The Life of the Inner Man: Awakening to Your Spiritual Nature and God's Allocated Authority

True spiritual life begins not with more prayer or more activity, but with the awakening of your regenerated spirit to intimate knowledge of God.

Every Christian prays. Many fast. Some prophesy. Yet countless believers remain spiritually powerless — not because God is distant, but because they have never awakened to the life of the inner man. Spiritual life is not sustained by religious activity done from the soul. It is only accessed through the spirit — the one part of your being that God directly interacts with. Understanding this changes everything.

Teaching Overview

Spiritual life is not sustained by prayer, works, or emotional experience alone — it requires intimate knowledge of God through the awakened spirit.
Human beings are tripartite — spirit, soul, and body — and God only interacts with the spirit; anything done toward God from the soul or body cannot be received by Him.
All power and authority belong to God; the devil operates only within what was allocated to him, and a believer who steps into their God-given authority will rule over him.
True worship, genuine tongues, real service, and authentic spiritual gifts are only valid when they originate from the spirit, not the soul.
The evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit is not speaking in tongues but self-comfort, sound judgment, and being led into all truth.

Key Distinctions

	Spirit	Soul	Body
What it is	The inner man; the part of you that carries the nature of God	The seat of emotions, thoughts, desires, and will	The physical, material vessel
Where life originates	The life source of man; regenerated at salvation	Possesses its own life; intensifies and enhances experienced reality	Possesses its own life; the material dimension of human existence
Can it interact with God?	Yes — the only part of your being God directly interacts with	No — anything done toward God from the soul cannot be received by Him	No — the body was not designed to interact with God
What happens when neglected	The believer functions with the soul, thinking they are spiritual, and always misses God	Unchecked, it confuses soul experience for spiritual reality	Without the spirit and soul, the body's life is incomplete
Completeness	Necessary — without it, the life of man is not complete	Necessary — without it, spiritual reality cannot be fully expressed	Necessary — without it, the soul cannot be fully expressed

	Knowledge	Wisdom
What it is	Spiritual information received about God and His ways	The application of spiritual knowledge in lived reality
How it is acquired	Can be acquired by anyone, including those without spiritual maturity	Imparted among the mature; flows as a side effect of true spiritual knowledge
How it is discerned	Known by what a person can articulate or communicate	Known by how a person does things — their decisions, actions, and judgments
Biblical example	Knowledge can be communicated but not yet applied	Solomon asked for wisdom, not knowledge — the knowledge of God was imparted to his spirit, and wisdom was the result

	Praying in Tongues from the Spirit	Tongues from the Soul
Source	The regenerated spirit communicating mysteries to God	The soul producing gibberish that mimics spiritual language
Effect on the believer	Builds up the believer; increases spiritual strength and anointing	No measurable spiritual upgrade; anointing remains unchanged
Connection to prophecy	The interpretation of true tongues is prophecy	No prophecy comes to pass; no mysteries are entered into
Biblical name	Praying in the Spirit	The Bible does not call soul-generated utterance praying in tongues

	True Worship	Emotional / Sentimental Worship
Source	The spirit — a deliberate spiritual decision	The soul — feelings, atmosphere, music, and external stimuli
Trigger	A decision of the will from within, requiring no external push	Requires music, prompting, or emotional atmosphere to begin
Effect	Healing, deliverance, and transformation accompany it; atmosphere changes	Emotional release without spiritual transformation
Biblical example	Job — in total loss, he made a decision to worship	Sentimental music that produces feeling without spiritual substance

	Natural Person	Spiritual Person
Perception of spiritual things	Finds them foolish; cannot understand or receive them	Discerns, judges, and chooses correctly in all things
Source of judgment	Soul — limited to natural perception	Spirit — able to evaluate all things spiritually
Accountability to others	Subject to the judgment of others	Judged of no man, though able to judge all things
Biblical reference	1 Corinthians 2:14	1 Corinthians 2:15

	Practical Gospel	Eternal Gospel
What it prioritises	Making the Word of God applicable to daily life and natural circumstances	Correction, edification, planting, moving the believer toward eternal life
Its relationship to God	Disconnected from God's eternal nature; treats Scripture as a self-help tool	Rooted in the nature of God who is eternal and disconnected from mere practicality
Its spiritual danger	Insults the Holy Spirit; reduces an eternal word to temporal utility	Honours the Holy Spirit as the author and interpreter of Scripture

The Reality of Demonic Power and the Authority of God

Demons are real — but Jesus is more real.
Demons operate through deception and emotional baiting, not genuine power.
A demon that held a person for two years left in one second — demonstrating that demonic affliction, however prolonged, is no match for spiritual authority.

"Demons get you to act emotionally. They are powerless. It is deception."

All Power Belongs to God

There is no such thing as powers of the devil — the devil has no self-generated power.
The devil operates only with power that was allocated to him; that power belongs to God.
Believing the devil has his own power reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of spiritual life and of who is in charge.

