Do you ever struggle with your emotions? If so, join the crowd. I know I definitely struggle sometimes! However, I have learned to use a spiritual weapon from Psalm 103 that helps 100% of the time, and I believe this spiritual weapon will bless you too!

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Here’s the backstory:

Once upon a time, I was feeling sorry for myself. My emotions were running amok, and I was getting more discouraged by the minute.

I remember the moment as if it were yesterday. Suddenly, in the middle of my tears, depression, and discouragement, Holy Spirit brought a Bible verse to my mind:

Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! (Psalm 103:1 NKJV).

This verse, penned by King David of ancient Israel—a man after God’s own heart—hit me hard that day. Why? Because I suddenly realized that David was talking to himself. More specifically, he was talking to his own soul.

What is the soul?

The soul is made up of your mind, your will (which is your decision-making capacity), and your emotions. Your soul is not who you are; it is something you have.

To illustrate this, think of the following:

• If, God forbid, you were to develop a dread disease like Alzheimer’s and your mind got confused, would you be less of a person? Of course not. You would still be a child of God, cherished and beloved, created in the image of God. You would still be a whole person.
• If you went through a period of depression and couldn’t bring yourself to make decisions from day to day, would you be less than a person? No. Your well-being would suffer because of your inability to cope with decision-making, but you would still be a whole person, created in the image of God.
• If you were taking a medication that flattens your emotions (a common side effect of various medications), and you never felt either “high” or “low”—rendering you virtually emotion-less, would you be less of a person? Of course not.
• If you were in a terrible accident and suffered the amputation of a limb, would you be less of a person? No! You would still be a whole person; your body would simply look different.

So we see that your mind, will, and emotions do not define your existence. Your body does not define your “self,” i.e. your personhood, either.

Your existence, or personhood, is defined by something else: your spirit.

It is your spirit that was filled with God’s Holy Spirit at the moment you gave your life to Christ. Your spirit became alive at that moment of your salvation, and your spirit defines who you are. Your spirit defines your personhood—your existence, and your state of being alive or dead.

Why is this important?

Because if you think “who you are” is defined by your mind, will, and emotions, then you will forever be subject to the whims and dictates of your feelings. If, however, you understand that your personhood, or existence—in other words, “who you are”—is defined by your spirit, which is filled with God’s Holy Spirit, then you can arrive at this startling conclusion:

Your spirit is who you are, but your soul is only something you have. And if your soul is only something you have, then you can order it around. It is a thing; it has no life of its own, except for what you give it by your spirit and God’s Holy Spirit.

THIS, my friend, is what David was doing when he penned the eternal words of Psalm 103. Remember what the Lord taught us through the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV).

Even though David penned these words of Psalm 103:1, they were literally breathed into him and through him by God the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit inspired these very words; He inspired David to speak to his own soul!

My friend, just like David did, you can speak to your own soul and command it to do and be what it should do and be!

Let’s look at what David commanded his soul to do:

Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:

Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s (Psalm 103:1-5 NKJV).

David looked down at himself and spoke to his soul—to his mind, will, and emotions. When he did, he told his soul:

• To bless the Lord;
• To work together with all else that was in him in order to bless the Lord’s holy name; and
• To forget not (in other words, to remember) all the Lord’s benefits!

What else was in David? His spirit and his body. So David told his soul, together with all the rest of him, to bless the Lord!

So what lesson can we learn from this?

Are you struggling with doubt, disbelief, discouragement, self-pity, despair, hopelessness, or any other evil thing today?

Hey, we all have our moments. But if we apply the lessons we see in these Scriptures, we can counteract the attacks of the enemy with techniques we learn from God’s Word!

How can you apply these principles right now? By speaking to your soul!

I learned to do this on that day long ago, and it worked immediately. At the prompting of the precious Holy Spirit, I simply said: “Soul, come to attention right now in Jesus’ name! Soul, LINE UP with my spirit, which is filled with the Holy Spirit, and bless the Lord! In Jesus’ name!” And you know what? I felt much better right away!

I still use this technique often, speaking to my soul and commanding it to line up with my spirit and be subject to God’s Holy Spirit.

When I speak to my soul like this, I’m pointing out to my mind, will, and emotions that they are not the boss of me. J I’m making it clear that they are subject to my spirit, which is filled with and governed by God the Holy Spirit—and that HE is the Lord (Boss, Master) of me; my discouraged emotions are not!

And you know what? It works every time. Immediately when I speak to my soul like that, I feel my emotions and thoughts snapping into place. Immediately I sense peace and relief, and immediately my mind is set back on God, as it should be.

Friend, do you need to speak to your soul today? If so, try it; it’s easy! Just say:

“Soul, come to attention right now in Jesus’ name! Soul, LINE UP with my spirit, which is filled with the Holy Spirit, and bless the Lord! In Jesus’ name!”

And see what happens!

Beloved, you can command your soul into alignment with God and His Word. Who you are is not determined by your feelings; who you are is determined by your spirit, which is filled with God’s Holy Spirit. Therefore, don’t be afraid to use this tool. David used it, and he was a man after God’s own heart, writing down Scripture as it was breathed out to him by God Himself!

So don’t hesitate; speak to your soul today! Take every thought captive by commanding your soul to submit to your Master, Jesus Christ, today!

Did you speak to your soul just now and command it to line up with your spirit, which is filled with God’s Holy Spirit? Leave a comment below and let us know how it works for you!

Jamie Rohrbaugh is the founder and CEO of From His Presence. She is the author of Victory In the Camp of the Lord Volume 1: Healing from Fear. Her resources have been published by YouVersion Bible Plans, Charisma Magazine, The Elijah List, Spirit Fuel, and various other ministry outlets. You can find free mentoring on her podcast, Take Your Territory with Jamie Rohrbaugh, which is available through your favorite podcast streaming app. Download her free prayer tool, Praying the Names of God: 555 Biblical Names of God and How to Use Them in Prayer and Worship, here. Photo Credit: Canva.