At one point or the other as we journey through life, we have experienced spiritual death from which translated to life. The life that we now live in Christ Jesus whom loved us and gave is life for us when we were still alive to sin and spiritually dead.
As one whom has received the life of God through Jesus Christ and has come to the light, you can still experience spiritual death. Because spiritual death is caused by sin, and can ultimately lead to eternal death if there is no repentance before physical death or the second coming of Christ.
I remember years ago, at a certain time in my life I experienced it but then i didn’t really know what it meant, and there was no one to put me through. I was actually sick and was heading to spiritual death if not for God’s mercy. I knew in my heart that there was something wrong and I didn’t give it that much of attention. This happened when I had already given my life to Christ.
Being someone who is gifted with the the visions of the night, I wasn’t seeing anything anymore. I felt empty, like there was something missing inside of me. I got tired of praying, the things that once gave me joy now looked tiring to me. It wasn’t much of a concern initially but gradually it became worse and I felt incomplete the more.
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Each day I kept reminding myself that there was something wrong but I couldn’t figure it out. The truth is, if you don’t do anything about it, in less than no time you won’t be bothered about it anymore. Then you see yourself going back to the lifestyle that you left already, doing the things that you’ve vowed not to do again.
When it became unbearable and my conscience wouldn’t let me be then i sat down one day and I started thinking. I realized how ungrateful I have been all this while and how far I have gone from him( God) within a very short amount of time even though he has been talking to me in diverse ways but I didn’t listen.
When I realized this, I cried for mercy and I started praying from my heart. With sincere repentance I was restored and God spoke to me again.
So it can happen even to a believer if you’re not careful. 1 Corinthians 10 :12 says; So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!
What Is The Meaning of Spiritual Death?
Spiritual death means living without God’s guidance and counsel.
To be spiritually dead is to be separated from God. Spiritual death is characterized primarily by a lack of communication between God and man.
People who are spiritually dead are often ignorant because when a person dies spiritually, he/she may continue to live a normal life physically.
Such people may be intelligent and successful in their chosen profession; they may even be morally upright and continue their good works. Yet they lack communication with God, no direction, no guidance, no revelation, they are basically living off of their sensual understanding.
Symptoms of Spiritual Death
The Bible in Matthew 4:16 tells us categorically that there are two major symptoms of spiritual death which are Darkness and a Shadow of Death.
A man/woman that has been separated from God is living in darkness, totally unaware of the imminent dangers surounding him/her. Often, calamity suddenly envelope such a person with neither warning nor remedy. The Bible further hinted at the symptoms of spiritual death of in Ephesians 4:18 by saying: and whose minds are in the dark. They have no part in the life that God gives, for they are completely ignorant and stubborn.
Other Symptoms of Spiritual Death include:
No Spiritual Strength
One who is dead spiritually has no spiritual strength. They are too weak to pray, fast, and as such they usually fall prey to the devil. They are generally uninterested about the things that concerns God. They pay little or no attention to them.
Lack of Spiritual Desire
One who is spiritually alive enjoys spiritual activities. David said in Psalms 122:1 – I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.
In Psalm 84:10 He also said; A single day in your courts (God’s sanctuary) is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.
A man/woman that is dead spiritually does not find pleasure in spiritual activities. They are unnecessary to him/her.
No Spiritual Understanding
A Spiritually dead man or a woman does not have spiritual understanding. The things of the spirit are foolishness to them because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Corinthians 2:14 – The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
How to Overcome Spiritual Death
The way to overcome spiritual death is to lean, rely, and completely depend on the Holy Spirit to guide you every step of the way. Proverbs 3:5 Trust the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.
The day you start leaning on your own strength is the day you begin your journey to your spiritual death, because you are telling God that you don’t need him to survive, you can stay on your own.
That you don’t need his counsel, or directions. By so doing you’re separating yourself from him without even knowing. The end result is disobedience, and when disobedience persist it will lead to spiritual death.
How to Recover From Spiritual Death
One thing is to be spiritually dead and another is to realize that you’re spiritually dead. It is only when you realize that you are spiritually dead that you can pray for restoration.
You must first realize that you are spiritually dead and alive to the flesh, then pray earnestly from your heart for God’s mercy. Pray that God will open your eyes to see where you missed it so you can retrace your steps and make amends, so that you don’t fall back again. It is only total and genuine repentance that will bring you out of that State and restore you.
What Is The Difference Between Spiritual Death and Eternal Death
The difference between Spiritual Death and Eternal Death is that: when someone dies spiritually, the person is still physically alive and continues to live his or her normal life physically but he has no communion or communication with God. He does not receive any instructions or directions from God. He is spiritually blind and deaf. But physically alive.
Eternal Death on the other hand, is the same as damnation to hell. It describes the condition of living in Eternity without God. Eternal death is for those who die physically from this world without repentance from sin and acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. This is also known as the Second death, which is final banishment of unbeliever from God’s presence. To this effect, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 says:
- And give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.
- He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
- They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might
How To remain Spiritually Alive
To remain spiritually alive is to remain in the Lordship of Jesus Christ depending on him for everything no matter how little or great it is.
We must abide in me and he in us so that we will not fulfill the lost of the flesh. John 15:4-6
- Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
- I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
- If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned out.
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I FOUND MY SELF DEAD IN SPIRIT AND I SAW A LIGHT COMING OUT FROM MY FOREHEAD.I KNOW I HAVE LOST SOMETHING PRECIOUS I NEED HELP.
Even dry bones lived again. Whatever you think you lost can be restored no matter what it is. There’s only one person who can restore all things and He Is Jesus Christ. He only can help you. Set your face to seek the Lord. You could set out even if its 3 days coupled with fasting and praying earnestly against the spirit of death and for divine restoration. He will surely hear you, and He will also reveal what you don’t even know to you.