[Aquila]

I believe that when we are filled with the Holy Ghost the inner man, the spirit, is Regenerated. Through the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in our inner being we partake in the divine nature. And so in our spirit we have the impulse to obey God to the fullest.

However, the soul, our mind (the seat of reason, will, and emotion) is still accustomed to pleasing the desires of the flesh and is still accustomed to thinking in paradigms picked up from the world. We renew our minds through the study of the Holy Scriptures, prayer, worship, praise, and meditation. As we seek God, fill our minds with the Scripture, and practice Christian virtues, we train the soul to cease pleasing the flesh and we take on the mind of Christ, tearing down every paradigm of thinking that we've picked up from the world throughout our lives. As we put on the mind of Christ, we place our spirit and our soul into an alignment that empowers us to overcome the flesh.

The body, the flesh, is still unregenerated. It is still subject to genetic predispositions, biochemical processes, sickness, disease, and death. I believe that it is possible for the flesh to have a predisposition to various behaviors and desires that are sinful based on genetics, hormones, and biochemical processes. It desires pleasure, fullness, and safety. It is governed by genetics and feasts on the world around it through the senses. It must be denied, trained, conditioned, and controlled. Being subject to genetic anomalies, traits, predispositions, biochemical processes, hormones, sickness, disease, and death God has provided physical healing. The flesh will one day be regenerated in glorification. All these biological processes and conditions will be no more, and our bodies will not have a single impulse to sin.

And so the Christian life is often a war between the spirit and the flesh, with the soul caught in the middle. Soul, or mind, being the seat of will, must be conditioned and conformed into Christlikeness in order that will can be surrendered to the Spirit, and the body/flesh governed. Throughout life our flesh continues to desire pleasure, ease, comfort, and fullness. The biochemical processes continue subjecting us to various moods and conditions that arise from its fallen physical/biologic nature.

Many who struggle with mental illness, hormonal imbalances, neurologic conditions find themselves in the battle of their lives as they try to manage a body that is not functioning correctly. These individuals mind find themselves having to treat their conditions with diet, medication, supplements, etc. Some might encounter strong proclivities towards sinful patterns of thought and behavior that are a result of issues in their flesh that originate from biological problems or issues relating to their DNA. It is almost like the flesh has a mind of its own that refuses to be conditioned or trained. And so the same sinful tendencies continue to arise with vengeance. These people are often told to "try harder", or told they "just don't want to be free bad enough", or "you just have to make up your mind", etc. The problem is in the biology of the flesh. No amount of "will" can suppress the issue forever. As a result, they become discouraged and defeated. They are often looked at with pity and their struggle minimized. The real issue is... they need healing. But to receive healing we have to identify what must be healed. By ignoring the very real biological realities in our flesh, we subject many to an endless struggle that they could be delivered from with the supernatural healing power of God.

I believe that this might be very important or relevant in our day. We used to try to cast the devil out of those with various mental illness. Today, we know that it isn't a devil, it is physiological or biochemical. They don't need an exorcism, they need a healing. How many people could be better ministered to, assisted with proper medication, and even miraculously healed if we were not unwilling to take a closer look at what scientists are discovering about us?

These are my thoughts, feelings, concerns, and intentions.

Thoughts?