be compared to adding poison to a glass of pure water, which corrupts the original element of the pure water.
Every person is complicated in this way. On the one hand, man desires to be good and upright, but on the other hand, he does things that are corrupt and evil. He wants to be good, but at the same time he has evil desires. People have at least two different kinds of life within them: the good, created human life and the corrupted, fallen satanic life.
After the fall every human being has two different kinds of life with two different natures — one that is essentially good and the other that is essentially evil. Throughout the centuries some have realized that there is an element of good within man, and they have emphasized this aspect of man’s nature. At the same time others have realized that there is an element of evil within man, and they speak of this aspect of man’s nature. From ancient times until today there has been considerable debate over whether man’s nature is good or evil. There is no need to debate this question, because there is both a good nature and an evil nature within fallen man. Every man has two natures because he has received two kinds of life — the created human life and the fallen satanic life.
When we fell, the life of Satan entered into us, and his life was mixed with our human life. Through this event Satan acted upon his evil desire to destroy God’s purpose for humanity. He injected himself into man, causing man to be corrupted through the mixture of his evil life with man’s human life. What is in Satan is in man as well. Man’s corrupt and evil nature expresses Satan’s corrupt and evil nature. Therefore, man has become complicated through a change in his constitution. We not only have the human element, but we also have the satanic element. In this regard, every human being has been infected with a devilish element. It is possible to see this devilish element in every human being. Even though we have the outward appearance of a man, we also have the flavor of the devil. While the gentleness of a man can express his good nature, his gentleness can easily be overcome by his temper, which expresses the devil. Man also commits every kind of sin, exposing the devilish element in his being. When a man acts uprightly, his good human nature is expressed, but when he sins, his corrupted devilish nature is revealed.
It is important to note that a person who sins and lives a devilish life does not act this way willingly. Those who lose their temper, dance, gamble, smoke, and drink all act against their will. The devilish life within them works mischief and causes them to follow these evil desires. They have a devilish living because they have the devil’s life. However, it is also possible for them to live a proper human life because they have the good and upright created human life. Because man has both the human life and the satanic life, his living can express the good elements of the created human life and also express the corrupted elements of the fallen satanic life.
As a believer, however, we should praise and thank God that we have the divine life in addition to the human life and the satanic life. Just as Satan injected his life into us through his corruption, God imparted His life into us through His salvation. The entrance of Satan’s life into us was the entrance of Satan into us, along with his evil and vile nature, to accomplish his evil intention of damaging us. In contrast, the entrance of God’s life into us was the entrance of God Himself into us, which imparted His holiness and goodness, to accomplish His good intention of gaining us. Today we not only have Satan’s life and nature, but we also have God’s life and nature.
Consequently, our inward constitution is even more complicated than that of an unbeliever. We have three kinds of life within us — the human life, the satanic life, and the divine life. This means that we can express man, Satan, and God. Our condition is no different from the condition of Adam in the garden of Eden. It is as if our being is a small garden of Eden in which man, God, and Satan are present. Thus, the struggle between God and Satan over man in the garden of Eden continues in us today. Satan is working in us to fulfill his evil intention to destroy our usefulness to God, and God is also working in us to cause us to cooperate with Him to accomplish His purpose. If we live according to the life of Satan within us, we will express his corrupt and evil life and cause his evil intention toward us to be fulfilled. If we live according to the divine life within us, we will express God’s holy and righteous life and cause His will to be accomplished in us. Although it may seem as if we are living merely according to our human life with no influence from Satan’s life or God’s life, this is not true. We cannot live the human life independent from these two other lives because our human flesh has been mixed with the satanic life, and our human spirit has been mingled with the divine life. Consequently, if we are not living our human life by God’s life, we are living it by Satan’s life.
A Christian experientially knows that he has three different kinds of life. In the morning a brother can be nice and express the capacity that man has for good. At noon, however, he can lose his temper with his wife and express the satanic life. But after praying in the evening, he may be enlightened about his offense, confess to God, apologize to his wife, and thus express the divine life of God. In just one day he can express each of the three kinds of life within him. When he is nice in the morning, he is like a man; when he loses his temper at noon, he is like a devil; and when he deals with his sin in the evening, he manifests the likeness of God. In one day he has expressed the life and nature of his created humanity, Satan, and God. This is possible because the life of all three — man, Satan, and God — are in him. When he lives by the human life, he has the appearance of a man. When he acts by the satanic life, he has the appearance of a devil, and when he moves by the divine life, he manifests the appearance of God.
We must see that there are three different kinds of life within every believer: the created human life, the fallen satanic life, and the uncreated divine life. Even though we obtained these three kinds of life at different times and through different means, these three kinds of life are in us. We obtained the human life at the time of creation through God’s creation. We obtained the satanic life at the time of the fall through Adam’s contact with Satan and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We obtained the divine life at the time of our salvation by believing into and receiving the Son of God. Through these three great events — creation, the fall, and salvation — we have three different kinds of life — the life of man, of Satan, and of God. If we see and know this, we can be clear about the way of life. The lives of man, Satan, and God are in us, and our living is a matter of which life is the source of our living — the human life, the satanic life, or the divine life. Even though the life that we live determines the kind of living that we express, the way of the divine life is available to us as believers.
