A Strong Spirit

Prov 17:22 and 18:14 NLT) A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength... The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear a crushed spirit?

This morning we continue to wind down the A Warrior Spirit" series. As we prepare to close this series out and transition back to the book of Proverbs I thought it fitting to tie in a few Proverbs that have to do with a "Warrior Spirit." I have been using the term "Warrior Spirit," but I could have just as easily used "Strong Spirit" in its stead.

When it comes down to it, many believers - and many humans for that matter - don't understand that we are actually spirits. Like God, we are tripartite beings. God is Father, Son, and Spirit. We are spirit, soul, and body. Our spirit is who we actually are. Our soul is comprised of our mind (the way we think), emotions (the way we feel), and will (the way we choose). And then our body is basically our earth suit; the housing we live in while we are in the earth. Our body will eventually fail, but we (our Spirit and soul) will live on forever - in one place or another (we know what those two places are).

Our inner man, our Spirit, is who we 'really' are and when our spirit is weak our soul will be weak (we will think, feel, and choose poorly) and our body will be weak (physically sapped).

Solomon compares a cheerful heart (or inner man) to a broken spirit. The cheerful heart is like medicine. When your spirit is strong, enlightened, and inspired, your entire man (spirit, soul, and body) is alert, awake, responsive, and ready. However, when your spirit is weak or broken it saps your strength through and through. Solomon went on to say, "The human spirit can endure a sick body;" meaning that when your outer man is weak and sick, it is uncomfortable but not unbearable. However, when your spirit is crushed, weak and despondent Solomon asks, "Who can bear it?" I am no clinical psychologist, but in my personal opinion I believe many have fallen into the pits of depression because of a crushed spirit.

In the 12th chapter of Proverbs Solomon said, "An anxious heart weighs a man down" (12:25). Once again, this is a reference to your inner man. In the 15th chapter gives the other side of the story and says, "A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face" (15:13).

So you may be thinking, "Ok so what can I do about it? How do I maintain a strong spirit?" My answer is twofold. First, tap into the power of the Holy Spirit. When you were Born-Again the Holy Spirit Himself came to live inside of you and He connects with your spirit to make you a child of God.
The Holy Spirit is an inexhaustible reservoir of hope from which we can draw whenever we feel like we are at the end of our rope.

Secondly, read and feed from the Word of God. God's Word feeds our spirit, making it strong and resilient. The more Word you have down inside of you, the more equipped you will be to battle the negative thoughts of the enemy and to resist every urge to fall into depression.

So what does this mean to you? It means that you want to build up a strong spirit so that you can live the life the Father desires for you to live. Your heavenly Father wants you to have and enjoy His life, the God-type of life; and not just when you make it to heaven, but right now while you are in the earth. You can't do that if your spirit is weak, crushed, despondent and in despair.

Allow the Holy Spirit and God's Word to build you up from the inside out and your entire man will be strong - spirit, soul, and body!

Father, I thank You for this revelation. This series has taught me the importance of having and maintaining a strong spirit. Your precious Holy Spirit lives in me and He bears witness with my spirit that I am Your child. I tap into His boundless reservoir of hope. I am never hopeless, because in Christ I am never helpless. The Holy Spirit is with me every step of my journey. I also feed on a daily regimen of the Word of God. Your Word helps build up my spirit. I declare, by faith, that I have a strong spirit and I am able to resist every negative thought, impulse, and attack from the enemy. Depression will never overtake me, because I am strong from the inside out and my strong spirit has a positive impact on my soul and my body. In Jesus' name. Amen!