of dust from the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life;
and man became a living being.
- Genesis 2: 7
“We
are machines built by DNA
whose purpose is to make
more copies of the same.”
— Richard Dawkins, River
Out of Eden
Can you imagine the scene? There it was,
the handsome but lifeless body that would soon become the first human being. This lifeless creation from the dust of the
Earth became Adam, a living person as God breathed life into his nostrils.
As we ponder the creation of the first human as described in Genesis 2 of the
Bible, several questions come to mind. What
is it that made Adam and his descendants unique among all living
creatures? In particular, how have humans
been equipped to personally know God and choose whether or not to worship and
serve Him? Are our bodies composed of
different chemical elements or different molecules from other creatures? Do we possess a unique anatomy and
physiology? Or, are humans unique because
of the “breath of God” that our father Adam received and that we have inherited?
Are
Humans Chemically Unique?
According to the Bible, prior to the creation of Adam, and before there was
anything, …God created the heavens and the Earth out of nothing (ex nihilo)
(Genesis 1: 1)! Then, He used the
material elements of the Earth to “bring forth” each genetic kind of animal and
plant including the lifeless form of what would become Adam. Therefore, it was no surprise when chemistry
revealed that all 19 essential chemical elements that compose the human body
are found in the natural world and in most animal species. Four elements, Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), Oxygen
(O), and Nitrogen (N) compose 99% of human cytoplasm.
If humans are not unique because of the chemical elements they contain, what then? Could it be that the 19 elements in humans are combined to make unique molecules? Here, we must recognize how the biblical view of the origin of life contrasts with the evolutionary biology view represented in the quote from Richard Dawkins above. According to naturalistic evolution, life is not the result of the intelligent, purposeful, creative, and sustaining power of God. Rather, we owe our existence to the special “creative ability” of atoms and molecules acting according to physical and chemical laws. However, to date, no one has observed the spontaneous generation of life from inanimate matter.
A humorous argument in support of supernatural creation goes something like this:
Scientist: “God, we no longer need you. We can create a human just like You did.”
God: “Maybe you can. Let Me see you do it.”
Scientist: “Okay.”
[Then, the scientist bends down to scoop up a handful of dirt.]
God: "Just a minute. That's my dirt. Go make your own dirt."
Modern science has been unable to create even one living cell or organ. Still, science textbooks and journal articles
deny God’s “intelligent design” while attributing a “creative intelligence” to molecules
like DNA! But any science that excludes
God, must “go make its own DNA.” And, so
far, science has come up short.
If we are honest, we should admit that a supernatural intervention was necessary to infuse life into a lifeless form. All necessary organs and molecules were present, but the lifeless form was not yet a man, not a functioning human being, not a person. It was not until God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life [that the] man became a living being (Genesis 2: 7). So far, no scientist has been able to isolate or define “the breath of life” given by God. Nor can science even restore the “breath of life” to a person once they are fully deceased.
Some Hebrew scholars [See HERE.] interpret the Hebrew word ruach to apply more broadly to mean the “breath of life” in non-human animals (cf. Genesis 7: 15). But note that ruach is also translated “Spirit of God” as in Genesis 1: 2. Although not without exception, the Hebrew word neshamah is used more frequently to mean the “divine breath” that God breathed into the nostrils of the first human form to bring Adam to life (cf. Genesis 2: 7; Job 33: 4).
In summary, all humans and air-breathing animals have many chemical and anatomical traits in common as endowed by their Creator. In addition, they all possess the “breath of life.” However, Adam was uniquely formed by God in that he received the “breath of life” into his nostrils directly from God’s divine breath (Heb. neshamah; Greek, pneuma, breath, wind, spirit). Upon being enlivened by God’s divine breath (Spirit), Adam became a complete person in the image of God and was indwelt by the Spirit of God (Genesis 1: 26-27).
The Curse of Sin
But when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God’s command not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the Spirit of God within them departed and their close communion with God ended (Genesis 3). Because of their act of disobedience to God, …sin entered the world through one man, and death [both physical death and spiritual separation from God] through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned (Romans 5: 12). From Genesis onward, the Old Testament reveals that the Spirit was upon only certain individuals including Joseph (Genesis 41: 38), gifted craftsmen of the tabernacle (Exodus 28: 3), Moses (Numbers 11: 25), Joshua (Num 27:18), Gideon (Judges 6: 34), Samson (Judges 14: 6), Saul (1 Samuel 10: 10), David (1 Samuel 16: 13), Isaiah (Isaiah 59: 21), Ezekiel (Ezekiel 2: 2), Daniel (Daniel 4: 8), and Micah (Micah 3: 8).
God Breathed Again
On the Sunday evening after the discovery of the empty tomb that morning, Jesus appeared to His disciples. They were together in a room with the doors closed for fear of the Jews. Jesus greeted them with, “Peace be with you,” and showed them his nail-pierced hands and side. After comforting them, Jesus ...breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit (John 20: 19-22). According to Douglas Hamp, the Greek word for “breathed on” or “inbreathed” is enephusesen. The exact same word is used in Genesis 2: 7 of the Greek Septuagint to translate the Hebrew word for “breathed:” vayipakh. The significance of this second inbreathing by the Lord Jesus is worth noting.
