THE SPIRIT AS A REPELLENT
The all-inclusive Spirit is also a repellent. All of us are familiar with the way the odor of insect repellent drives away mosquitoes. Day by day we must put on the life-giving Spirit as a repellent to Satan. When you call on the name of the Lord Jesus, you not only drink of Him; you also put on the life-giving Spirit as a repellent. If the first thing in the morning you do not put on this repellent, the snake will attack you, and you may lose your temper during the day. But if you call on the Lord’s name a few times, you will not only drink of the living water, but also apply the repellent. Whenever you do this, the snake will be frightened.
THE SPIRIT OF JESUS
Now we can understand why we are told in John 7 that the Spirit was not yet. Of course, the Spirit of God was there, but the Spirit of Christ as the compound Spirit was not yet. Acts 16:6 speaks of the Holy Spirit, and Acts 16:7 speaks of the Spirit of Jesus (Gk.). Today the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Jesus. In the Spirit of God there is no humanity, but in the Spirit of Jesus there is both divinity and humanity. As Paul was traveling and preaching, he needed not only the Spirit of God, but also the Spirit of Jesus. In our preaching today we also need the Spirit of Jesus, into which His humanity has been compounded.
THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST
Romans 8:9 reveals that the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ, just as Acts 16 reveals that the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Jesus. In Acts 16 we have the Spirit of Jesus, indicating that the apostles were suffering in the humanity of Jesus. But in Romans 8 we have the Spirit of Christ, indicating that today we may live in Christ’s resurrection. Romans 8 is a chapter on the resurrection life, which is in the Spirit of Christ.
THE SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRIST
Philippians 1:19 speaks of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. This is neither the Spirit only with humanity nor the Spirit only with resurrection, for in the Spirit of Jesus Christ we have both humanity and resurrection. Therefore, the supply of such a Spirit is a bountiful supply. This is not merely the Spirit of God with divine power, but the Spirit of Jesus Christ, including both Christ’s suffering humanity and powerful resurrection. When Paul wrote the Epistle to the Philippians, he was in prison and was suffering. Although he was suffering there by the Spirit of Jesus, he suffered with the power of Christ’s resurrection and with the expectation of enjoying the first resurrection. This reveals that he was suffering not only by the Spirit of Jesus, but also by the Spirit of Christ. Therefore, he was suffering by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, by the humanity of Jesus and by the resurrection of Christ. This is the all-inclusive Spirit with His bountiful supply.
(The Spirit and the Body, Chapter 3, by Witness Lee)
