The Salvation Series - 4: The Salvation of the Soul
Praise God for another day to share a thought with you! Today, we continue our discussion on salvation.
Salvation is a word so familiar to many Christians, yet its full value and glory remain largely unknown to many believers. After one gets a deeper understanding of the salvation Jesus Christ paid for, one's heart will naturally swell with gratitude. What Jesus Christ did on the cross covers the cost of our past, present, and future till eternity—both the good and the bad. In fact, everything you will ever need, both spiritual and physical, to endure forever is found in Jesus Christ.
In previous discussions, I painted a picture of what happens when a person gets born again: first and foremost, they receive a new spirit—the spirit of Christ. The real you is not your body, but the inner person dwelling inside it. Our body is merely an "earth-suit" that allows us to function on the earth. However, many forces contend to dwell alongside us in this earth-suit to take control of the soul, because whoever controls the soul realm controls the person.
The soul is not the same as the spirit, yet the two are inseparable except by spiritual death. That is precisely what happened when Adam and Eve sinned: they died spiritually, becoming dead souls living in mortal bodies—racing against time towards physical death like a ticking time bomb. But when a person gets born again by inviting Jesus Christ into their life, the dead part of the inner man is replaced with a brand-new spirit made in the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
As long as that inner space remains empty, the devil can enter and dwell whenever someone sins or enters into a covenant with him—that is when a person becomes totally possessed. Once a possessed person genuinely gives their life to Christ, Jesus comes in to take His rightful place, dislodging the devil from their spirit. However, if a demon is merely cast out of someone and that person is not born again, the space remains void, allowing the devil to return. This is why it is critical to help people—even children—get born again as soon as they can understand and believe. The scripture says:=, “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.” (Luke 11:24–26).
When a person is not born again, it is easy for the devil to manipulate and control them because their mind, not renewed, is effortlessly influenced by internal and external circumstances. Worse still is when they are demon-possessed. In the days of Jesus, He cast out devils from many people, even though Israel was a nation that taught the younger generation the ways of God from youth. We can then imagine the condition of the possessed people in nations devoted to idolatry!
Demonic possession of the spirit can only happen when a person is not born again, because everyone born into this world carries an inner emptiness due to their spiritual death state inherited from Adam and Eve. But when we get born again, Jesus Christ comes to dwell inside of us by His Spirit (Romans 8:9). This imparts eternal life and makes us children of God. The scripture says, “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:11–13).
However, if a born-again believer continues to live in deliberate sin, they allow the devil to cage their spirit, silencing the influential voice of God's Spirit over their soul realm. The devil then gains easy access to torment their mind and body with fear, anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts—which can feel overwhelming.
When the devil afflicts the physical realm, it results in sickness and spiritual bondage. The Bible speaks of a woman bound by Satan for 18 years. Jesus said, “And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?” (Luke 13:16).
The devil cannot possess or bind the mind and body of a born-again believer whose spirit is free and active, because darkness can never overcome the light of God within us—unless we are lukewarm or disobedient. This is why Satan constantly uses wiles to tempt Christians into sin.
The Spirit of God inside us is meant to flow out from our spirit to influence our soul, healing and strengthening our mind and body. Jesus described this when He said, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38).
When the Spirit of Christ flows freely from within, it brings evident joy and a feeling of lightness and freedom from demonic bondage because the enemy's yokes are instantly broken. This overflow aligns our thoughts and actions to be easily led by the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, an intense overflow of God's Spirit can even make us feel spiritually "drunk," making it effortless for Him to control our actions. The scripture says, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18).
Many Christians have lost the initial joy of their salvation, but I believe God is refreshing you today until joy overflows from within you once more!
As believers, our primary focus should be on the inner man, because that is where we hear from God, receive divine assistance, and find strength to overcome the world. A spiritually free Christian cannot be limited by world conditions because, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4).
The trials and temptations coming against you are merely the devil's attempts to cage your recreated spirit. But what is inside you is far greater than anything the world can throw at you! This is why all of creation eagerly anticipates your manifestation. The Scripture says, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” (Romans 8:18–19).
Unfortunately, many Christians remain spiritually caged, unable to manifest God’s glory. The primary gateway the devil uses to cage a believer is the mind. He projects thoughts of sin and fear. If we dwell on these thoughts and consider them, they form strongholds that eventually manifest as sinful actions. The Scripture says, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:13–15).
If this pattern repeats, a Christian becomes entangled and spiritually imprisoned once again. The Scripture says, “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.” (2 Peter 2:20).
The Bible also notes, saying, “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.” (1 John 5:18).
In the original Greek, the word translated as "toucheth" means "to attach oneself to." This implies the devil will not merely touch a believer, but will seek to establish a bond or grip on their life if allowed.
No one can discern projected thoughts—whether from God or the devil—without the light of God’s Word. This is why renewing your mind after getting born again is vital. Your thoughts determine what you attract and whether you are conformed to the world or transformed into God's image. The Scripture says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2).
No matter how spiritual you are, both good and bad thoughts will attempt to enter your mind. Even Jesus, after fasting for 40 days (the peak of spiritual devotion!), faced enemy thoughts. Jesus did not just pray about them—He countered those thoughts by speaking the Word of God out loud (Matthew 4:1–10). The only way to silence a negative thought is to contradict it openly with God's truth. That is what Jesus did, and it is what we must do. The Scripture says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3–5).
God has saved our spirit, and He will glorify our body at the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:40–44). But as for our soul, it is our responsibility to cooperate with God to refine and sanctify it through His Word.
Pay close attention to your soul today. Look inward and meditate on the Word of God rather than the problems of this world. When you listen for God's voice within, you will find the solutions to every challenge you face. Have a blessed day!
Today’s Scripture Reading:
2 Corinthians 10, Matthew 4
Prayer for Salvation
Dear Lord, I believe Jesus died and rose again for me. Forgive me of all my sins and come into my life. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Wash me with your precious blood. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Congrats! If you said this prayer in faith, your status has officially changed—you are now a child of God!