We’re told, by lifelong Christians, by pastors, and by the Bible itself, that life as a Christian is supposed to be great, amazing, wonderful. In John 10:10 Jesus himself says:
John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Not just life, but life abundantly! Here and in other verses in the Bible we’re told that “Jesus calls his followers not to a dour, lifeless, miserable existence that squashes our human potential,” as we await some distant promise of eternal life, but instead “to a rich, full, joyful life, overflowing with meaningful activities under the personal favor and blessing of God and fellowship with His people” (ESV Study Bible).
And yet, so often Christians seem just as unhappy as everyone else. They seem just as likely to divorce, to fight with one another. They seem just as likely to struggle with alcoholism, depression, and with other physical illnesses. Where is the disconnect?
Recently I read an interesting book called Waking the Dead, by John Eldredge. Eldredge tells us, “The story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it.” He says that there is a very real spiritual war going on around us, but it’s one that we cannot see and often pretend does not exist. God treasures the human heart, so the Enemy has made it one of his main targets. And among his most effective strategies, he has gotten us to agree that our hearts are fundamentally evil at the core and cannot be trusted.
What can we do about this situation? Throughout the book Eldredge shows us how to recognize that our hearts are actually good, to reclaim our hearts (which involves engaging in a real battle), and thus to regain the abundant life God intended for us.
I learned a lot from this book. It was inspiring, thought-provoking, well-written, and I recommend reading it. It really is a great book. I believe understanding and not ignoring the spiritual battle for our hearts is so important.
However, after reading it I was left wondering, just exactly what is your heart!? Eldredge never really explains this. The Bible talks about your heart over 800 times. It clearly matters to God. But what is it? And why does it matter? In other words, why should you care?
Well, I figured, if after almost 40 years as a Christian I couldn’t answer these questions, perhaps at least some of you might not know the answers either. So that’s what we’re going to tackle: What is Your Heart, and Why Should you Care?
Your heart is clearly part of you. So let’s start by looking at who you are.
You are a 3-part being: spirit, soul, and body.
Let’s read 1 Thessalonians 5:23, from Paul’s closing words of this letter:
1 Thessalonians 5:23
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul explains what is meant by “wholly,” or our whole being, spirit, soul, and body. The order in which these parts are mentioned is important too, and indicates that God works from the inside out beginning with the spirit. We’ll return to this point.
Another description of who you are can be found in the Old Testament book of Daniel.
Daniel 7:15
I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
Again Daniel makes it very clear you comprise 3 distinct parts: spirit, soul, and body. I think we all recognize that our spirit and body are distinct. But you might not have realized that your spirit and your soul are also two different things. Let’s look at the three parts a little more closely, starting with your spirit.
We are spiritual beings, and this is what makes humans unique from all other living things, including animals. If we go all the way back to the description of how God uniquely created humans, we can see this distinction.
Genesis 2:7
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
The Hebrew word for spirit, ruach, is literally translated as wind, breath, or moving air. So this verse demonstrates God instilling a spirit in humans, something He did not do with the other living creatures.
When a person accepts Jesus Christ and becomes a Christian, or is born again, the Holy Spirit comes to live within your spirit. And thus your spirit is fundamentally good.
1 Peter 1:23
… having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, …
Once you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and the Holy Spirit indwells your spirit, or seed, as it’s translated here. This happens instantaneously, and then your spirit is perfectly pure and holy, incapable of sin, and always will be.
This is the process God created to bridge the gap between us and Him created by sin. We can abide with Him, even now as we live in this corrupt and sinful world, because our spirits are perfectly holy.
What is your soul? Simply put, your soul is your mind. It is the center of your thinking, of your knowledge, of your consciousness, and of your will. You learn with your soul. You remember with your soul. You make decisions with your soul.
And unlike your spirit, which is made perfect when you become a Christian, your soul, or your mind, is not made perfect, at least instantaneously. Though, your soul can become more and more pure and holy over time, through the process of sanctification. This is a maturing process. Romans 12:2 says,
Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
The renewing of your mind, or your soul, is never complete. You will still be learning things about God until the day you depart from this world.
Finally, your body is the envelope, the glove, the covering, that contains your spirit and your soul. It is truly of this world, and therefore most capable of, and susceptible to, sin. Your body is imperfect, and will not be made perfect until it is replaced with a new and perfect version in heaven.
Summarizing, as a Christian you have a perfected spirit (past tense), a perfecting soul (present tense), and in the future you will have a perfect and incorruptible body. 3 parts. You are wall-to-wall spirit which has a soul and lives in a body.