Four laws
The law of God — the law of the Old Testament
“The law of God” (Rom. 7:22, 25).
Romans 7 and 8 speak of four different laws. The first law is the law of God, which is the law of the Old Testament. This is the law written by God on the stone tablets that were given to Moses. It enables man to know what God justifies and what He condemns.
“I did not know sin except through the law” (Rom. 7:7, see also v. 12).
The law of God causes us to know sin. Without the outward law of God, we would not know what is sin in God’s eyes. The law of God is holy, righteous, and good. When we act against the holy, righteous, and good demands of the law, it condemns us and causes us to know sin.
The law of good in our mind — being related to the human life and being in man’s soul
“The law with me who wills to do the good...the law of my mind” (Rom. 7:21, 23).
In addition to speaking of the law of God, Romans 7 and 8 speak of three additional laws. These three laws are within us because they are related to the three kinds of life that we have within us. Every life operates according to a law. While there are many laws that are not related to life, every life has a law. Since there are three different kinds of life in us, there are three different laws operating in us. Each of these laws corresponds to one of the kinds of life within us.
The law of good is related to our good, created human life. Romans 7:23 refers to this law as “the law of my mind.” This law is related to our soul because our mind is a part of the soul. This law is good because it comes out of the good and upright human life that God created. It operates through our mind and causes us to will to do good.
The law of good in our mind is not something that is received through salvation. Since this law comes out of our created human life, every person is born with this law. This is proven by human experience. Before we even believed in the Lord, we had the thought and desire to do good. For example, we had the desire to honor our parents and to be kind to others. When we failed, we would be sad and resolve to improve ourselves. Every thought related to doing good and to improving ourselves comes from the law of good that operates in our mind. Therefore, this law is the law of our created life, not a gift in God’s plan of salvation.
According to Romans 7:18, which begins with the phrase I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, nothing good dwells, some teach that there is nothing good in us, either before or after our salvation. They say this because they do not see that this law is related to our original created life. If we read this phrase carefully, however, we will see that this interpretation is not accurate. According to the truth, the part of our being in which nothing good dwells is our flesh, not our mind, which is part of the soul. According to the context of the word in verse 18 and the general context of verses 21 through 24, flesh refers to our fallen and transmuted body. In our flesh, that is, in our fallen and transmuted body, there is nothing good. Nevertheless, this does not mean that there is nothing good related to fallen human beings. On the contrary, verses 21 though 23 clearly indicate that even fallen human beings have a desire and a will to do good according to the law of good in their mind. Both our desire and our thoughts are related to the soul. Although there is nothing good in our fallen and transmuted body, there is still an element of good in us, which is proven by our soul’s desire and the thought of good in our mind after the fall. This element of good is related to our good created life. Thus, the law of good in our mind comes out of our good created life, which we received when we were born.
Some say that our good created life was corrupted by the fall to the point that there is no longer any element of good in it. This concept is inaccurate. Although our good created life was corrupted through the fall, even to the point that it cannot be healed, this is the most that can be said in this regard. Even though our good element was corrupted and stained, it still exists. According to Romans 7, there is still an element of good in our mind and in our desires. Moreover, after the fall there is an element of good in our conscience, even if it is very weak. Our condition can be compared to a glass of sugar water that has been corrupted with a sour ingredient. Although the sweet taste has been corrupted, the element of sugar still exists and still provides a trace of sweetness. Although the fall has corrupted the element of good in our mind, this element has not been eliminated. There is still a tendency toward good, according to the law of good in our mind. This tendency still exists even if it is not strong. This tendency is within every created and fallen human being. Our conscience corresponds to the law of good, which is expressed through our mind as the desire to do good. According to Chinese philosophers, this tendency in man has been associated with the terms bright virtue, the knowledge of good, and the bright inner heart. The considerations of the Chinese philosophers related to the element of good in our human nature fit the true condition of our human nature.
“With the mind I myself serve the law of God” (Rom. 7:25).
We serve the law of God with our mind because the law of good in our mind causes us to desire to be according to the outward law that is good. The law of God is compatible with the law of good in our mind. The outward law of God places good demands upon us, and the law of good in our mind responds to the outward law by causing us to desire to do good. Thus, our mind serves the outward law of God.
The law of sin in our members — being related to the satanic life and being in man’s body
“I find then the law with me who wills to do the good, that is, the evil is present with me...I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and making me a captive to the law of sin which is in my members” (Rom. 7:21, 23).
