belongs to man, but the spirit of man which is within him?" i.e., who can know
"Having overthrown them all" writes the Apostle, you can then 'stand unshaken'. So there is a 'battle' - a specific onslaught upon you, or upon the church, described as 'the evil day' - and there is an 'overthrow' of that specific attack of the enemy, and then a standing back in God in blessed victory. All this is part of the believer's experience on the 'life - side of the Cross'. He is not only 'joined to the Lord one Spirit' for sharing in His resurrection life, and for victory over sin and the 'flesh', but he is joined to Him, to be sent forth by Him to 'overthrow' the forces of darkness seeking to 'overthrow' the church of God, and to frustrate or delay the Lord's appearing. The great need of to - day is that the Lord's children should apprehend the call to battle, and rise up in His strength to face the foe. It is not enough to simply 'endure' - crying out "Oh Lord, how long?" The Lord must have those who work with Him to 'overthrow' in glorious victory all the hosts of Satan, hindering his plans, until as victors they are caught away to meet the Lord. Twos and threes meeting together in prayer, can become strategic centres for the overthrow of Satan's onslaughts on the people, and the work of God. If they only know how to 'pray' against the foe! If they only know how to take their stand in God, and wield the weapon of Calvary's victory!
CHAPTER SIX - THE CROSS AND LIFE IN THE SPIRIT We have died . . . new service of the Spirit" Rom. 7:6 THIS morning when speaking of the life side of the Cross, we were more occupied with the word 'life' than the word 'Spirit'. On the life, or resurrection side of the Cross, we have seen there is the joining of the spirit to the Spirit of Christ, for "he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit". In the early days of my Christian life I thought that everything that took place in my spirit was the action of the Holy Spirit, not understanding clearly all that the Bible says about the human spirit. Let us trace it out. 1. There is a human spirit. I Cor. 2:1 Shows this clearly. "Who can know what belongs to man, but the spirit of man which is within him?" i.e., who can know what is going on within us, but the spirit which is within us?" Even so," says the Apostle, "none can know what belongs to God, but the Spirit of God alone." Even as others can only know our inmost thoughts as we choose to reveal them, so we can only know God as His Spirit reveals Him. "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might understand those things which have been freely given us by God." We see by this passage that there is a 'spirit of man,' which knows the man, as the 'Spirit of God' knows the 'depths of God'. Also that God gives to men who will receive Him, His Spirit, so that by His Spirit they may be enabled to understand the things of God - things which they could not know apart from the teaching of His Spirit.