Discussion
- Paul names the three parts in a particular order, spirit first. What changes if God works from the inside out?
- “A perfected spirit, a perfecting soul, a future perfect body.” Which of the three do you spend the most attention on?
- If your spirit is already perfect and holy, why does the Christian life still feel like a struggle?
You have a heart.
The Bible speaks extensively about your heart. When God chose King David through the prophet Samuel, we can see what God cares about most in a person.
1 Samuel 16:7b
For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
What does the Bible say the heart is? We could spend hours, days, or even weeks studying this topic. So I’ll be brief. Here is a list of seven (7) features of your heart as it is described in the Bible.
Thoughts: center of reasoning
Mark 2:8
But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?”
Proverbs 23:7a
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
Affections: what and whom we love; seat of emotions; feelings
Matthew 22:37
Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”
Desires: as in, “what is your heart telling you?”
Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 73:7
Their eyes bulge with abundance; they have more than heart could wish.
Visions and dreams: the boundaries which determine how far you will go
Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.
Proverbs 4:23
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.
Proverbs 6:18
A heart that devises wicked plans.
Motives: your true intentions
Proverbs 21:2
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts.
Concerns: your worries and burdens
Proverbs 25:20
Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather, and like vinegar on soda, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
Luke 21:34
But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come on you unexpectedly.
Conscience: your moral center
Hebrews 10:22
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Notice that your heart is not necessarily good. It can have positive and negative traits, good and evil within. We can have good visions and dreams, or evil ones (see Proverbs 6:18). We can rightfully be concerned about something or someone, or our hearts can be “heavy” or “weighed down” with worry (see Proverbs 25:20, Luke 21:34).
Furthermore, it is important to understand that your heart can be divided. In speaking of Israel in Hosea 10:2, God says, “Their heart is divided.” And we see David pray to God in Psalm 86:11, “Unite my heart to fear your name.” This implies David’s heart was not necessarily united, or could be divided.
What does it mean to have a divided heart?
We will return to this point. What is clear is that your heart is not identical to your spirit, nor is it identical to your soul. Some people think these are all the same thing, but they are not. As we have already seen, your spirit and your soul cannot be the same, for one is perfect and holy, while the other is not. This all begs the question …
Discussion
- Of the seven features, which one do you most often mean when you use the word “heart”?
- God looks at the heart rather than the outward appearance. What would He see in yours that no one else does?
- David prays “Unite my heart.” What would you be asking for if you prayed that this week?
How is your heart related to your spirit, soul, and body?
Good question! I’m going to try to explain it the best I can understand it, and give you a couple of verses and a picture to support this view. In fact, I believe it’s actually quite simple.
You see, your heart is your whole inner person. And thus it comprises both your spirit and your soul. Your heart resides within your body, which is your outer person. Look at this verse where Peter teaches women about the distinction between their outer person and their inner person …
1 Peter 3:4
Let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.
First, Peter equates the heart to the hidden, or inner, person, as I just explained above. Then, he says that the inner person includes the spirit. The word “with” tells us the spirit is part of, but not equal to, the heart, or the inner person. This is exactly the spirit we have been talking about. How do we know? Because he describes it as incorruptible.
Here is another example from the Old Testament. Proverbs 3:5 exhorts us to …
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.
In this case we can see the distinction between your heart and your soul, or your mind, the seat of understanding. The words “all your heart” tell us that your soul or mind is only a part of your heart. So the verse is telling us to trust with our whole inner person, which includes your spirit and your soul.
The difference between a divided heart and a united heart.
Now I hope it is clear what the Bible means by a divided heart vs. a united heart. Your heart comprises your spirit and your soul. When your soul, or your mind, agrees with your spirit, which is perfect and holy, and therefore in perfect agreement with God, then your heart is united. When your soul chooses to follow the ways of the world, which it may freely do, then your heart is divided.
This is why the Bible puts so much emphasis on your mind. Because this is where the Enemy, Satan, can attack you. He cannot get hold of your spirit because once you become a Christian your spirit is recreated by God to be perfect and holy. But, if Satan can get your mind to choose the path of sin, the ways of the world, contrary to the Word of God, then your heart is divided, and your perfect and holy spirit is powerless. Look at this verse …
Mark 11:23
Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea,” and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.
This is a fascinating verse, and we are not going to get into all its intricacies right now. The main point is that there is serious power when we do not “doubt in our heart,” or, in other words, when we believe not only with our spirit but also with our mind. True belief is lining up our souls with our spirits. When you doubt God’s word, you are stuck with a mind which is trying to listen to your spirit, but which is listening to the world at the same time. If you are trying to go in two directions at the same time, you won’t go anywhere!