If we had only the law of good in our mind, we would be able to successfully serve the law of God. However, we have another law within us that is contrary to the law of good in our mind. This law is in our members, that is, in our body. This law steadfastly opposes the law of good in our mind and prevents us from doing good in accord with the law of good in our mind. Rather than doing good, this stronger law causes us to follow the evil lusts in our members. This law is related to Satan’s fallen, evil life.
When man fell, the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was taken into the human body. Thus, the fallen, evil life of Satan entered into man’s body, becoming “the evil” that operates as the law of sin in his members. Although the evil life of Satan entered the body, it spontaneously invaded the soul and affected the human spirit. The body is the base of the operation of Satan’s evil life, but this life also damaged the other parts of man’s being. The life of Satan corrupts man by moving from the outermost part (the body) toward the innermost part (the spirit). However, the life of God saves man by spreading from the innermost part (the spirit) to the outermost part (the body). Every incident of sinning begins with the operation of the law of sin in our members, our body. Whenever the law of good in our mind causes us to desire to do good, the law of sin in our members wars against this law of good and makes us captive to the law of sin. When we desire to do good, the evil that is present with us prevents us from doing the good that we desire. Consequently, rather than doing good, we do evil.
“I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, nothing good dwells...If what I do not will, this I do, it is no longer I that work it out but sin that dwells in me” (Rom. 7:18, 20).
The human body that God created was pure and without sin. When the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was taken into man’s body, Satan’s evil life was mixed with man’s body, and it became evil and sin in man’s body. This transmuted man’s body into the flesh. According to its narrowest definition, flesh refers to our fallen and transmuted body. However, the Bible also refers to fallen humanity itself as flesh (3:20; Gal. 2:16). Humanity is referred to as flesh because all of humanity is controlled by the flesh and is completely of the flesh. Our body contains the evil life of Satan, which is a sinful life and even sin itself. Therefore, in our flesh, our transmuted body, nothing good dwells; instead, there is only the evil element of Satan’s life. The evil life of Satan is a law that causes us to sin. It originates from the flesh of our transmuted body, and it has an automatic corrupting power, which captures us and makes us do what we do not will to do.
“With the flesh, the law of sin” (Rom. 7:25).
Because the flesh was formed by the transmutation of our body through its mixture with the evil life of Satan, our flesh spontaneously serves the law that is related to this evil satanic life. This law is called the law of sin. The evil satanic life was mixed with the human life in our body, making it the flesh and corrupting it with a law that makes us sin. Consequently, our flesh serves this law and practices sin.
There are two opposing laws within every fallen human being. The first law is related to man’s good created life, and it operates in the mind of our soul and creates a desire within us to match the outward law of God. The second law is related to the evil, fallen satanic life that operates in the members of our body and causes us to sin. The desires of our mind and the actions of our members are in opposition to each other because they are related to opposing laws. Our mind serves the good law of God, but our flesh serves the evil law of sin. These laws are in opposition to each other because they are related to two different laws that come out of two different kinds of life. Of these two laws, one is good and the other is evil; thus, the relationship of one toward the other is a relationship of opposition and even war. The good human life has a tendency toward good and constantly desires to do good. The fallen satanic life has a tendency toward evil and constantly causes us to do evil. The fallen satanic life always defeats the desires of our good human life. As a result, we do not do the good that we desire but instead practice the evil that we do not will to do.
Chinese philosophers call the struggle between these two laws the battle between reason and lust. They equate the element of good in our created life with reason, and the sin that dwells in our fallen body is equated with the lust of our flesh. The reasonings that either accuse and excuse are reflections of our conscience (2:15), but they operate through our mind. Thus, the good that our mind desires to work out passes through the faculty of reason. The lust that is related to our fallen nature is in our members; it operates in our body, working out the evil that comes from lust. A person with a strong faculty of reason tends more toward what is good, whereas a person who is easily influenced by his lust tends more toward what is evil. Every good action of man is supported by the reasoning faculty of his mind, and every evil action of man is instigated by the lusts in his members. When the reason in man’s mind temporarily prevails, it causes man to do good, but when the lust in man’s flesh ultimately wins, it causes man to do evil.
This battle between reason and lust is the basis of the warfare between the law of good and the law of sin that is mentioned in Romans 7. No person can escape this warfare; it is a consequence of our human birth. The warfare between the evil, fallen satanic life and the good created life in us did not begin only after we were saved, and it is not the struggle between the flesh and the spirit that is spoken of in Galatians 5. This inner warfare is present in all people, even those who are not saved. This struggle between good and evil is the common experience of all people.
