To start off, I'm more inclined to think of the "Soul" being more interchangeable with the concepts of "Mind" and "Heart" than Spirit is. I will attempt to explain why using scripture below, but first I'd like to get a few premises up. I believe the Spirit aspect of our being is not entirely "Ours" but is agenic of either the Spirit of God, or the spirit of the evil unclean ones. When we are born again and the the spiritual seed of God is planted and grows in us, we begin to possess that which can be called our "Spirit." We become "born of God." We are given "new life" — "born imperishable" just as the Holy Spirit is imperishable. Saved Christians have Body, Soul and Spirit. Unregenerate men and woman only have Body and Soul, and an unformed spirit. Children of perdition, Anti-christs, have Body, Soul and are infested and controlled by unclean, evil spirits. That's why 1 John 4:3 talks about the "spirit of the antichrist."
John 3:5
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the SPIRIT, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
However, it is now my opinion that before coming to God, a man does not really have a true Spirit aspect to his being. He is influenced by both divine and profane spirits from beyond this realm, both sides vying for his attention and energy and the right to dwell within his Soul and influence the fruit he bears in life. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is then when one's Soul becomes so polluted, so vile and reprehensible, so evil and worthless that the angels of God, by order of the Holy Spirit, can only abandon that soul to the evil ones who then claim it as theirs and drag it to Hell with them. That person is then a BEAST who's Soul no longer bares any resemblance to the image of God at all. He or she is 2/3 of what God intended us to be (aka, 0.666 ad infinitum) A body, a soul but no SPIRIT. The SPIRIT of God is what raised Christ from the dead (happy easter) and that same Spirit is what raises us to eternal life.
Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
PREMISES
1) We know God is the Holy Spirit (John 4:24)
2) We interact with a spiritual realm that we do not fully comprehend on this earth.
3) In this spiritual realm, angels are warring for our souls in ways we cannot comprehend. If we look at—
Mark 5:9
And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.
Many unclean spirits (demons) were in the man (a living soul).
Genesis 2:7
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.
Luke 11:26
Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
This is why I believe that no Christian who is born again indwelt with the Holy Spirit can be, at the same time, POSSESSED (indwelt) with unclean spirits simultaneously. They cannot stand in the presence of the Holy Spirit directly residing in our vessel (Soul). We can still be OPPRESSED by evil spirits (obviously). What this indicates is that we can be INFLUENCED by spirits in the spiritual realm. We are still tempted even though we are born again, after all.
Hard liquor is referred to as "spirits" because they leave your Soul susceptible to the spiritual realm in a special way. Why? Because the altering of his consciousness opens him/her up to the spirit realms influence. God wants us to be temperate and sober of mind and not drunk on wine, which is dissipation. Probably the main reason Drunkenness is so detestable to God that he says no drunkard will enter the Kingdom of heaven. An alcoholic is going to be more prone to emotion, anger, revelry, violence, folly, and fruit that is opposed to the fruit of the divine Spirit.
If an ungodly drunkard continues in his way, is it any wonder that he will wax worse and worse until he is totally under the control and authority of unclean spirits that abuse his body for sin and destroy his Soul (mind, heart) in the process, leaving no chance at authentic Spiritual life?
Romans 8:9
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
1 John 4:1-4
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
I hope these verses are helpful for establishing what I wrote at the start of this thread. They speak about spirits interacting with us, "confessing" things to us, influencing our thoughts (mind/soul) and trying to move us to that final decision: Are we spiritually born children of God...? or are we of the devil?
If we die without the Spirit of God, then we perish eternally, for we do not possess an eternal Spirit of our own that would quicken us from the dead. Only the eternal Spirit of God can make Life from Death. Thus Jesus says "thou must be born again!"
—
I know I should be prepared for a backlash here, as there are many differing opinions on this rather intangible subject. But I think it could prove to be a worthwhile discussion to flesh out (no pun intended). If you think I'm dead wrong please don't be afraid to say it and correct me, but use scripture as I have (of course) otherwise I'll have to disregard with prejudice and not feel bad about doing it either
John 3:5
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the SPIRIT, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
However, it is now my opinion that before coming to God, a man does not really have a true Spirit aspect to his being. He is influenced by both divine and profane spirits from beyond this realm, both sides vying for his attention and energy and the right to dwell within his Soul and influence the fruit he bears in life. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is then when one's Soul becomes so polluted, so vile and reprehensible, so evil and worthless that the angels of God, by order of the Holy Spirit, can only abandon that soul to the evil ones who then claim it as theirs and drag it to Hell with them. That person is then a BEAST who's Soul no longer bares any resemblance to the image of God at all. He or she is 2/3 of what God intended us to be (aka, 0.666 ad infinitum) A body, a soul but no SPIRIT. The SPIRIT of God is what raised Christ from the dead (happy easter) and that same Spirit is what raises us to eternal life.
Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
PREMISES
1) We know God is the Holy Spirit (John 4:24)
2) We interact with a spiritual realm that we do not fully comprehend on this earth.
3) In this spiritual realm, angels are warring for our souls in ways we cannot comprehend. If we look at—
Mark 5:9
And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.
Many unclean spirits (demons) were in the man (a living soul).
Genesis 2:7
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.
Luke 11:26
Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
This is why I believe that no Christian who is born again indwelt with the Holy Spirit can be, at the same time, POSSESSED (indwelt) with unclean spirits simultaneously. They cannot stand in the presence of the Holy Spirit directly residing in our vessel (Soul). We can still be OPPRESSED by evil spirits (obviously). What this indicates is that we can be INFLUENCED by spirits in the spiritual realm. We are still tempted even though we are born again, after all.
Hard liquor is referred to as "spirits" because they leave your Soul susceptible to the spiritual realm in a special way. Why? Because the altering of his consciousness opens him/her up to the spirit realms influence. God wants us to be temperate and sober of mind and not drunk on wine, which is dissipation. Probably the main reason Drunkenness is so detestable to God that he says no drunkard will enter the Kingdom of heaven. An alcoholic is going to be more prone to emotion, anger, revelry, violence, folly, and fruit that is opposed to the fruit of the divine Spirit.
If an ungodly drunkard continues in his way, is it any wonder that he will wax worse and worse until he is totally under the control and authority of unclean spirits that abuse his body for sin and destroy his Soul (mind, heart) in the process, leaving no chance at authentic Spiritual life?
Romans 8:9
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
1 John 4:1-4
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
I hope these verses are helpful for establishing what I wrote at the start of this thread. They speak about spirits interacting with us, "confessing" things to us, influencing our thoughts (mind/soul) and trying to move us to that final decision: Are we spiritually born children of God...? or are we of the devil?
If we die without the Spirit of God, then we perish eternally, for we do not possess an eternal Spirit of our own that would quicken us from the dead. Only the eternal Spirit of God can make Life from Death. Thus Jesus says "thou must be born again!"
—
I know I should be prepared for a backlash here, as there are many differing opinions on this rather intangible subject. But I think it could prove to be a worthwhile discussion to flesh out (no pun intended). If you think I'm dead wrong please don't be afraid to say it and correct me, but use scripture as I have (of course) otherwise I'll have to disregard with prejudice and not feel bad about doing it either