Soul and Spirit 9 - "THE SON CAN DO NOTHING OF HIMSELF"
By Jessie Penn Lewis
The meaning of " soul-force " can be briefly defined as that which has its origin in the soul, and " spirit force " as that which has its origin in the spirit. The soul is the medium for the outworking of both. Soul-force is manifested through the faculties of the soul, and spirit force is manifested through the faculties of the soul likewise. Let me try to explain it crudely thus. Draw three sections, one above the other, and mark the top one " spirit ", the centre one " soul ", and the lowest one " body ". Then draw an arrow passing down from the "spirit " into the soul, and then outward. This suggests the Holy Spirit in the human spirit, passing down and out through the faculties of the soul. Or draw an arrow going up from the " body " section into the soul, and out through the faculties of the soul. In the first you have spirit-force coming from God energizing the soul-and in the second you have " soul-force ", or power arising from the flesh into the soul and out. The " soul ", as the central compartment, is the medium for both " spirit " and " soul " force, and we can only tell which force is in action by its fruits. (See Matthew 7:16,I7.)
I have said that " soul-force " as soul-force, has its origin in the soul. More correctly, it rises from the body or animal life-this the Bible calls " flesh ". There are great discoveries at the present time of powers in the " soul ", such as our fathers never dreamed of. These forces have their origin in " flesh " and not " spirit ", even though they do not appear so, for the " soul " is under the power of the flesh, until the regenerated spirit rules by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within. He desires to control and use the soul faculties. For instance, either the mind-one of the faculties of the soul is energized and animated by soul-force, or it is renewed by the Holy Spirit, and energized by Him through the human spirit.
The danger to-day is the counterfeit in the soul-realm of everything in the spiritual realm. Through ignorance there has been a developing and using of these psychic forces, thinking them to be spiritual. But the word spoken by Christ is the test. He said, " It is the Spirit that quickeneth ". Only that which comes from the Holy Spirit through your spirit, has its origin in God. The latent powers of the soul are not Divine-though some think they are. For example, some say that the " gift of healing " is in the soul, requiring to be developed by those who have it. A clergyman writes, " This power is sometimes spoken of as ' animal magnetism', sometimes as 'psychic power'. .. . This power when dedicated to God becomes a ' gift of the Spirit '. . . ." But surely the true gifts of the Spirit must come from God, who is Spirit, via the spirit, and not the " soul ".
Again, in connection with the seeking of " manifestations " as an evidence of a believer having received the " Baptism of the Spirit ", methods have been used to bring these about, that synchronize with the methods of mesmerism, and thus counterfeits have broken into the true Church of Christ. In other cases believers have had a true influx of the Holy Spirit into their human spirit, and then through ignorance they have developed the psychic power latent in the human frame, and brought about mixture in their own life and service for God, e.g., if a chorus is sung over and over again, they can bring a meeting into a psychic condition, when those present become incapable of intelligent thinking, or of any decisive action of the will.
Thus on a flood-tide of psychic force in the world to-day, the demons are carrying out their plans and purposes. " It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing." Every child of God is governed in all service-preaching, teaching, working-either by the Holy Spirit or by the psychic force of which we speak. It is the spirit that is regenerated-" a new spirit will I give you ". Fausset says that the spirit is the shrine where the Holy Ghost dwells, and it is the organ through which He works. When He comes in and renews the spirit and dwells there, He then renews the mind, and gains control over the faculties. As we walk in the Spirit, and fulfil the conditions of His working, we become " spiritual " in all our actions. Everything touched will have a spiritual stamp, every faculty will be changed, quickened, uplifted. The believer becomes a " new man ", and not only a new man, but one who has the life of God in his spirit. Through the renewal of the mind, in due season, confused thinking passes away, and the mind becomes clear.