Before we were saved, the reasonings in our mind directed our desires toward what is good, but the lust in our members conquered these reasonings, making us unable to work out the good and causing us instead to do the evil that is disapproved of in our mind. This is the condition of every person in the world. Even though a man’s reasoning clearly warns him of the dangers of gambling, his lusts override his good reasonings, and he continues to gamble. This lust, which causes people to disobey the reason in their minds, is particularly evident among opium smokers. Every person who smokes opium at some point has no desire to smoke opium and even determines to not smoke opium, but the lust in his members, which is the addiction to opium in his body, causes him to disobey his reasonings and to continue to satisfy his craving for opium. It is rare for an opium addict to pass up an opportunity to smoke opium. It is almost impossible for an addict to obey the reasonings in his mind and overcome the power of his addiction. As a result, the lust in his members is victorious. We do evil things that go against reason and that are contrary to our will because there is a law of sin in our members in addition to the law of good in our mind. We can desire to do good and even decide to do good because the law of good operates in our mind. However, we often go against our will because there is a law of sin operating in our members. Consequently, even though we will to do good, we cannot practice the good that we will.
The law of the Spirit of life in our spirit — being related to the divine life and being in man’s spirit
“The law of the Spirit of life has freed me in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and of death” (Rom. 8:2).
Unbelievers only know the law of good and the law of sin because they have only the good, created human life and the evil, fallen satanic life. However, every believer also has the uncreated, divine life of God. Therefore, there is another law in us that comes out of the divine life of God. This third law is the law of the Spirit of life spoken of in Romans 8:2.
This law is called the law of the Spirit of life because this law comes out of the Spirit of God, who is life. The Spirit of life is equal to the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of life because the life of God cannot be separated from the Spirit. Therefore, this law is related to the Spirit of God, who is life. It is not only related to God’s Spirit but also to God’s life. Since this law is related to God’s Spirit, it is also the law of the Spirit of life. This law of life is a spiritual law.
The Spirit of life imparts God’s life into us and also abides in our spirit. The law of the Spirit of life is in our spirit, not in our soul like the law of good or in our body like the law of sin. The law that is related to the Spirit of God is in our human spirit. Its source is the Spirit, and its location is our spirit. Thus, its operation is fully a matter of being in spirit.
In its divine and eternal aspects, the life of God is the only life in the universe that can truly be counted as life. Therefore, the Bible says that if man does not have the life of God, he does not have life (1 John 5:12; John 6:53). Furthermore, the Bible also speaks of the life of God as the unique life (1:4). These verses prove that only the life of God is really life. Only the life of God truly has the nature of life. The nature of every other life cannot truly be counted as life. Therefore, the life that is contained in the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit comes out of the life of God, and its nature is life. It is not like the life that is good according to our created human nature or the life that is evil according to our fallen satanic nature.
We must pay attention to this matter. The nature of the life that produces the law of the Spirit of life is life. According to the teaching of the Bible, life and good are different. Although life is good, good is not life. Although what comes out of life is good, what is good is not necessarily out of life. The difference between the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden adequately manifests this point. The tree of life stood apart from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This indicates that life is not only separate from evil but also different from good. Just as life is apart from evil, it is apart from good. Therefore, the Bible shows that life, good, and evil are three different things. Each stands alone.
Just as there is a distinction between the life of God and the life of man, there is a distinction between the good of God and the good of man. The good of God comes out of God’s life, but the good of man comes out of man’s life. The good that is spoken of in Ephesians 2:10 and 2 Timothy 2:21 is the good that comes from living out the life of God. It is the good that comes out of the life of God. In contrast, the good that is spoken of in Matthew 12:35, Romans 7:18-21, and 9:11 is the good that comes out of man’s human life. The good that comes out of our human life is according to our human nature, which does not have the true nature of life, that is, God’s life. Only the good that comes out of God’s life is the good of God because only this good has the nature and element of God’s life. Therefore, the good of God and the good of man are not the same. Man’s good comes out of man’s life and does not have the nature of the divine life. God’s good comes out God’s life and has the nature of God’s life.
In the universe there is good, evil, and life. Good is related to the good created humanity. Evil is related to the evil one, Satan, and life is related to God, who is the unique source of life. When we speak of good throughout the remainder of this section, however, we are speaking of the good that is associated with created man. When we speak of evil, we are speaking of the evil one, Satan; when we speak of life, we are speaking of the God of life.
Man, Satan, and God, respectively, are good, evil, and life. Therefore, the nature of the life of man, Satan, and God, respectively, is good, evil, and life. Since the nature of each of these lives is different, each life has a law, and the function of each law is different. The function of each law is based on its nature. The law that is related to our good human nature causes us to desire to do good. The law that is related to our evil satanic nature causes us to do evil and to sin. The law that is related to God’s eternal divine nature causes us to live out the life of God.
Every believer has the nature of man (good), Satan (evil), and God (life). Within each of these three natures, there is a different kind of life, each with a different law. We have three kinds of life with three kinds of natures and three kinds of law. We have the law of good, which comes out of the good nature of our human life, the law of sin, which comes out of the evil nature of the satanic life, and the law of the Spirit of life, which comes out of the divine nature of God’s eternal life. Moreover, we have the capacity to express the good that is present in the human life, the evil that is present in the satanic life, and the life that is present in God’s life. Each of these different kind of lives, natures, and laws correspond to one of the three parts of our being — our spirit, soul, and body. The law of good is present in our soul, the law of sin is present in our body, and the law of the Spirit of life is present in our spirit.
