Jesus Christ, the Door & the Way - Part 2

Exit the perplexing world of mental illness, drug use and homelessness

We concluded the last part with an interesting revelation. But before we go any further, there is a foundational truth that needs to be revisited, one that is often discounted. Unlike what medical science says, the Scriptures say that every human being is composed of a spirit and a soul in addition to the body.

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 The 5:23).

Since the secular mostly do not subscribe to this truth, for it discounts the reality of the human spirit, our understanding can be conflicted because we are, to some extent, products of the secular systems we live in. But the truth is that the real person that each of us is, the one that transcends the natural, is the spirit within our bodies. We dwell in this temporary house of flesh and blood which we call our body. When our time on this earth is done, we will leave this house behind and go back into the spiritual realm for our spirits are compatible with that realm, (Gen 2:7), unlike our natural bodies. (Gen 3:19).

Now, there is a distinction which we ought not miss. When Adam fell, due to sin, he died spiritually. This means that the Spirit of God separated Himself from his spirit, and thus he lost the life or the nature of God which he had by His Spirit. As a result of his alienation from God his heart was blinded from seeing or sensing his Creator. Due to this his understanding was also darkened as he began to walk in the futility of his own darkened soul or his mind. (Eph 4:17-18). All his subsequent generations were born in his fallen nature alienated from God. Christ Jesus came to restore Gods life back to us by birthing us again with His Spirit and therefore, He became the life-giving Spirit. For this reason He said, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see Gods Kingdom.” (Joh 3:3). And reiterated it with greater clarity, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and Spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (Joh 3:5-6). In general, the human spirit is compatible with the spiritual realm. But here is the distinction. Human spirit which is separated from God or one that is not birthed again by the Spirit of God is still not compatible with the Spiritual realm of God. It must be birthed again by the Spirit of God for it to go back to Him in the spiritual realm where He dwells. This can happen only through faith in Christ Jesus for God gives His Spirit to those who trust His Son Jesus Christ. He births them again by His Spirit making them His children, giving them His life and His nature. This is the only legal way to enter the spiritual realm to be with Him. This is the reason why the Lord said that He is the only door and the only way to the spiritual realm of God. The nature of God must be restored to us before we die for us to enter into His supernatural realm and to be with Him forever.

This begs the question, where do all the spirits, which are not birthed again by the Spirit of God, go? If we return to the spiritual realm without being birthed again by the Spirit of God, we will only be able to access that part of it where the devil and his demons rule. Hell will be a shocking reality to many who reject its existence, those who refuse to believe in Jesus Christ and the things He spoke. Scripture says, “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.’” (Mat 25:41). The moment our spirit leaves the body, we die, and our lifeless body returns to the dirt from where it was created. But the spirit goes on into the spiritual or the eternal realm, either to be with God or to be with the devil, where he is condemned to be, forever. God has appointed this for every human being, to die once and then to face His judgment. (Heb 9:27). But He has also given them the freedom to make the choice regarding their eternal destination while they are still alive. This is the same for all those who complete their course here on the earth without exception and there are no alternative destinations to choose from. But instead of choosing wisely by surrendering their lives to Jesus Christ, many try to access the spiritual realm illegally through various means.

From the time Adam was separated from his Creator, all of humanity was relegated to the natural realm. But that did not prevent them from trying to access the spiritual realm illegally. Man has been doing that all along devising various methods to illegally access the spiritual realm. The devil has been aiding him in this relentless yet illegal pursuit. He knows the law of God that God’s life is only for those who trust His Son Jesus Christ. Therefore, his blockbuster strategy has been to make people believe that they can partake of the supernatural in ways other than what is appointed by God. This has been working very well for him because man has been trying to enter the spiritual realm illegally and often succeeding, not knowing that they are entering into the devil’s territory rather than God’s. He is the master manipulator and deceiver and the father of lies, (Joh 8:44), whose intention is only to steal and to kill and to destroy, (Joh 10:10). He has been manipulating the longing in human beings to be reconnected with their Creator, causing generations of humanity to bow down to idols of various kinds, both literal and figurative, in search of the divine.

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. (Eph 5:18)

Substances that alter our mind, especially drugs, happen to be the devil’s weapon of choice to entice human beings to illegally transcend the barrier between the natural and the supernatural, which God has appointed. But the spiritual domain into which he tricks them is the one where he rules. He does this so that he can degrade and dehumanize them and put them in bondage to his tormenting power. Because of the temporary gratification of the flesh that makes them feel good, people often overlook the well-known dangers of drug use and fall for the wiles of the devil.  Any substance that alters a man’s normal state of mind can be used to achieve this purpose and that includes prescription drugs.

Unless you are living in total isolation, you must be aware that drug overdose is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. But the collateral damage cannot be estimated for in addition to the deaths, millions of lives and families are affected by this vicious pestilence producing utter brokenness and destruction.

From 1999-2021, nearly 645,000 people died from an overdose involving any opioid, including prescription and illicit opioids.

https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/epidemic.html

In 2021, the number of reported deaths involving prescription opioids totaled 16,706.

https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates

Scripture reveals the nature of the beast for the root word from which the word ‘pharmaceuticals’ is derived is the Greek word ‘pharmakea,’ which is translated as sorcery or witchcraft. (Rev 18:23).  Those who use drugs or abuse substances (both illicit and prescribed) open gateways or the doors in their souls illegally, which God has not permitted. Through these doors or gateways of their mind, their spirits access the spiritual realm and spiritual beings in turn access them, illegally. Illegally being the key operating word here. Illegal because it is not the will of God for human beings to open these doors or gateways into the spiritual realm for any reason except through His Spirit. God has not allowed man to alter the normal function of his soul using chemicals so that his spirit may access the spiritual realm illegally. As they cast away the restraint that God has ordained for all human beings they enter into dangerous territory, knowingly or unknowingly.

“Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law.” (Pro 29:18)

This is where the devil tricks them. Unfortunately, as they enter illegally, in ignorance or seeking fun or for any other reason, they do not enter the spiritual or the unseen realm of God where He rules and reigns but into that part of the spiritual realm where the devil has dominion. There they encounter evil demonic beings, and they in turn begin to access them and influence them, eventually holding them under duress, in a spiritual sense. It may manifest in the natural as hallucinations or psychosis or phobias and therefore be classified under the broad category of mental illness. What the victim experiences may be real in a spiritual sense, much more than mere delusion, one that only he can sense. Since there is no medical paradigm to accommodate it due to the fundamental error of not recognizing the human spirit as a basic component of every human being, it gets classified under mental illness. What is the solution to this dilemma? Can spiritual problems be fixed by physical or mental solutions? I leave you to reach your own conclusion regarding this. However, I assure you that there is indeed One who is able and willing to set them free from the spiritual prisons of their own making.

---

It is a joy to share with you what the Lord is doing in and through our lives. Thank you for praying for us.

Please share ‘Resurrection Life’ with your friends and family and bring them along in our journey with the Lord. All glory to the One who rose from the dead, never to die again – our Lord Jesus Christ.