"All power belongs to God now and forever. All power. There's no such thing as powers of the devil. It doesn't exist. Power belongs to God."

Authority Allocated to Man

Genesis 1:26 establishes that God allocated dominion to man over every creeping thing — and the devil, cast down to the earth, falls within that domain.
A believer who steps into their allocated authority and power will control the devil.
Any believer who does not enter into that place will be controlled by the devil.

"A man who steps into the allocated authority and power will control the devil. So anybody that doesn't enter into that place, the devil will control you."

The Tripartite Nature of Man

Man is composed of three distinct and necessary parts: spirit, soul, and body — each with its own life.
The spirit is the inner man — the life source of man, the part that carries the nature of God.
The soul is the seat of emotions, thoughts, desires, and will; the body is the material vessel through which soul and spirit are expressed.

"God wanted to make man a spirit, a spirit that lives inside of the soul and the soul that lives inside of the body."

The Incompleteness of Man Without All Three Parts

If any one of the three — spirit, soul, or body — is missing, the life of man is not complete.
Even those in heaven whose spirits are present but whose bodies have not yet been resurrected are in a state of incompleteness; they await the resurrection.
Man was designed differently from angels and every other creature — his existence must be experienced through all three dimensions simultaneously.

"If one is missing, the life of man is not complete. If one of this is missing, you are not a complete being."

The Danger of Confusing Soul and Spirit

The soul is not the spirit, and the spirit is not the soul — confusing the two is one of the most dangerous errors a believer can make.
A person who has not been fully regenerated will consistently mistake their soul for their spirit.
The Word of God — sharper than any two-edged sword — is the instrument designed to divide soul from spirit and bring clarity to this confusion.

"A person that is not regenerated, a person that has not fully been brought into the life of God, they usually will think their soul is their spirit."

God Only Receives What Is Done in the Spirit

Anything done toward God from the soul — prayer, worship, service, prophecy — cannot be received by Him.
Anything done toward God from the body cannot be received by Him.
The only interaction God has with the human being is through the spirit.

"The only interaction God has with your being is with your spirit."

True Worship Is a Decision, Not an Emotion

God is a Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth — sentimental music and emotional feeling do not constitute worship.
The best worship occurs when everything has gone wrong — because that is when the soul life is most clearly separated from the spiritual life.
Job's response to total loss was worship, not prayer — a deliberate spiritual decision made from the spirit, not the emotions.

"Worship is a decision, it's not an emotion."

The Results of True Worship

Wherever true worship occurs, healing, deliverance, and transformation follow — because true worship is purely spiritual.
The worship of Scripture consistently produced changes in atmosphere and transformation of lives.
External prompting — music, instruction, atmosphere — is a sign that the worship is from the soul, not the spirit.

"Anywhere there is true worship, during worship, there would be healing, there would be deliverance, there would be transformation."

Spiritual Life Is Not Sustained by Prayer Alone

Prayer is only a means of communication — communicating with a God you do not know is a waste of time.
The devil is not afraid of the anointing, because even he is anointed; the devil is afraid of someone who knows God.
To know God is to know the inner man; to know the inner man is to work with God.

"Knowledge is the most important thing when it comes to your work with God. The devil is afraid of somebody that knows God and to know God is to know the inner man, to know the inner man is to work with God."

The Holy Spirit, Power, and Evidence of Being Filled

The event of the Holy Spirit coming upon a believer does not automatically mean power has been received — power becomes available, but must be entered into.
The evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit is not speaking in tongues; the Bible only records that they spoke in tongues when the Spirit came, without stating tongues as the evidence.
The genuine evidence includes: walking in self-comfort, being led into all truth (not just spiritual truth), and consistent sound decision-making.

"You can have the Holy Spirit and be powerless. You can receive the Holy Spirit and be powerless."

True Tongues Versus Tongues from the Soul

True tongues is praying in the Spirit — the language of the spirit communicated through the body, entering into mysteries beyond natural knowledge.
The evidence that tongues is genuine: the believer is built up, anointing increases, and prophecy flows — because the interpretation of tongues is prophecy.
If there is no improvement in spiritual ability, no prophecy coming to pass, and no spiritual mysteries entered, the tongues is from the soul, not the spirit.

"There must be an improvement in the ability to manifest your spirit. If there's no improvement, you are praying from your soul, not your spirit."

The Natural Person Cannot Discern Spiritual Things

The natural person — the one functioning from the soul — finds the things of the Spirit of God foolish and cannot understand them.
Inability to understand the Word of God is not a translation problem or a communication problem — it is a spiritual problem.
The spiritual person judges all things and is judged of no man — they choose correctly and cannot be spiritually condemned by others.

"If you cannot understand me, it's not because I'm confusing you, you're not spiritual."