There are three different persons, three different lives, three different laws, and three different natures — life, good, and evil — within the spirit, soul, and body of a believer. Each part of our tripartite being is related to a different person, life, law, and nature. As a consequence, there is a different set of motivations in each part of our being and a possibility of expressing three different kinds of people, each of whom can live out a different nature. A believer who lives according to his soul can express the things of his good human nature. A believer who follows the lusts of his flesh can express the things of his fallen satanic nature, and a believer who walks by the spirit can express the things of God’s divine nature as a God-man who lives out God. Thus, if we live according to our soul, that is, according to our mind and the faculty of reason in our mind, the most we can be is a person who desires to do good. If we live according to our body, that is, according to our flesh and its lusts, we will be a person who does evil. But if we live according to our spirit, that is, according to the Holy Spirit and according to God, we will be a God-man who is full of life and who lives out the life of God.
Generally speaking, most people think that it is sufficient to be good, that is, to live according to the good reasonings of our mind, rather than to be evil, that is, to live according to the lusts of the flesh. They think that it is sufficient to be good rather than evil. However, God wants something more. God wants us to be a person of life, a God-man, who lives out God as life. It is not enough to be a good person. It is not enough to refrain from evil and do good. We must be a God-man. The proper standard of our living is to live out the life of God. In order to do this, we cannot live by our flesh or our soul; we must live by the Spirit. Similarly, our goal should not be focused on avoiding evil or even on doing good; our goal should be focused on living the life of God. We can be a God-man, living according to the Spirit of life only if we live according to the Spirit in our spirit.
Chinese philosophers promote the development of one’s “bright virtue” by using “knowledge of the good” as a means to improve one’s condition. Even though these efforts have some usefulness in a human sense, they are not compatible with God’s way of salvation. God’s way of salvation is much higher. God’s way of salvation does not involve self-improvement based on developing the good element in our human nature in order to live out our human goodness. Instead, God’s salvation involves the impartation of His Spirit of life into our spirit, enabling our innermost part to respond to the law of the Spirit of life so that we can live by God’s life and become God-men who flow out God’s life because we are full of God’s life. Although God’s way of salvation will eventually renew every part of our spirit and soul — our conscience, intuition, and fellowship and our mind, emotion, and will — it begins with the impartation of His Spirit of life into our spirit and gradually renews every part of our soul. This process of renewal does not involve improving our good but corrupted, human nature; rather, it involves living according to the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit, which frees us from Satan’s evil life in order to live out God’s life. This is not a work of human improvement but a salvation in life. Human work can only be focused on improving our natural goodness; it cannot bring God’s life into us for our salvation. At the most, human improvement can brighten our “bright virtue,” improve our “knowledge of the good,” and expand the “brightness of our inner heart.” Even if we could attain to the highest peak of human goodness, it would not compare to the standard of God’s holy nature. God’s way of salvation does not employ works to enable us to live according to the standard of human goodness. Instead, it employs the operation of the law of the Spirit of life to enable us to live out His life. This is to live in God and to live Him out.
A law is a natural principle and a natural power. Therefore, the three laws within us involve a natural principle and a natural power. The law of good in our mind is a natural principle, and according to its natural power, it causes us to desire to do good. Since this natural law in our mind desires to do good, our will spontaneously determines to do the good that our mind desires. Neither this desire nor the determination to do good is forced upon us; they are spontaneous reactions related to our good human nature. The law of sin in our members is also a natural principle, and according to its natural power, it causes us to sin. Since this natural law in our members causes us to sin, our flesh sins spontaneously. Likewise, our sinful responses to our lustful flesh are not forced upon us; they are spontaneous reactions related to our sinful, satanic nature. Lastly, the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit is a natural principle, and according to its natural power, it causes us to live out the life of God. Since there is a natural law in our spirit, our spirit spontaneously lives out God’s life. This living also is neither forced nor difficult. In summary, if we live according to our mind, we will spontaneously desire and decide to do good. If we live according to our flesh, we will spontaneously sin. But if we live according to our spirit, we will spontaneously live out the life of God.
The power of each law differs according to the strength or weakness of its respective nature. Some laws are stronger than other laws. Romans 7 and 8 show that the law of sin in our members is stronger than the law of good in our mind because the law of sin always defeats the desires and determinations of the law of good in our mind. However, the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit is stronger than the law of sin in our members because the law of the Spirit of life can free us from the law of sin. Thus, each of the laws in us is different in strength because they are related to three different kinds of life, each of which has a different level of strength. Of the three kinds of life, the human life is the weakest. Therefore, the law of good related to the human life is also the weakest law. The satanic life is stronger than the human life. Therefore, the law of sin is stronger than the law of good, and it is able to conquer the weaker law of good. However, the life of God is the strongest life. Consequently, the law of the Spirit of life is the strongest law, and it can conquer the law of sin, which is stronger than the law of good.