According to the Bible Hub Study Bible, “The act of breathing on the disciples is symbolic and reminiscent of God breathing life into Adam in Genesis 2:7. This signifies a new creation where the disciples are being spiritually renewed and empowered for their mission. The breath of Jesus here is a precursor to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, as described in Acts 2. It also connects to Ezekiel 37:9-10, where the breath brings life to dry bones, symbolizing spiritual revival.” This biblical concept is affirmed in the ancient wisdom book of Job when his friend, Elihu, testifies (emphasis added):
The Spirit (Heb. ruach) of God has made me,
And the breath (Heb. (neshamah) of the Almighty gives me life. – Job 33: 4
Three Dimensions: Spirit, Soul, Body
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23). This powerful prayer of the Apostle Paul has been the subject of much discussion among theologians. Does the apostle mean that “spirit and soul and body” exist as separate dimensions of our being, or in one integrated whole? Bishop Ellicott writes, “This is St. Paul’s fullest and most scientific psychology, not merely a rhetorical piling up of words without any particular meaning being assigned to them. (Ellicott Commentary, HERE.) The commentator then expounds on each dimension (emphasis added):
“The "spirit" (pneuma) is the part by which we apprehend realities intuitively--i.e., without reasoning upon them; with it we touch, see, serve, worship God (John 4:23-24; Romans 1:9; 1Corinthians 6:17; Revelation 1:10, et al.); it is the very inmost consciousness of the man (see, e.g., 1Corinthians 2:11); it is the part of him which survives death (Hebrews 12:23; 1Peter 3:19; comp. Luke 23:46; Acts 7:59).”
The "soul." (psyche) includes the intellect, the affections, and the will: and it is of the very essence of the gospel to force sharply upon men the distinction between it and the spirit (Hebrews 4:12). Low-living men may have soul (i.e., intellect, affection, will) in abundance, but their spirit falls into complete abeyance (Jude 1:19)… Because of the unique moral significance and accountability of the human soul toward God, the Bible has much to say about the spiritual warfare that uniquely challenges humans as fallen creatures.
Spiritual Warfare: Body and Spirit
The location of “the soul” becomes potentially problematic when the Apostle Paul combines the three dimensions into “body and spirit” to describe the spiritual warfare we face as believers (cf. e.g. Romans 7: 14). Bishop Ellicott believes the soul belongs altogether to the lower nature—the “flesh (body).” In support of this interpretation, note that in Galatians 5: 19-21, Paul gives us a list of the “deeds of the flesh (body)” which clearly include what may be considered “soul-sins”—e.g. “jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, etc. These contrast markedly with the “fruit of the Spirit” which result when we submit our mind and spirit to the Holy Spirit in us—e.g. love, patience, kindness.
Stewards of the Breath of God
1) God breathed life into the lifeless. When the “breath of God” was uniquely and directly imparted into the lifeless form that became Adam, he was enlivened with a “spirit” (“breath”) (Genesis 2: 7). Adam’s spirit served like an electric lamp to receive power from God’s Spirit. When Adam’s “spiritual lamp” was “plugged in” and lighted by God’s Spirit, he was able to see the truth of God’s Word and walk in His light. However, when Adam sinned, his spiritual connection to God was broken. Although Adam and his descendants retained a “spirit,” nevertheless, they were separated from God’s Spirit and power. The human “spirit” became like an unplugged lamp. The light went out!
2) Sin brought death—“lights out!” In his epistle to Christ-followers in Rome, the Apostle Paul quotes from Psalm 14: The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. He concluded: They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. To the Ephesians, Paul wrote (emphasis added): And you were dead in your trespasses and sins… (Ephesians 2: 1a). Paul adds in Ephesians 4: 18 that we were darkened in [our] understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in [us] due to the hardness of [our] hearts. Each person living apart from God is a lifeless form without the Spirit of God. Indeed, he is worse off than the spiritless, lifeless form that would become Adam. Think of this! Not only do sinners love darkness and separation from God, they also hate the light of Christ who came to illuminate God’s Word of truth through the life He lived. Whereas, the lifeless “pre-Adam” lay still waiting for God’s life-giving Spirit, the fallen descendants of Adam hate the Light of God and run from the Light not knowing they are blind and ignorant of God’s love and purpose for them.
3) We must confess we are blinded and lifeless. The Apostle John wrote, This is the
verdict: Light [Jesus Christ] has come into the world, but people
loved darkness instead of the Light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light,
and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed (John
3: 19-20). John MacArthur wrote, “they seal their own condemnation
because they reject the only One who can save them from their spiritual
darkness” [Daily Readings from the Life of Christ. Moody 2008] But by God’s grace, it did not need to end in
darkness. John continued (v. 21): But he who practices the truth comes to
the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God. Confession of our sin (“saying what God says
about our sin and darkness”) is what God requires.
