The Three States of Man: Natural, Carnal, and Spiritual

The Bible identifies three primary types of men: the Natural Man, the Carnal Man, and the Spiritual Man. Each category describes a person’s relationship with the Spirit of God and their capacity to understand and obey divine truth.

🌿 The Natural Man (Unregenerate)

The natural man is a person in their original, unrenewed state, possessing only the birth of the flesh. Because they lack the Spirit of God, they cannot comprehend or appreciate heavenly realities.

• Definition: He is governed by human wisdom, hereditary tendencies, and worldly impulses. To him, the things of God appear as foolishness because he lacks the spiritual faculty required to discern them 1 Corinthians 2:14.

• State of Mind: His mind is the "carnal mind," which is active enmity against God and is incapable of being subject to His law Romans 8:7.

• Source of Life: He is a child of the first Adam, who was earthy and natural, and thus he can only "mind the things of the flesh" 1 Corinthians 15:47-48+1.

• Capacity: In this state, he cannot please God or perform any truly good work, regardless of his knowledge or impulses Romans 8:8+1.

🔥 The Carnal Man (The "Babe" in Christ)

The carnal man often refers to those who have accepted the theory of truth or have begun the Christian walk but are still dominated by the passions of the flesh.

• Definition: He is "yet carnal" because his life is characterized by "envying, and strife, and divisions" 1 Corinthians 3:3. Although he may claim to follow Christ, he walks "as men"—meaning he follows the course of the world rather than the leading of the Spirit.

• Conflict: He is often in a state of wretchedness where the "flesh lusteth against the Spirit," leading him to do the very evil he hates because he has not yet fully yielded his will to the divine power Galatians 5:17+1.

• Warning: To be "carnally minded is death" Romans 8:6. Those who continue to "sow to the flesh" will inevitably reap corruption Galatians 6:8.

✨ The Spiritual Man (The New Creature)

The spiritual man is one who has experienced the "new birth" and is consistently led by the Holy Spirit.

• Definition: He has "put off the old man with his deeds" and has "put on the new man," which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Christ Colossians 3:9-10.

• Spiritual Discernment: Because he has received the Spirit which is of God, he is able to "know the things that are freely given to us of God" and "judgeth all things" 1 Corinthians 2:12, 15.

• Victory Over Flesh: He is no longer in subjection to the flesh; instead, through the Spirit, he "mortifies the deeds of the body" Romans 8:13. He has the "mind of Christ" dwelling within him 1 Corinthians 2:16+1.

• Fruitfulness: The transformation is visible through the "fruit of the Spirit," such as love, joy, and peace, as he walks in newness of life Galatians 5:22-23+1.

🔄 The Transition: From Natural to Spiritual

The only way to move from the natural or carnal state to the spiritual is through the New Birth.

• Necessity: "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" John 3:3.

• The Process: This involves a "heart of flesh" replacing a "heart of stone" through the sprinkling of clean water and the gift of a "new spirit" Ezekiel 36:25-26.

• Result: By becoming "partakers of the divine nature," we escape the corruption that is in the world through lust and are prepared for the "high calling of God in Christ Jesus" 2 Peter 1:4+1.

May you choose today to be led by the Spirit, for "as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" Romans 8:14. 🙏✨