Knowledge, Wisdom, and the Spirit of Understanding

Knowledge can be communicated; wisdom cannot be taught — it is the application of knowledge, and it is imparted among the mature.
Solomon asked God for wisdom, not knowledge — because the knowledge of God was imparted into his spirit, and wisdom was the natural result.
The spirit of wisdom and the spirit of understanding are distinct spiritual endowments; knowledge can be acquired by anyone, but wisdom and understanding are given.

"The evidence that you have the knowledge of God is wisdom. Wisdom is the application of knowledge."

Key Definitions

The Inner Man — The spirit of a human being; the life source of man, the part that carries the nature of God and is the only part through which God directly interacts with a person.

Soul — The seat of a person's emotions, thoughts, desires, and will; the soul enhances and intensifies experienced reality, and possesses its own life distinct from the spirit and the body.

Praying in the Spirit — The biblical term for true tongues; the language of the regenerated spirit communicated through the body, entering into spiritual mysteries and building up the believer.

True Worship — A spiritual decision made from the spirit, not an emotional response to music or atmosphere; worship that is genuinely spiritual produces healing, deliverance, and transformation in the environment.

Wisdom — The application of spiritual knowledge; wisdom is imparted among the mature and flows as the natural result of receiving the knowledge of God into the spirit.

Allocated Authority — The dominion God assigned to man in Genesis 1:26 over every creeping thing, including the devil who was cast to the earth; a believer who steps into this authority controls the devil, and one who does not will be controlled by him.

Key Takeaways

God only interacts with your spirit — not your soul or body — Any prayer, worship, service, or prophetic act done from the soul cannot be received by God, which means most religious activity that bypasses the spirit is spiritually void.
The devil has no self-generated power — only what was allocated to him — Understanding this dismantles the false belief that the devil is a peer of God, and reveals that the Christian's failure to walk in authority is the real problem, not the devil's strength.
True tongues must produce measurable spiritual growth — If speaking in tongues does not result in the believer being built up, anointing increasing, and prophecy flowing, it is originating from the soul and not the spirit.
Worship is a decision of the spirit, not a feeling of the soul — The most powerful worship occurs in the worst circumstances, because it strips away the soul life and expresses pure spiritual devotion.
Knowledge of God produces wisdom as its natural side effect — Spiritual knowledge imparted into the spirit manifests as wisdom in decision-making and action — not as information alone, but as consistent correct judgment in all areas of life.

Reflection Questions

When you pray, fast, or worship, are you doing so from your spirit — or are you relying on external stimuli, emotional atmosphere, or religious routine to carry you? What would change if you removed all of those external supports?
Have you ever confused a soul experience — an emotional feeling, a vivid dream, an intense moment in worship — with a genuine spiritual encounter? How has that confusion affected your walk with God?
You have been given allocated authority and power over the devil — yet the devil may still be controlling areas of your life. What is preventing you from stepping into that authority, and what practical step can you take this week to begin entering it?
When you speak in tongues, is there measurable evidence that you are being built up — are your anointing increasing, your prophecy being fulfilled, and your spiritual discernment sharpening? If not, what does that reveal about the source of your prayer?
The natural person cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God — they are foolish to him. In what areas of your life are you still responding to God's Word or God's instruction with the reasoning of the natural person rather than the discernment of the spiritual person?

Prayers and Declarations

"Lift your hands."

"You, liver — immediately. Come out in the name of Jesus."

Scripture References

1 Peter 5:11 — "To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." (KJV)
Genesis 1:26 — "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." (KJV)
1 Thessalonians 5:23 — "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (KJV)
Hebrews 4:12 — "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (KJV)
John 4:24 — "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (KJV)
Matthew 5:3 — "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (KJV)
Romans 1:9 — "For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers." (KJV)
Acts 1:8 — "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (KJV)
1 Corinthians 2:14 — "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (KJV)
1 Corinthians 2:15 — "But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man." (KJV)

Golden Nuggets

"Knowledge is the most important thing when it comes to your work with God."

"The devil is afraid of somebody that knows God and to know God is to know the inner man, to know the inner man is to work with God."

"All power belongs to God now and forever. All power. There's no such thing as powers of the devil. It doesn't exist."

"The only interaction God has with your being is with your spirit."

"Worship is a decision, it's not an emotion."

"The best worship is when everything has gone wrong. Because then it separates the natural life, the soul life from the spiritual life."

"You can have the Holy Spirit and be powerless. You can receive the Holy Spirit and be powerless."

"There must be an improvement in the ability to manifest your spirit. If there's no improvement, you are praying from your soul, not your spirit."

"A man who steps into the allocated authority and power will control the devil. So anybody that doesn't enter into that place, the devil will control you."

"The need for God is in the Spirit, not in the physical. The physical life benefits from your spiritual life."

Resources and Further Reading

Quote card — tap to view & save