This is exactly that James means when he says in Chapter 1 …
James 1:6b-8
6 … for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
So how are we supposed to avoid being double-minded, or having a divided heart? Ah, I’m glad you asked. The Bible has an answer to this question too.
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
The answer lies in the Word of God. Remember that your soul is ever-changing. You will have doubts in your mind, but you don’t have to entertain them, to welcome them, to hold on to them. You can cast them down and out. How do you do that? By renewing your mind regularly, continuously, to line up with your spirit. How do you do that? By spending time with God and His Word. The more time you spend in the truth, found in the Word of God, the more mature your soul becomes, and the easier it is to align it with your spirit, and thus to have a united heart.
Hebrews 4:12 also paints an intriguing analogy between your soul and spirit, and joints and marrow. Joints are compared to your soul, and marrow to your spirit. Unspoken but implied here is that your bones are your body, not surprisingly. Just as joints hinge bones together and enable them to move, so does your soul hinge your body to your spirit and enable your whole self to move. For example, if the Lord prompts you to act in love toward another person, by speaking to your spirit through the Holy Spirit, your mind must make a decision before your whole self, which includes your body, can carry out this action.
And remember that the marrow within your bones produces blood in your body, which is the source of biological life, just as the spirit within your body is like the blood of true, everlasting life, since it is what enables you to experience the life God gives you.
Pretty cool, huh?
Let’s summarize what we’ve talked about. You are a 3-part being, with a spirit, a soul, and a body. As a Christian your spirit is perfect and holy, but your soul and body are not.
You also have a heart. Your heart is your whole inner person. That means your heart comprises both your spirit and your soul. And, since these two parts are not required to be aligned with one another, your heart can be divided or united.
When your mind chooses to follow the ways of the world over God’s ways, you will have a divided heart, rendering your spirit powerless. In this case, don’t be surprised that your life doesn’t look any different from that of non-Christians in the world.
But, if you work out your salvation by spending time with God and His Word, over time you will mature and your soul will become increasingly aligned with your spirit, or your heart will be united. In this case, don’t be surprised that you will experience more and more of the abundant life Jesus promised for those who choose to follow him.
Discussion
- “If you are trying to go in two directions at the same time, you won’t go anywhere.” Where are you currently pointed two ways?
- The remedy given is time in the Word, not effort or willpower. Why would that be the thing that unites a heart?
- Joints hinge bones so the body can move. What decision is your soul currently refusing to make that is keeping you still?
- What would a more united heart change about the week ahead, specifically?
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Bible mean by “heart”?
The Bible uses the word “heart” over 800 times to refer to the whole inner person. It is not just emotions or feelings. According to Scripture, the heart includes your thoughts (Mark 2:8), affections (Matthew 22:37), desires (Psalm 37:4), motives (Proverbs 21:2), concerns (Luke 21:34), and conscience (Hebrews 10:22). It is the center of who you are.
What is the difference between spirit, soul, and body in the Bible?
First Thessalonians 5:23 identifies three distinct parts of a person: spirit, soul, and body. The spirit is the innermost part, made perfect and holy at the moment of salvation. The soul is the mind, the center of thinking, knowledge, and will, which is renewed over time through sanctification. The body is the outer covering, which will be made perfect only in eternity.
What does it mean to have a divided heart?
A divided heart occurs when your soul (mind) is pulled in a different direction from your spirit. Your spirit, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, is in agreement with God. But when your mind follows the ways of the world instead, your heart is split. James 1:8 calls this being “double-minded,” and says such a person is “unstable in all his ways.”
How do you guard your heart according to the Bible?
Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Guarding your heart means being intentional about what influences your mind.
Romans 12:2 calls for the renewing of your mind. Hebrews 4:12 tells us the Word of God is what pierces to the division of soul and spirit. Regular time in Scripture and prayer is the primary way to guard and unite your heart.
Is the heart good or evil according to the Bible?
The heart can contain both good and evil. Jeremiah 17:9 says the heart is “deceitful above all things.” Yet Ezekiel 36:26 promises God will give us “a new heart.”
For the Christian, the spirit within the heart is made new and holy, but the soul is still being sanctified. The heart’s condition depends on whether the soul is aligned with the spirit or following the world.
What does “blessed are the pure in heart” mean?
In Matthew 5:8, Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” A pure heart is a united heart, one where the soul is aligned with the perfected spirit. It does not mean sinless perfection, but a wholehearted orientation toward God, with motives, desires, and thoughts increasingly shaped by His truth.
Scripture quotations in this lesson are drawn from more than one translation: the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway; the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson; and the King James Version.