What if there were things around us that we cannot see, yet bear heavily upon our lives? What if we were not the masters of our own fate, as it so often seems?  Is there a spiritual realm that consists of more than mythology, ghost stories, and fantasy?  Are we aware of the spiritual warfare that takes place around us? What other unseen doors of opportunity have we failed to perceive?  The Bible talks about the Spirit and spiritual realms of heaven and hades, (the place of the dead), but how do spiritual things concern 

us now?

When Yeshua died upon the cross it says He gave up His Spirit.  It further explains part of what happened during the three days He was in the grave.  “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.  He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.  After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.” (1 Peter 3: 18-20).  Peter explains, “For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.” (1 Peter 4: 6).

There is a spiritual war that is happening around us.  “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor. 10: 3-5).

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Cor. 10: 13).  God defends us and provides opportunity to resist temptation, not by our own strength of will, but through a way provided by God. God is delivering and protecting His people. Have you ever sensed a means of escape from an enemy snare?  Have you taken the way of escape that God opened for you? God orchestrates far more good in our lives than we give Him credit.

Yeshua explained, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4: 24).  This temporal physical world will pass away, and for us usually less than 80 years or so.  However, the afterlife is eternal for those who believe.  Yeshua said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3: 16).  There is a second death for all unbelievers. (Rev. 20: 14; 21: 8).  It is not impossible to experience the Spirit, because all believers have the presence of the Holy Spirit within them.  He enables spiritual worship to which Yeshua referred.  Moreover, we have communion with God through that same Spirit.  Finally, the indwelling Holy Spirit is our guarantee of eternal life.  “For while we are in this tent [our physical body], we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life [the eternal Spiritual existence in Heaven].  Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come [eternal life in Heaven].  Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.” (2 Cor. 5: 4-6, parentheses mine).

If you think being a Christian is about being good or obeying the rules or just getting to Heaven, and you have no experience of the things of the Holy Spirit, begin to read the Word of God and ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  Yeshua told his disciples, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.  The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (John 14: 16-17).