A. The Spirit of a Man Defined

1. The Scriptures indicate that man is tripartite: 3 parts: body, soul, and spirit.

a. The body is that part of man that relates to the physical world… world-consciousness.

b. The soul is that part of man that relates the man to himself… (emotions; self consciousness; etc.)

c. The spirit is that part of man that relates to God—his God-consciousness.

2. Some take the word “spirit” here to refer to the human spirit, the God–conscious part of man.

a. The human spirit is that part of man that is alive unto God.

b. The Holy Spirit works through our human spirit that we might have fellowship with God.

c. Either the flesh is in control (and uses our body or our emotions for its own ends) OR the Holy Spirit is in control, and our human spirit has a relationship to Christ.

d. It is easy to see how our bodies could be wounded. It is equally easy to understand how our emotions could be wounded.

e. We’ve all experienced both.

f. However, it is hard for me to imagine what a wounded spirit could mean… if Solomon meant that inward, regenerated, God-conscious part of man.

3. The word “spirit” (literally = breath; wind) is used in various senses very commonly in the Bible.

a. It is used of the wind blowing…

b. It is used of the Holy Spirit…

c. It is used of a person’s breath (he stopped breathing and died – Ps. 104:29).

d. It is used of long-winded speech…

e. One dictionary listed 29 variations on the usage of this term.

f. It is also commonly used to describe emotional attitude
• Ex. 6:9 – mental fatigue; discouragement.
• Josh. 2:11 – translated courage.
• Judges 8:3 – their anger was abated (anger).
• Pr 25:28 – Controlling one’s spirit could not mean our God-conscious part of man. But it makes perfect sense as our inward emotional attitude. That DOES need to be controlled.
• It literally means “breath or wind” in the sense of attitude, and the context has to determine the rest… what SORT of attitude.
• For that reason, it seems best to understand Solomon to mean “emotional attitude” in Prov. 18:14.

4. Thus, the spirit of a man in Proverbs 18:14 speaks of a man’s inward, emotional attitude…

a. We use the term spirit in the same sense today. (Team spirit; a spirited response to the challenge; she has a sweet spirit about her; you lifted my spirits).

b. We don’t mean their intangible, God-conscious part of their inner man…

c. Rather, we mean their attitude… disposition… outlook… temperament.

B. Will Sustain His Infirmity

1. Infirmity:

a. Sickness; illness; disease; i.e., state of lacking of good physical health, implying a time of suffering.

b. It can also refer to a physical weakness… a lack of strength… because of sickness.

2. Solomon states here that when a man or woman is sick or diseased, his spirit can sustain him.

a. Even though his body may be weakened or diseased, if his emotional attitude is strong and healthy, that attitude will sustain him throughout his physical sickness.

b. If the outer man is sickly, but the inner man is healthy, that will sustain you!

3. Sustain:

a. Maintain; support; bear up; enable to endure; nourish; etc.

b. Used in:
• Gen. 45:11 – Joseph promised to “nourish” his family during the years of famine in Egypt.
• I Kings 17:4 – the ravens “fed” Elijah by the brook.

c. A healthy inner attitude can enable a person to ENDURE physical suffering.

d. A healthy spirit—a right attitude can support the weakened body and enable it to endure… to keep on keeping on…

e. I think of Pastor Rathbun. He has a healthy spirit and that has sustained him through decades of blindness.

f. There are other blind men who sit in the darkness and sulk… lose interest in life…

g. I’m sure we’ve all seen different people battle some awful physical diseases. Not everyone handles them the same.

h. I have seen folks with such diseases with a sweet inner spirit that buoys them up and keeps them going.

i. Others sink into depression… and that only adds to their physical problems.

j. This is Solomon’s point: a good inner spirit—a healthy emotional attitude will sustain a man during his infirmity.

k. That’s why singing and praising the Lord is GOOD for us. We should do it because God said so, not because of any benefit we receive—but it IS good for us! It can lift our spirits…

l. Neh. 8:10 – “The JOY of the Lord is your strength.” Joy is strength!

4. There is without question a direct connection and relationship between the inner man and the outer man.

a. We are ONE being… a whole…

b. A good attitude will help sustain our physical infirmity.

c. Job 1:20-21 – Consider Job’s suffering and also his “spirit” or attitude towards his suffering! It sustained him.

d. Prov. 17:22 – A merry heart doeth good like medicine! I’m of the opinion that this verse means exactly what it says!

e. A good heart attitude can be effective as medicine in dealing with sickness.

f. This does not mean we don’t need doctors or medicine.

g. It does not mean that a good attitude will CURE disease. It will not.

h. If a person is suffering from cancer or blindness, a good attitude will not make the cancer go away… nor will it cause your eyesight to return.

i. It will not cure the disease, but it can sustain the person during the period of illness.

j. Think of men climbing a VERY difficult mountain.
• Two men of equal strength, health, and ability…
• Two men with very different attitudes…
• One will make it to the top, the other will quit.
• They BOTH had the physical strength to make it to the top, but it takes inner drive to tap into that inner strength.

k. Jas. 1:2-4 – During trials (physical suffering for example) we are challenged to be careful about our ATTITUDE.
• We are to rejoice…
• The rejoicing is NOT because we are going through trials. Avoid trials and suffering if you can.
• But we are to rejoice KNOWING the end of that suffering.
• If we keep our minds and hearts focused on the END… then we will have a good inner attitude about the trial… even joy in the midst of suffering!
• And that joy—that good inner attitude will also help sustain you through the trial.