…I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another so that you do not do the things that you wish. Gal 5:16-17 NKJV

Born again ones fail to see high-level success in their walks with God because of one reality – they fail to learn to live out of their spirits.

Man is a three-fold being – spirit, soul, and body. By their nature and training, people choose to emphasize one aspect of themselves over the other two. You can be a fleshly man, a soulish man, or a spiritual man. A fleshly man lives by his emotions, feelings, and desires. A soulish man lives by his decisions which have been based on the knowledge he has in his soul or in other souls ( he consults others ). A spiritual man lives by what he perceives with his spirit from an outside spiritual source.

A born-again one has his spirit indwelt by the Holy Spirit, allowing the true God to become his ťoutside spiritual source.ť In contrast, witches tend to be very spiritual people whose outside spiritual source is a familiar spirit, a demon. ťOrdinaryť people are usually fleshly, although some have been great spiritual people. ťSuccessfulť people are usually soulish, although some turn fleshly after they achieve success, and some are very spiritual. Truly spiritual people, people for whom the spirit is paramount, are extremely rare, and they tend to be very powerful and influential. All men are known by their fruit…

But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. 1 Cor 9:27 NKJV

If we seek to be truly spiritual people, who are led by the Spirit of God, we must learn what to do with our feelings and desires ( our flesh ), and our intellect ( our souls ).

What if you were asked to lay down all of your desires, hopes, and dreams? For you goal oriented sorts …what if you were asked to lay down all of your plans and goals? Could you be contented to sit in one place for an open-ended period of time, if that were the expressed will of God for you? You see, ťdying to selfť is such a huge challenge that it seems that most born-again ones never quite get over it. But it is absolutely necessary…because you canťt have two drivers driving the same car.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. Rom 8:5 NKJV

Paul was called into the ministry in Acts chapter nine. He wasnťt released into that ministry until Acts chapter thirteen. The intervening years were times of preparation, of dying to the old desires so that he could walk into the new. I was called to African ministry in 1978. I wasnťt released into it until 1994…and even then I went through years of ťon-the-jobť training before really beginning to walk in apostolic ministry. ťDying to selfť will be a gradual but relentless pursuit by the Holy Spirit to bring you to the place that you can be truly led by God.

Learning to live out of your spirit involves emphasizing your spirit man. Our friend Dale Sides points out in his teaching that speaking in tongues makes you conscious of your spirit, among its many other benefits. You will realize that your soul and body have true limitations…but your spirit man, in relation with the Holy Spirit, has no limitations…

For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed.1 Cor 5:3 NKJV

Some people teach that your spirit can travel outside of your body. This is not true because the Bible teaches unequivocally that when your spirit leaves your body, you are dead. But…by revelation, the Holy Spirit can show you things that make it appear that you are traveling outside of your body ( familiar, evil spirits can also counterfeit this experience for their hosts ). Indeed, through the power of the Holy Spirit in your spirit, your authority can reach out to touch the ends of the universe…

Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; and Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” 13 So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped…Josh 10:12-13 NKJV

Joshua ten type miracles are becoming more and more common as born-again ones learn to be sensitive to God working in their spirits, and use the authority they have been given in Christ Jesus.

Imagination is a function of the soul that can be used to train the spirit. Letťs say you have a need for people, materials, and money to help you. Close your eyes and imagine a picture of a globe, our planet Earth. Where are you…what is your physical location on that globe? Once you find that point, then imagine huge hands going out from that point to the north, south, east, and west.

In your mind, in your imagination, by your faith you are sending out hands in all four directions to receive what the Lord has for you in those locations. The Lord has promised to supply all of our needs, right? He has a provision on the earth for our need right now. But, you and I must pray it in…we must see it by faith happening before it begins to happen. Do you understand?

Faith comes out of your spirit. You see it happening in your spirit before it happens in the physical realm. You do this all the time, but you donťt realize it. A young woman dreams of her wedding day…she prepares for it by faith…then it happens! A young man dreams of being a great man of God…he prepares for it by faith…then it happens! By the way, you only get old when you stop dreaming…

Learn to live out of your spirit…your spirit is where God dwells in you! Itťs a good place to live!

Remember dear ones, we must be about our Father’s business!