The power of a law cannot be controlled by behavior; it can be controlled only by a law of greater power. Our behavior, such as the determinations of our mind or the strivings of our will, cannot control the power of the law of sin in our members. We can conquer the law of sin only by relying on the power of the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit. If we try to control the law of sin through determinations and strivings, we may be successful for a while, but the constant operation and power of the law of sin will eventually defeat us. A more powerful law, the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit, is the only thing that can spontaneously and constantly free us from the law of sin in our members. If we strive to conquer sin according to the reasonings in our mind, we will fail and fall into a wretched condition (7:24). However, if we live in our spirit and follow the law of the Spirit of life, we will be freed from the law of sin and live according to the life of God (8:2).
In summary, the Bible speaks of four laws in relation to the believers. One law is outside of us, and the other three are within us. The law of God given to Moses is outside of us; the other three laws are within our soul, body, and spirit respectively. The law in our soul comes from our good, created human life; this law is good and causes us to desire to do good. The law in our body comes from the evil, fallen satanic life; this law is evil and causes us to sin. The law in our spirit comes from the uncreated, divine life of God; this law is divine and causes us to live out God’s divine life.
The law of God outside of us represents His holy, righteous, and good demands. When the law of good in our soul touches this holy, righteous, and good law, it places demands upon us. The law of good in our mind immediately and positively responds to this demand by determining to fulfill the law of God. But when the law of good in our soul tries to fulfill the holy demands of the law of God, the law of sin in our body opposes, resists, and conquers the law of good in our soul. Consequently, we cannot fulfill the holy, righteous, and good demands of the law of God. Instead, we break the law of God because the law of sin in our body is stronger than the law of good in our soul. However, the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit is stronger than the law of good in our soul and the law of sin in our body. When we turn to our spirit and live by the Spirit, the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit frees us from the law of sin in our body and causes us to live out God’s divine life. This law not only enables us to fulfill the holy and good demands of the outward law of God; it brings us up to the divine standard of God Himself.
According to the law of God, we should not covet (7:7). When the law of good in our soul considers this outward demand, it immediately responds with both the desire and the determination to no longer covet. However, the law of sin in our body immediately rises up to resist this good desire, and it causes the sin of covetousness to rise up even stronger within us so that we cannot fulfill this demand of God’s law. No matter how much we strive, we cannot rid ourselves of the indwelling sin that produces covetousness. On the contrary, the more we strive to not covet, the more our covetousness will be manifested. Whenever the law of good in our soul responds to the demands of the outward law of God by desiring to do good, the law of sin in our body stirs up the evil within us to resist this desire to do good. The law of good in our soul is no match for the law of sin in our body. In every battle between these two laws, the law of good in our soul inevitably loses to the law of sin in our body. But thanks be to God for the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit. This law is stronger than the law of sin in our body, and it frees us from that law of sin (v. 25; 8:2). If we do not strive to do good according to the law of good in our soul but instead cooperate with the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit, we will be freed from the bondage of covetousness that is stirred up by the law of sin in our body. Thus, we fulfill the demands of the outward law of God and live out the surpassing holiness of God.
We should clearly see that the outward law of God places demands upon us, and that the inward law of good in our soul desires to fulfill these demands. However, the law of sin in our body comes between these two laws — the law of God outside of us and the law of good in our soul — to prevent the law of good in our soul from fulfilling the demands of the law of God. Just as our body surrounds our soul, the law of sin in our body surrounds and defeats the law of good in our soul. Therefore, it is impossible for the law of good in our soul to overcome the law of sin in our body to fulfill the demands of the law of God. However, the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit is stronger than everything. It can overcome the law of sin in our body and release us from its control so that we can fulfill and even exceed the demands of the law of God.
The outward law of God is like a proper man who asks a pure and simple woman to marry him. The law of good in our mind is like the woman who agrees to his proposal. However, the law of sin in our body is like an evil man who is able to influence her to not only reject the proposal of the proper man but also to follow him in his evil ways. The law of the Spirit of life in our spirit, however, is like an angel who saves the woman from the evil man so that she might accept the proposal of the proper man. In her acceptance she also realizes that the angel corresponds with the proper man so that she now has the power to follow the proper man.
Although the outward law of God places demands on us, it has no power to enable us to fulfill its demands because of the weakness of our flesh (v. 3). The law of good in our mind desires to fulfill the demands of the law of God, but it has no power to overcome the law of sin. The law of sin is always lurking behind the law of good. When it sees the law of good in the mind incline toward fulfilling the demands of the law of God, it stirs up trouble in our flesh so that the law of good cannot prevail. Only the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit can prevail; it is the source of God’s salvation. Its power comes from the life of God, and it can free us from the law of sin, enabling us to fulfill the demands of the law of God in us and live out the divine life.
