In order to live a proper Christian life, we must know the Spirit of God and our human spirit. First Corinthians 14:32 says, "And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets." However, Romans 8:14 says, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." Romans 8:14 indicates that we should be led by the Spirit, but 1 Corinthians 14:32 indicates that the one who prophesies should direct his own spirit. Although the Bible speaks clearly about the divine Spirit and our human spirit, it is still difficult to discern from the Bible who should lead our being, the Spirit or we ourselves.
Paul's direction in 1 Corinthians 14:32 is in the context of the Christian meetings. While one person is prophesying and something is revealed to another sitting by, the first person should be silent (14:29-30). The prophets must give direction to their spirit; they must tell their spirit to stop for the other speakers. Sometimes, when we are speaking or singing in the meeting, we may feel that we are very much in the spirit. At that time if a leading one says that it is time to stop, we may consider that he is not as spiritual as we are. But the spirits of the prophets are under their direction. Thus, they can determine when to prophesy and when to cease, to maintain good order in the church meeting.
In His economy, God desires to have man. Before He created man, He already had many angels as the created spirits (Psa. 104:4; Heb. 1:14). But He created Adam, not as a spirit but as a man. We have been created by God with a human spirit, and God wants us to do everything according to our spirit mingled with the divine Spirit, but He does not want us to be spirits. However, He does not want a man that is merely human, but a spiritual man, a man that is humanly spiritual. Within the believers there are two persons. Christ is the spiritual, divine person within us, while we ourselves are the human person. On the one hand, we are a human being. On the other hand, we have another being, the divine being, within us. Naturally speaking, our person is neither in our spirit nor our body but in our soul. When the Bible refers to persons, it often uses the term "souls" (Gen. 46:26; Exo. 1:5). However, we were regenerated not in our body or our soul, but in our spirit (John 3:6b). Regeneration brought Jesus Christ into our spirit, making Him our new person. Now we have two persons within us. The first person, our self, is in our soul, and the second person, Christ, is in our spirit.
In Galatians 2:20 Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Even though Christ is our person, we still live, not the old life, but a life by faith (Gal. 2:20b). We must live as spiritual persons (1 Cor. 14:37; 2:15; 3:1). A spiritual person is one who lives, walks, and has his being according to his spirit, which is mingled with God's Spirit, and who is able to discern all the spiritual things.
The Christian life is not an exchanged life, in which our life is exchanged for Christ's life. The Christian life is a mingled life. To be spiritual involves us, the Holy Spirit, and Christ. Our spirit is needed to receive Christ as the Spirit to be our person that we may live, walk, and have our being in Him. In Matthew 16:24-25 and Luke 9:23-24, the Lord said that we must deny our self and lose our soul. However, our soul is also needed for us to be spiritual persons. Paul said, "But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit" (1 Cor. 6:17). Our entire being should be spiritual, including our spirit, soul, and body (1 Cor. 6:19).
We should not lightly say that we have been led by the Spirit to do certain things. We must do things in our spirit, which is mingled with the Spirit. We should move and act as spiritual persons. This is very crucial. Some may feel that the proper way to make a decision is to consider all the factors related to our situation and the persons around us. Others may consider that the way to make decisions is to pray with fasting until the Holy Spirit suddenly enlightens us. However, the proper way to do things is to do them as spiritual persons. Such persons are dominated, governed, directed, moved, and led by their mingled spirit.