The Human Spirit Can Be Trained

But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties are trained by practice to discern good and evil. (Heb. 5:14 NAB)

The Scripture above clearly states that mature believers are those who have trained their faculties by virtue of practice. This teaches us that we can be trained to grow in spiritual things. We know how to train our muscles by exercise to make them stronger. In the same way, we can train our hearts in the affairs of godliness to make them stronger.

The faculties mentioned in the Scripture above are not mere intellectual or mental faculties, but they are the faculties of the human spirit operating in and through the mind. Discernment is spiritual, just like faith, spiritual strength, or wisdom. You have to train your newborn human spirit in spiritual things.

I meet believers struggling with their faith all the time. Faith is not a faculty of the mind but of the spirit. It is not acquired mainly by acquiring intellectual knowledge. The human spirit, or the heart, has to be trained to become stronger in faith.

Have you ever met a believer who loves the Lord but just cannot rejoice under tough times even though they know the Word commands them to do so? Why does this happen?

They want to find joy in the Lord but they do not have the strength because their spirit has probably not been strengthened by exercise. It is your responsibility to train your spirit. Bodily exercise has some benefits but spiritual exercises will make you an all-around winner in all things.

MEDITATE

Why do we have to train our spirits? (1 Pet. 2:2). Declare that “my spiritual senses are being trained in the Word by the Spirit of God everyday.”

APPLY THE WORD

Start training your human spirit. If you are weak in the faith, it is because your spirit is not trained. You train yourself as you regularly engage in spiritual activities such as prayer, reading and meditating on God’s Word, learning to hear God’s voice, etc.