This is God’s way of salvation. Those who try to improve themselves have no awareness of this process. Throughout the ages those who want to improve themselves have focused on outwardly mistreating their body in an effort to restrain its influence or by inwardly determining to do good. God’s way of salvation does not involve dealing with the sin in our body or by strengthening our will to do good in our soul. Instead, His work of salvation begins by imparting the Spirit of life into our innermost part, our spirit, which progressively spreads to the faculties of our soul and even to our mortal body (vv. 6, 11). Our salvation is not dependent upon dealing with our sinful body or on strengthening our will; it is dependent upon living in the spirit and cooperating with the law of the Spirit of life.
Sins and the secret of being freed from sin
Setting the mind on the flesh resulting in sins because of the law of sin in the flesh
“The mind set on the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, for neither can it be. And those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:7-8).
In each of our three parts — spirit, soul, and body — there is a different life and a different law with a different operation. When our living comes out of a certain part, the law of the life of that part causes us to live out the nature of its life. Of our three parts, only the body is indwelt with the evil satanic life. Our body sins, and it is a body of sin because it has been mixed with Satan’s evil life (which is sin). Consequently, the law of sin comes out of this life. Romans 6:6 clearly refers to our body as “the body of sin.” Furthermore, sin brings in death. Thus, Romans 7:24 also refers to our body as “the body of this death.”
We have mentioned previously that our body was transmuted into the flesh because of its mixture with the evil life of Satan. Therefore, if we live by the flesh, the life of Satan will cause us to sin. When we set our mind on the flesh and walk by the flesh, we spontaneously sin. This is an experiential fact. Since the sinful life of Satan dwells in the flesh and operates according to a law that causes people to sin, when we live in the flesh and set our mind on the flesh, the law of sin causes us to oppose, contradict, and offend God. According to the Bible, the mind set on the flesh is enmity with God because it is not subject to the law of God and cannot be subject to it. Furthermore, those who set their mind on the flesh, who are in the flesh, cannot please God.
“That which the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh” (Rom. 8:3).
The outward law of God places demands on us to act according to God’s holiness, righteousness, and goodness. This law, however, is weak through our flesh; that is, it cannot help us attain to the holiness, righteousness, and goodness that it proclaims. Our flesh is full of the evil life of Satan, which frustrates us from matching the outward standard of God’s holiness, righteousness, and goodness. Therefore, the flesh prevents the law from enabling us to reach the standard of God’s holiness, righteousness, and goodness. If we live by the flesh, we will do things that are contrary to the holiness, righteousness, and goodness of the law, making the law weak through the flesh.
“If you live according to the flesh, you must die” (Rom. 8:13).
If we live according to the flesh, we will not only sin but also die. Sin brings in death, and death follows sin. Wherever there is sin, there will be death. Sin corrupts us, and death weakens us. The ultimate expression of weakness is death. If we live according to the flesh, we will not only be corrupted by sin but also invaded by death to the extent that we will be dirtied, weakened, condemned, and ultimately deadened. On the one hand, we will be condemned, and on the other hand, we will taste death.
Setting the mind on the Spirit resulting in freedom from sin because of the law of the Spirit of life in the human spirit
“The law of the Spirit of life has freed me...from the law of sin and of death” (Rom. 8:2).
Although the body causes us to sin because the law of sin is in our body, we also have two other parts — the soul and the spirit. However, only the operation of the law in one of these parts can free us from the power of sin. This part is our human spirit, not our soul. The life in our soul cannot free us from the life that produces sin, because the good, created human life in our soul was corrupted by Satan and stained by sin due to the fall. Although our soul still has the good element of its created human nature, it was stained and corrupted by Satan and his sinful life. Consequently, it is weak and powerless against sin. Although the law of good in our soul comes out of our good created life, this life is weak, impotent, and incapable of freeing us from sin. Consequently, this law cannot free us from sin. The law of good in our soul is related to the weakest of the three kinds of life, the created human life, and it cannot overcome the stronger life of Satan. The law in our fallen soul, even though it is related to our good created life, cannot free us from the power of sin.
Of our spirit, soul, and body, freedom from sin can come only from our human spirit because the law of the Spirit of life is in the spirit. It is divine and strong. Only it can overcome the law of sin in our body. The law of the Spirit of life comes out of God’s life, which is the strongest and most powerful life. Furthermore, God’s Spirit is the base and even the application of this law. This law is in our spirit. If we set our mind on the spirit and live by the spirit, this law will rule from our spirit with its power of salvation and free us from the bondage of sin.
“The mind set on the spirit is life and peace” (Rom. 8:6).
God saves us from sin through the Spirit of life, and the Spirit of life is in our spirit and one with our spirit. Thus, if we want to be free from sin, we must set our mind on the spirit and live in the spirit. When we set our mind on the spirit and live in the spirit, the Spirit of life within us manifests its divine power, freeing us from sin and empowering us to live out God’s divine life. Thus, we are filled with life and peace, which is to be filled with satisfaction and rest.
“That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who...walk...according to the spirit” (Rom. 8:4).
