In Paul's writings we also see the progression of the believers' growth in life.
In our growth in life, we the believers progress from the fleshly man to the soulish man, and from the soulish man to the spiritual man (1 Cor. 3:3; 2:14; 3:1a). We need to ask ourselves what kind of man we are: a fleshly man, a soulish man, or a spiritual man? A fleshly man is one whose behavior is under the influence of his fleshly nature and partakes of the character of the flesh. Such a person may become angry and lose his temper easily. A soulish man is a natural man, one who allows his soul (including the mind, the emotion, and the will) to dominate his entire being and who lives by his soul, ignoring his spirit, not using his spirit, and even behaving as if he did not have a spirit (Jude 19). Such a person may not anger easily, but he is full of thoughts and reasonings in his mind. A soulish person has no capacity to receive the things of the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 2:14). A spiritual man is one who denies his soul and does not live by his soul but allows his spirit, that is, his regenerated spirit, which is occupied and energized by the Spirit of God, to dominate his entire being. A spiritual man lives by such a spirit, moving and acting according to it (Rom. 8:4).
If you lose your temper easily, you are a fleshly man. If you are always reasoning in your mind and murmuring in your emotion (Phil. 2:14), you are a soulish man. If, regardless of what happens to you, you simply call on the name of the Lord, remain in your spirit, and do everything according to the Spirit (Rom. 8:4b), you are a spiritual man. Instead of reasoning and murmuring with our spouse, with the saints in the church, or with the elders, we should simply call, "O Lord," all the time, living in our spirit. Then we will be a spiritual man.
We should not think that calling, "O Lord," is an easy thing. It is not easy. Sometimes when you are in the flesh, you may try to say, "O Lord," but you may not even be able to say "O." To say, "O Lord," requires a great deal of strength. We need to grow in life to the extent that whatever happens to us, we will respond by calling, "O Lord," without murmuring, reasoning, complaining, or arguing. If we are such spiritual persons, we will be suitable for the building up of the Body of Christ. Otherwise, if we are fleshly or soulish persons, we will not be able to be built up with others.