Spirit
From CreationWiki, the encyclopedia of creation science
A spirit is a personal being in the spiritual realm.
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Different realms
We recognise different realms of existence. The obvious one is the physical realm, in which our bodies exist and with which we interact all the time. The physical realm can be investigated by science.
There is also the realm of the mind or soul. The connection between mind and body is obscure, although it undoubtedly exists, as we all know from our personal experience. The mind has dominion over the physical realm, in that mental processes result in physical actions,
The Bible teaches us that there is also a realm of the spirit, and that this is able to affect both the mental and physical realms. God is Spirit (John 4:24) and he created beings that are wholly spiritual (angels) as well as those that are wholly physical (lower animals), physical and mental (higher animals) and ourselves, who are a mixture of physical, mental and spiritual -- spirit, soul and body.
It is essential to a proper understanding of Christian doctrine about creation and the physical world that we appreciate that it is all in subjection to the spiritual world and affected by spiritual things. Since spirits are all personal beings, they are not amenable to scientific experimentation. In particular, we cannot experiment on God. Therefore we need to recognise that science is, of its very nature, unable to explain everything that happens in the physical world. In general, the physical world operates with a regularity that derives from the character of God, but the rules under which it operates can be superseded by the rules of a higher realm, whether the mental or the spiritual.
Different kinds of spirit
God himself is the preeminent spirit, the source of all being and creator of everything that is, including all other spirits. In particular, one of the persons of the Godhead is the Holy Spirit (רוּחַ קָדְשׁ (ruach kodesh), in Hebrew; το πνευμα το αγιον (to pneuma to hagion), in Greek). It is notable that, in both Greek and Hebrew, the word for spirit is also the word for breath and for wind. It seems very unlikely that this is coincidence.
God created some beings who are purely spiritual, whom we call angels. Some of these rebelled against God and became evil. The chief of these became Satan, the devil. Other evil angels appear to have influence over different areas of the world. Finally, there are the beings known as demons or unclean spirits. Their origin is not stated in the scripture, but we assume that they are created spirits of some kind who rebelled and became evil.
God created men as spiritual beings. We are made in the image of God, and, like him, we are triune beings. We are made up of body, soul and spirit. It is very difficult for us to distinguish between soul and spirit, but the Bible teaches that there is a distinction.[1] In our initial state, our spirits are ruined and dead because of sin. Those who repent and believe the gospel are baptised in God's Holy Spirit and their own spirits are made alive in him.
Spiritual interactions with the physical world
The most obvious interaction of the spiritual with the physical is the creation of the world, simply by the word of God: he spoke and it was done. Next, we see various miracles recorded in the Bible and done even into modern times. Some of the miracles concern the casting out of unclean spirits, so it is evident that demonisation is another way in which the spiritual realm can affect the mental and physical realms. People who are demonised are affected in their minds and souls, which is evidenced by irrational and self-destructive behaviour; they may also have extraordinary physical strength. [Note that it is impossible for a true Christian to be demonised, because he is indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God. A Christian who forgets what God has done for him may be oppressed and deceived by demons, but they cannot control him.]
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