The word "spirit" can often be confusing. Mainly because it can be used of a person, of the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Trinity) and of angelic and demonic creatures (evil spirits). For example when Jesus dies, he gives up his "spirit." This is not talking about the Holy Spirit or an angel or demon. This is talking about the human spirit (if someone wants to ask a question on the Holy Spirit, I am happy to answer that too). There are many places that talk of the human spirit (a few examples, Rom. 1:9, 1 Cor. 5:5, 1 Cor 7:34, 2 Cor 7:13).
A rough rule of thumb is that when you see spirit with a big "S" (Spirit) it is probably talking about the Holy Spirit. When you see it with a little "s" (spirit) it is probably talking about the human spirit within a person.
Sidenote:
In Greek and Hebrew the word "spirit" can also mean "wind" or "breath."
In the beginning God made humans. What is interesting is that he did not just make them as merely blood, cells and mechanics. People are more complex than that. They have the breath or spirit that enables them to live. This is what Genesis 2:7 says:
"Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."
We are not just physical people, there is a whole spiritual side to us. This spiritual side of us is the human personality. It is who we are, it is the essence of you. That doesn't mean that what we do with our bodies doesn't affect our personalities. If you don't sleep you probably will be grumpy. We are complex creatures. It is also interesting to know that the Bible uses the heart to describe our personality and thinking. And in the original languages often speaks of our emotions as being in our bowels or gut. This is not wrong, this is just the way the people in Bible times used language (they weren't trying to be scientific, just descriptive).
But here is something interesting you may have not considered. We need to love and worship God with our whole selves. You can outwardly do all the right things as a Christian. But relationship with God is at its best when your emotions, your desires and your delight is found in God. It is when your human spirit (personality) is centred on God that you will have the most happiness. And this is how God wants us to worship him. Remember Jesus says:
"One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’" (Mark 12:28-30)
God doesn't just want us to love him by what we do. He wants us to love him. He wants us to make him the thing that we love and value above all else. Part of our sinfulness is that we want to think there are things better than knowing God (which is kind of weird considering God made those things). It is really important that we see how important it is to love God with every part of our life. Even our emotions. We don't want to just be intellectual, smart (mind) Christians. We don't want to just be people who have great emotions (heart in modern language) that are not based on truth. And we don't want to be people who just use our abilities (strength) but have no brains or joy in how we use them. At the college I go to we have a motto of:
- Head (mind)
- Heart (emotions)
- Hands (actions)
To have a full, joyful, satisfying Christian life we need all 3 to be devoted to the worship and glorification of God. It is only in knowing Jesus that we will be able to do that. Anything less means we are missing out and robbing ourselves of God's best.
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