Sometimes I wish that we could peel back the curtain of life and see the spiritual reality that the Bible describes. We live in a very physical, tangible, see-it, taste-it, touch-it, and feel-it world. But our existence whether we recognize it or not is back draped by an intangible spiritual side as well.
Several months ago I was debating a guy on an atheistic online forum about the existence of the soul. He wanted me to define what a soul was and to prove that man had a soul. My response was weak, I am sure, but I tried to have him tap into the reality of an inner self. I don’t know about you but I am conscious of both a physical body and an inner person that thinks, feels and has desires to do things. I call that the soul. He just laughed at me and thought I was full of crap. But, I don’t care what he thinks. There is definitely something that exists that makes me, me. And I am not talking about the rotund party of me that gets bigger everyday.
In I Peter 5:6-10, there is a quick synopsis of some things that are true behind the curtain.
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. [1]
Let me make some observations.
1. There is a God that we submit to. We are to be humble before Him.
2. There are troubles in this world that cause anxiety and we can take to God because He cares for us.
3. There is a real adversary to our souls who would like to destroy us.
4. The enemy of our souls can be resisted and conquered.
5. You are not the only one who is suffering.
6. The God of all grace Himself is our helper to restore, strengthen, and establish us.
Let me talk experientially with you for a second. I don’t know about you but as I observe life around me my mind and my spirit are constantly trying to make sense of what is going on both outside of me and inside of me. One reason that I love the Scriptures is that it give me some real explanations about what I sense in my spirit is going on. For some of you who do not trust the Scripture (i.e. my atheist buddy who doesn’t believe that he has a soul) I find your explanation of these same things lacking in substance. Maybe I am a fool like my buddy says, but then again maybe I am on the right track or at least headed in the right direction. Time will tell. One thing is for sure; one hundred years from now we will know what is going on behind the curtain.
Photo by mikebaird
[1]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.) (1 Pe 5:6). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Life and times of the howitzers 