Spirit, Soul & Body
📖 1 Thessalonians 5:23 KJV And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
✅Introduction
In 1 Thessalonians 5, we see that the Bible clearly mentions three parts the body, soul, and spirit. Yet many people don’t fully understand the difference between the soul and the spirit, often blending the two together as if they’re the same. But what we’ll see is that these three parts are each distinct, with their own purpose and function in how God created us.
But let’s see another verse showing the distinction between the spirit, soul and body.
📖 Hebrews 4:12 KJV For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
So again, the scripture is showing that there is a distinction between the 3 parts but first let’s discuss each part starting with the body.
1️⃣ The Body
The body connects us to the natural world; as the body came from this world.
📖 Genesis 2:7 KJV 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.
it’s temporary and corruptible because of the fall of Adam and Eve, meaning we will all die some day.
📖 Genesis 3:19 (KJV) In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
But it was never meant to be corruptible as it was design by God in perfection, this is why God will change our bodies again at the end of this world.
📖 2 Corinthians 5:1 (KJV) For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
The body is also considered the temple of God.
📖 1 Corinthians 3:16 (KJV) Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
📖 1 Corinthians 6:19 (KJV) What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
If we compare the body to the actual temple of God, what we need to understand is that the body can have structure as God demands structure in the temple of God.
📖 Romans 12:1 (KJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
So what learn from the body is:
it was made perfect.
but because of sin it now in corruption.
it is the temple of God.
it can be controlled.
it will be renewed with new heavenly body.
2️⃣ The Soul
📖 Genesis 2:7 (KJV) 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.
The Soul is your character or the mind, will and emotions that make up the real you.
🧠 The Soul as the Mind
📖 Psalm 139:14 My soul knoweth right well.”
The soul is described as knowing, which is a function of the mind.
📖 Lamentations 3:20 My soul hath them still in remembrance.”
The soul can remember, which again shows mental capacity.
📖 Psalm 13:2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul?”
The soul reasons and thinks this is the mind at work.
❤️ The Soul as the Seat of Emotions
📖 1 Samuel 18:1 The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David.”
This expresses deep emotional connection and affection.
📖 John 12:27 Jesus said, “Now is my soul troubled.”
The soul feels distress and sorrow emotional qualities.
📖 Psalm 42:11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul?”
The soul experiences depression, sadness, and joy (Psalm 103:1).
💪 The Soul as the Will
📖 Deuteronomy 6:5 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.”
To love God requires a choice an act of the will.
📖 Job 7:15 My soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life.”
The soul chooses showing the function of will and decision.
📖 Psalm 119:28, 31 My soul melteth for heaviness… I have stuck unto thy testimonies.”
The soul clings or commits, another expression of willpower.
3️⃣ The Spirit
The Spirit is the hardest to understand but the Spirit is the God-conscious part of man. It’s how we worship, pray, and receive revelation.
📖 John 4:24 (KJV) God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
We must worship him in spirit because thats how we are connected to him as he is a Spirit. So we cannot worship him if our spirit is dead. So before salvation our spirit is dead only to be made alive (quickened) after we receive the gospel.
📖 Ephesians 2:1 (KJV) And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
📖 Ephesians 2:5 (KJV) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
📖 John 3:6-7 (KJV) That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
What we need to understand also is our spirit is different from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, so then if we are saved, we have 4 things going on in us, we have the body, soul, spirit and Holy Spirit.
📖 Romans 8:16 (KJV) The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
🪽 The Holy Spirit Motivates Believers
The Holy Spirit moves in hearts to change motives, desires, and actions:
📖 Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work…
The Spirit directly guides choices and mission, motivating the apostles to act in alignment with God’s will.
📖 John 16:8 …the Spirit shall reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.
The Spirit convicts and motivates people to turn from sin and pursue righteousness.
📖 Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
The Spirit leads and motivates, shaping our actions, even when the soul struggles.
🪽 Spirits Can Motivate People
📖 1 Samuel 16:14 (KJV) But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
📖 1 Kings 22:19-23 (KJV) And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. 20 And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. 21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. 22 And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. 23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.
⏰ Conclusion
Think of it like this:
Body — how we live physically.
Soul — how we think and feel.
Spirit — how we connect to God.
Order matters:
The Spirit should lead the Soul.
The Soul directs the Body.
When reversed, we live in the flesh.
