Although in the past we have received much teaching concerning our spirit, I am burdened about this matter again because I realize that out of one hundred saints, it is difficult to find one who lives in the spirit and walks according to the spirit. In Galatians 5:25 Paul said, "If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit," and in 5:16 he said, "But I say, Walk by the Spirit and you shall by no means fulfill the lust of the flesh." In Romans 8:4 Paul said that the believers should not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit. According to these verses we all should walk by and according to the Spirit to the extent that we do everything according to the Spirit. Although this is clearly written in the Bible, we do not practice what the Bible says.
Through the years of my ministry I have contacted many different kinds of people. Out of one hundred I have not found one brother or sister who does everything according to the Spirit. In doing their shopping the sisters may shop mainly according to the sales advertised in the newspapers, not according to the Spirit. They may forget the heavens and the earth and not care for the Spirit within them. After they buy certain items, they may turn from their mind to their spirit and regret and even repent for what they have done. Nevertheless, the next week they may do the same thing again, forgetting the Spirit as they do their shopping.
The husbands all love their wife, but when they lose their temper toward their wife, they forget everything. Temper is aroused mainly by the exchanging of words. If the husband and the wife do not exchange words, there will be no temper. A little word from the wife to the husband may ignite the fire of temper within the husband. Our attempts to limit, restrict, and exercise self-control over our temper do not work. Therefore, the best way to avoid our temper is not to speak. The way to shut off our speaking is to do everything according to the Spirit. After a wife speaks an unpleasant word to her husband, the Spirit within him may tell him to be silent and not to do anything until the tempest has subsided and the Spirit gives him the liberty to act.
We all need to ask ourselves whether we live a life that is according to the Spirit or not. Because I do not live fully according to the Spirit, again and again I must confess to the Lord and ask Him to forgive me for doing something not according to my spirit. We are not used to living according to the Spirit. Instead, we are very accustomed to living according to our mind, our emotion, or our will. In the meetings of the church we may behave somewhat according to the Spirit, but after the meeting is dismissed, we may forget the Spirit again and not live according to Him. This is the real situation in the church life.
The spirit prepared by God for us is the highest part of our being. The highest part of our being is not the flesh, not the body, but the spirit. Whatever we do according to our body is low and even mean. If we do everything according to our spirit, we are honorable and are living on the highest level. When a wife says something to her husband, the husband should not answer quickly but should answer according to his spirit. He should respond according to the Spirit. Likewise, in dealing with their children, the parents should do it according to the Spirit. In Ephesians 6:4 Paul said, "And fathers, do not provoke your children to anger." The only way for parents to rebuke their children without provoking them is to do it in their spirit. When parents are going to rebuke their children, they should prepare themselves to do it according to the Spirit. Then, their rebuking will be a pleasant thing to the children. Otherwise, if the rebuking is administered out of the parents' flesh, it will provoke the children. The Bible tells us that parents should chastise and discipline their children (Prov. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15). The unique way for the parents to do this without provoking their children is to do it according to the Spirit.