The Spiritual Man

The Spiritual Man is Watchman Nee’s three-volume study of Christian spiritual life through the relationship of spirit, soul, and body. Its ten major parts move from the constitution and fall of humanity through the flesh and soul-life into the Holy Spirit and the functions of the human spirit, then examine walking after the spirit, emotion, mind, will, spiritual conflict, and the physical body. The governing practical question throughout is whether Christian experience proceeds from the regenerated human spirit under the Holy Spirit or from the independent activity of flesh and soul.

Spirit, soul, and body form the foundation of the entire work. First Thessalonians 5:23, Genesis 2:7, and Hebrews 4:12 are especially important to Nee’s distinction. The body relates to the material world; the soul contains the faculties of personality, especially mind, emotion, and will; and the human spirit is presented as the faculty through which a person relates directly to God. Hebrews 4:12 becomes crucial because Christian growth requires an experiential distinction between soul and spirit rather than merely a doctrinal definition.

The sections on the flesh examine fallen human nature, sinful passions, self-confidence, natural strength, and the condition of the carnal believer. Romans and Galatians receive substantial use as Nee relates regeneration, the old man, death with Christ, law, flesh, and life in the Spirit. The Cross of Christ is presented as God’s provision for the old source of life, while the Holy Spirit makes practical a life no longer governed by the flesh.

The treatment of the soul-life moves beyond obvious sin to natural affection, intellect, emotion, will, personality, human energy, and self-directed religious activity. The Gospels supply repeated teaching on losing the soul-life, taking up the cross, and following Christ. Nee’s concern is not the destruction of human faculties but their release from independent government so they can serve the regenerated spirit rather than rule it.

The middle of the work turns positively to the human spirit and its relationship with the Holy Spirit. Nee develops regeneration, the indwelling Spirit, spiritual work, prayer, and spiritual warfare before giving extended treatment to three functions of the human spirit: intuition, communion, and conscience. Intuition concerns direct spiritual apprehension, communion concerns fellowship and worship toward God, and conscience concerns inward moral witness. Walking after the spirit requires recognizing and responding to these spiritual functions under the government of the Holy Spirit.

The analysis of emotion examines affection, desire, sensation, and the danger of making changing feelings the standard of spiritual reality. Nee contrasts a feeling-governed Christian life with faith that rests in God. Emotional experience is not rejected, but it must not become the controlling source of spiritual judgment or obedience.

The mind receives one of the book’s most detailed treatments. Nee describes the mind as a battlefield and addresses thoughts, spiritual deception, mental passivity, supernatural interference, and the recovery of normal mental activity. Spiritual warfare therefore includes active discernment concerning ideas and impressions rather than passive acceptance of everything that appears spiritual or supernatural.

The will receives a parallel treatment. Surrender to God is distinguished from passivity. Nee argues that cooperation with God requires an active human will rather than its suspension. The believer must learn to choose in agreement with God while refusing ground given through passive or uncontrolled faculties. These discussions connect spiritual discernment, warfare, resistance, and practical freedom.

The final part concerns the believer’s body. Nee treats bodily discipline, sickness, God’s life in the mortal body, death, and resurrection. Romans 8 and First Corinthians 15 become important in connecting present spiritual life with the future resurrection body. The scope of salvation is therefore carried through the whole person rather than ending with inward spiritual experience.

The Spiritual Man addresses readers asking what spirit, soul, and body are, how soul differs from spirit, what the flesh and soul-life mean, how the Holy Spirit works with the human spirit, what intuition, communion, and conscience are, how emotion and mind affect spiritual life, why passivity is dangerous, how spiritual deception operates, how the will cooperates with God, and how spiritual life relates to sickness, death, and resurrection of the body.