5) “Born again” to be a “living sacrifice.” When we are “born again,” we are babes in Christ who ought to “desire the pure milk of the Word of God” (1 Peter 2: 2). If we have been “saved by grace” (Ephesians 2: 8-9), we should also recognize that the same grace of God also helps us develop the disciplined life of a Christ-follower (Titus 2: 11-14). The Apostle Paul wrote, Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you] (Romans 12: 1-2). But we cannot “present our bodies as a living sacrifice” with our own discipline and strength. We need the power of God’s indwelling Spirit to stand firm in a “spiritual warfare.”
6) Realizing our spiritual warfare. The Scriptures make it clear that each Christ-follower faces opposition from both the material dimension (“body”, “flesh”) and the spiritual realm (cf. Ephesians 6: 10-12). Victory in our spiritual warfare requires that we consider our “old self” as having been “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2: 20) so that His resurrection life and Spirit can rule in our lives. Here, the Apostle Paul’s teaching on the “body” and “spirit” helps us focus on the nature of the spiritual warfare (emphasis added): For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please (Galatians 5: 17). Then, in vv. 19-21, Paul lists examples of the “deeds of the flesh.” This is a very depressing listing of evil attitudes and behavior. In contrast and very uplifting is the “fruit of the Spirit:” love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, etc. (vv. 22-23). If we take time to self-assess our attitudes and behavior, especially in difficult situations, we can literally feel the tension that often arises. We offer the model below for sake of meditation and discussion, realizing that it oversimplifies the dynamic relationships of “spirit, soul, and body” we have been discussing.
7) Disciplines for spiritual warfare. Here is where the “rubber” of our spiritual disciplines “meet the road” in the arena of daily living where spiritual warfare is a continual reality. If you are not a Christ-follower, we urge you to pursue a relationship with God as explained in (4) above. Writing to Christ-followers, we assume you have the Gift of salvation through faith in Christ, and are cultivating a relationship with God through His indwelling Spirit. If so, the “lamp of your spirit” is lit up by God’s Spirit so that you can see His Word and be encouraged in the spiritual disciplines of surrender, prayer, worship, service, and witness to others. However, we still live within physical bodies, “earthen vessels,” that are prone to illness, sudden misfortunes, addictions, etc. which can wear us down emotionally and spiritually. These factors are complex and dynamic from day to day. Therefore, we close with some specific suggestions to incorporate into your spiritual disciplines drawn from study resources of the Hub Study Bible [Link]:
Strategy 1: Suit Up—Put On the Full Armor (Ephesians 6: 13-18)
• Belt of Truth — anchor every thought to God’s Word.
• Breastplate of Righteousness — walk in daily obedience; unconfessed sin
leaves gaps.
• Shoes of the Gospel of Peace — stay ready to share Christ; peace steadies
your footing.
• Shield of Faith — raise specific promises of God when doubts or temptations
fly.
• Helmet of Salvation — guard your mind with the certainty of Christ’s finished
work.
• Sword of the Spirit (the Word) — quote, pray, and apply Scripture as Jesus
did (Matthew
4).
• Prayer in the Spirit — the supply line that keeps every other piece
effective.
Strategy
2: Stand on Scripture, Not Feelings
For though we live in the flesh,
we do not wage war according to the flesh… We take captive every thought to
make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10: 3-5)
• Memorize key verses that answer your recurring battles.
• Replace lies with truth; meditate until your mind reroutes automatically (Philippians
4:8).
Strategy
3: Active Resistance
Submit yourselves, then,
to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
Resist him, standing firm in your faith. (1 Peter
5:9)
• First step is surrender to God; resistance without submission
has no power.
• Speak truth aloud when attacked—darkness hates light.
• Persist; fleeing may not be immediate, but it is promised.
Strategy
4: Continual, All-Kinds-of Prayer
Pray in the Spirit at
all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. (Ephesians
6:18)
• Conversational prayers through the day keep you alert.
• Intercede for others; a wider scope denies the enemy easy targets.
• Include praise and thanksgiving—praise enthrones God and unsettles evil (Psalm
22:3).
Strategy
5: Fellowship and Accountability
And though one may be
overpowered, two can resist him. (Ecclesiastes
4:12)
• Honest relationships expose hidden schemes; secrecy is the
enemy’s ally.
• Corporate worship multiplies faith and courage.
Strategy
6: Cultivate Holiness
Make no provision for
the flesh. (Romans
13:14)
• Remove media, habits, or environments that invite darkness.
• Replace them with practices that nourish the Spirit—service, Scripture,
worship.
Strategy
7: Practice Discernment
Beloved, do not believe every
spirit,
but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. (1 John
4:1)
• Weigh teachings, impressions, and emotions against clear
biblical doctrine.
• The Holy Spirit never contradicts the written Word.
Strategy
8: Rest in Christ’s Victory
He disarmed the rulers
and authorities and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by
the cross. (Colossians 2:15)
• Spiritual warfare is fought from victory, not for it.
• Remind yourself that final authority already belongs to Christ; you stand in
His triumph.
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