When we set our mind on the spirit and live according to the spirit, the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit brings us into a living that lives out the holiness, righteousness, and goodness of God. This fulfills the righteous requirement that the law of God places upon us. We cannot fulfill the righteous requirement of the law if we set our mind on the flesh and live by the flesh. When we set our mind on the spirit and live according to the spirit, we are freed from sin on the negative side, and we can fulfill the righteous demands of the law of God on the positive side.
“If by the Spirit...you will live” (Rom. 8:13).
When we set our mind on the flesh and live by the flesh, we not only sin but also die. In the same way, when we set our mind on the spirit and live according to the spirit, we are righteous and also live. Just as sin brings in death, righteousness brings in life. Just as sin brings in death and weakens us, life brings in righteousness and strengthens us. When we follow the Spirit and live according to the Spirit, we are not only freed from sin and live out righteousness, but we are also kept from the weakness of death through the strength of life. We are kept from death and weakness by being freed from sin, and we gain life and strength by living out righteousness. We must follow the spirit and live by the spirit in order to obtain righteousness and life.
Whether we sin or enjoy freedom from sin depends on whether our mind is set on the flesh or on the spirit. If we set our mind on the flesh and live according to the flesh, the law of sin in our body will cause us to sin. If we set our mind on the spirit and live according to the spirit, the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit will free us from sin. The secret of being free from sin is to set our mind on the spirit and follow the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit. We should not focus on the law of good in our soul or even be concerned about the law of sin in our body. It is sufficient to live according to the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit. This is not a matter of striving or struggling to do good or reject evil; it requires us only to live in our spirit and to follow the spirit.
If our will is set on doing good and strives to reject evil, we will not be freed from sin. On the contrary, we will be hindered from living in the spirit and trapped in a pitiful condition; we will be impotent in doing good and powerless to reject evil. Therefore, we should not focus on trying to do good, just as we should not focus on rejecting things that are sinful and evil. Doing good should not be the goal of our living, just as avoiding evil should also not be the focus of our living. We should focus our attention on living in the spirit and following the spirit. We should have no other goal than God and His life. Our only desire should be to live out God and His life. This requires us to live by the life of God, not by our human life or by the satanic life in us.
In order to live according to God’s life, we must not live in our soul or in our flesh. We should live in our spirit and follow our spirit because God’s life is in our spirit. If we live in spirit and follow the Spirit, we will live out the life of God, not the life of our fallen satanic nature or the life of our good, created human nature. As a consequence, our living will not be out of either the evil life of Satan or the good life of man. Instead, we will live out the life of God. When we live out God and His life from our spirit, we are one with God and God is one with us. In this union with God, we are freed from the law of sin that binds us in our members. This is the secret to being freed from sin. This is the secret of overcoming.
The responsibility of the believers
“Walk...according to the spirit...the mind set on the spirit” (Rom. 8:4-6).
We need to be responsible to cooperate with God according to His way of salvation. If we do not cooperate, our experience of God’s salvation will be incomplete. Our first responsibility is to believe in Christ and in the redemption that He accomplished for us. When we believe, the Spirit of life is imparted into our spirit; this is the initiation of our salvation. After receiving the Spirit in our spirit, we must bear the responsibility to cooperate with the Spirit in order to experience the reality of our salvation. We must cooperate by walking according to the spirit and setting our mind on the spirit. Since we are one in spirit with the Spirit of life, we must bear the responsibility of walking according to our spirit and setting our mind on the spirit so that the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit can spontaneously enable us to live out the life of God.
We must learn not to be distracted by a life that is according to the flesh or according to the soul in order to bear this responsibility. We must not be distracted by either good or evil or by striving to do good. It is true that living according to the flesh hinders us from following the spirit and setting our mind on the spirit, but living according to our soul also hinders us from following the spirit and setting our mind on the spirit. Both our tendency to do evil and our desire to do good frustrate us from walking according to the Spirit of life in our spirit. There is truly no difference between the actions of the soul and the actions of the flesh in terms of their ability to hinder us from walking according to the spirit, setting our mind on the spirit, and living according to the Spirit of life in our spirit. We must not be distracted by the determinations of our soul or the inclinations of our flesh in order to turn to the spirit and live according to the law of the Spirit of life in the spirit. We should live absolutely in spirit and follow the spirit, set our mind on the spirit, and follow every sense that comes out of the operation of the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit. This is the responsibility that we must bear in order to be freed from sin and to overcome. It is also the responsibility that we must bear in order to live a normal Christian life.
“By the Spirit you put to death the practices of the body” (Rom. 8:13).
As we live in the spirit and follow the spirit, we must also bear the responsibility to put to death the practices of the body, which are the practices of the flesh. Since we live in the spirit, there should be no place for the practices of the body. Every practice of the body, whether good or bad, interrupts our living in spirit and makes us unable to live according to the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit; therefore, we must put these practices to death with the cross by the Holy Spirit. This is a responsibility that we must bear if we want to live an overcoming life.
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