"The soul, therefore, is a living essence, uncomplicated, incorporeal, invisible – in its proper nature – to the eyes of the body, immortal, reasoning and intelligent, formless, making use of an organic body and being the source of its powers of life, growth, sensation and generation, the intellect being its purest part though not in any way alien to it (as the eye is to the body, so the intellect is to the soul). It has power over itself, its volition and energy, and is mutable, i.e., able to be changed, because it is created. All of these features are natural to it through the Grace imparted by its Creator, and its being and nature are thus because of this same Grace which it has received". ~ John the Damascan
Question: What is the Difference between someone's soul and spirit? How does the Bible distinguish the two?
This is a question that is not easy to point out in our everyday Christian lives. While it is not so difficult to distinguish the body from the spirit and the soul, it is particularly difficult to distinguish the soul from the spirit. What exactly are their differences? Let us consult the Bible once again to give us light on these concepts.
Body, Soul, and Spirit in the Bible
There are a few places in the Bible where the body, soul, and spirit are mentioned. One of these is in 1 Thessalonians 5:23:
"Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
If we delve into this verse, it clearly states that we are composed of three parts: The body, the soul, and the spirit. The verse also uses the word “and,” which in the original Greek language means to differ from each other. Thus, this clearly states that each part is different and plays a different role in us.
It is easy to distinguish the body as physical, which means using the five senses; the sense of sight, the sense of hearing, the sense of taste, the sense of smell, and the sense of touch. The spirit and soul are much more difficult because they seem similar but are actually very different. They have different functions in our lives as Christians, as it is written in Hebrews 4:12:
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
It is obvious in this verse that the two are separate and what is apparent is that the Word of God divides these two parts from each other.
What Is the Difference between Soul and Spirit?
It is a blessing that we have three parts, the body, the soul, and the spirit. All of these parts have specific functions. The body is our physical functions and here we feel our physical senses such as the sense of sight, taste, smell, hear, and touch. The soul on the other hand is our humanity that makes us feel emotions. It is our way to magnify God through our human limitations.
Finally, the spirit is our spiritual and deeper connection with the Lord. We express our love to God and Jesus Christ through our spirit because this is one of the gifts that Christ gave us when he became human and died for our sins. And thus, we can only use the spirit if we believe in God and Christ and if we do the ways of the spirit.
Let us imagine a circle on two levels. The outer level is the body, followed by the soul and the core is the spirit. Now, let us discuss the function of the soul ar deeper level to understand its importance of it and then discuss the spirit in detail.
What Is a Soul as Defined by the Bible?
Let's see what the Bible has to say about the soul as we analyze the verses of Scripture.
Matthew 10:28: "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell."
No man can kill our soul. Although they can kill our bodies, they cannot do anything personally to affect our souls.
Ezekiel 18:4: "Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die."
Souls belong to the Lord. He created them when he created us. This verse also mentions that any soul that sins will experience death. Considering every human, except Jesus, had sinned, everyone has earned eternal death. Thankfully, God has offered a way of salvation for those whose souls are doomed to die.
Matthew 16:26: "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?"
We cannot allow ourselves to get distracted by the things of this earth. Our soul, after all, cannot take its possessions on earth with it to the afterlife. It would be folly to strive to gain the whole world on account of losing one's soul. One soul's destination is of utmost importance and should be the number one priority in a person's life.
Role and Functions of the Soul
The soul is basically our mind, our emotions, and our will. It is who we are as human beings. But it is also used to express God. As written in Luke 1:46-47, Mary’s Song, “And Mary said: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
In this verse, we can see that Mary uses her soul to glorify God and then uses her spirit to rejoice in what God has done to save her. Glorifying God is human behavior and human responsibility. We express our humanity to God through our souls and magnify His power and presence through our souls.
Although we express God’s magnanimity in our souls, we can never express God’s power through our soul because it is our humanity. We can do good works and be godly and still fall short. We can never express God’s love for us through our soul alone. We then need the spirit to express God’s love.
What Is the Spirit According to the Bible?
Let us go back to Luke 1:46-47. Mary rejoices about God’s love shown through His only begotten son through her spirit. This means that she enjoyed and experienced God through her spirit. The expression of God’s love is through our spirit.
While the soul is the source of our expression through our humanity, it has its limitations and the only way we can experience God is through our spirit. The soul is merely a channel.
Let us go back to our imagery of the parts. The body is the outer level, followed by the soul and the spirit is the core. The expression of love to God paved the way through the soul. We first magnify God’s power and grace, and then we express and experience it fully through our spirit.
The function of the spirit is spiritual. The spirit is the only way to connect with God, and we can only use the spirit if we believe in God and receive Him through our Lord Jesus Christ’s salvation.
In Romans 8:4, we are reminded by this: "In order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
This verse demands us to walk with our spirit, which means living a life according to the spirit and not our soul. The way of the spirit is the way of God. The spirit came to us through Jesus Christ. He lived amongst us and became human; for this reason, he has given us the gift of connecting with God through our spirit.
In conclusion, understanding the distinctions between the body, soul, and spirit is vital for deepening our relationship with God. The Bible reveals that while the body interacts with the physical world, the soul reflects our humanity—our thoughts, emotions, and will. The spirit, however, is the innermost part of us, designed to connect with God in a profound and eternal way. Through the spirit, we experience His presence, express true worship, and live according to His will.
These distinctions remind us that our faith is not just about outward actions or human emotions but about living a Spirit-led life that glorifies God in all we do. The Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 8:4 challenge us to move beyond the limitations of the flesh and soul, walking instead in the Spirit. This walk begins when we place our faith in Jesus Christ, who not only redeems our souls but also empowers our spirits to live in communion with God.
As we grow in our understanding of these truths, let us strive to magnify God with our souls and rejoice in Him with our spirits, living a life that reflects His love, grace, and purpose.
Here are 15 Bible Verses Every Christian Should Know By Heart for you to download or share with loved ones!
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Glory Dy has been a content creator for more than 10 years. She lives in a quiet suburb with her family and four cats.
