Part Three

Understanding Your Husband’s Soul

Now we examine the soul of a man, the second element of his tripartite nature: body, soul, and spirit.

We all understand what the body is, but what’s the difference between soul and spirit? According to the New Testament, they are not the same thing:

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 NKJV, emphasis mine)

The soul is often described as “the seat of emotions and desires,” whereas the spirit is “the seat of God.” Our soul is the sum of our consciousness. It can interact with God, but is not in direct communion with God, as our spirit is.

Confused? It gets worse. Many theologians divide the soul into yet another trinity: mind, will, and emotions. They base their theory on a number of Scripture passages (too many to go into here). They also point out that Christ’s inner circle had three men who represented this trinity: James, the mind; Peter, the will; and John, the emotions.

Over the next four chapters, I’ll be opening a window into your man’s mind, will, and emotions—and what he isn’t telling you about each one.