The church consists of those having God's Spirit, and because people continue to be converted, the Holy Spirit has been given continuously since the church began. Spirit, unlike material things that we can see, touch, taste, hear, and smell, has none of these characteristics, making it a mysterious subject to many. As I considered the symbolic identity of Babylon, it dawned on me that God's intention might have far more to do with spirit than any material nation or institution of men, revealing a spiritual aspect of the mystery. Spirit is an invisible force or power that motivates to do or not to do, applying to people in vital ways. Though invisible, spirit is revealed by its manifestations, which can be witnessed externally through our senses or known internally in someone's mind through thought processes. This influence can be discerned by those who know what to look for by observing body language, vocal inflections, and demeanor. The term spirit, appearing frequently in scripture as ruach in Hebrew and pneuma in Greek, suggests a movement of air, indicating its invisible nature, yet its effects can be seen, like air moving leaves on a tree. God is composed of spirit, immaterial and invisible, yet having form and shape, just as we are made in His image. The spirit in man, an immaterial quality given by God, empowers intellect and the ability to think, enabling a spiritual link with our Creator, who is Spirit and has a Spirit, the Holy Spirit. This spirit in man makes us human, setting us apart from animals by imparting the power to think spatially, have foresight, remember, use language, experience emotion, build, sing, plan, and worship God. Spirit also manifests in words, which are invisible and immaterial but hold powerful influence. Jesus' words are spirit, and if believed, they become influences leading to salvation. Words, as expressions of the mind, can inspire, exhort, depress, inform, destroy reputations, mislead, calm, create faith, love, hope, determination, courage, endurance, fear, enthusiasm, morality, and repentance, demonstrating spirit's power to motivate action or inaction. The source of sin is spirit, often influenced by the spirit of the liar and murderer, satan, whose invisible influence permeates this world, promoting evil thoughts like covetousness, anger, pride, and deceit. Satan's spirit, using words as fiery darts, motivates destructive actions and sustains a system that draws us away from God. In contrast, God's Spirit, which is holy, exudes purity, cleanliness, goodness, righteousness, and love, always intending to liberate and produce life on the God level, never to enslave or destroy. We stand between good and bad spirits, capable of being influenced by either, and are charged by God to choose which invisible influence to follow. God's Holy Spirit, the essence of Their minds, thoughts, words, character, attitude, and perspective, can influence us if we permit it. To grow in the quantity and quality of this Spirit, we must spend time with Them through Their Book and prayer, imbibing the essence of Their mind to ensure the spirit influencing us remains good.

God's pouring out of His Spirit on the church, as recorded in Acts 2, marked a dramatic event with extraordinary manifestations testifying to something remarkable happening. The Holy Spirit remains a significant theme throughout Acts, accompanying the preaching of the gospel and the calling of more people into the church. The epistles of Paul, Peter, and John also frequently mention the Holy Spirit, though it is often misunderstood due to challenges in translating the Greek word "pneuma," which carries multiple meanings and nuances. Paul provides a simple framework for understanding spirit in his writings to the Corinthians, explaining that each person has a spirit, synonymous with heart or mind, which is the non-physical center of reason, thought, and comprehension. Additionally, the world has a spirit, not as a separate being, but as an attitude or motivating impulse that is anti-God, influencing mankind to oppose their Creator. In contrast, believers receive a Spirit from God, which is not another being but the essence of His mind, including His attitude, principles, thoughts, feelings, character, and will. This Spirit, equated with the mind of Christ, enhances the minds of God's children, granting spiritual understanding and uniting them in will and thought with the Father and the Son. God's Spirit, being holy as He is holy, inclines His people toward holiness in conduct, attitude, and speech. It is described as a spirit of power, love, and sound mind, enabling believers to operate with discipline, wisdom, and sobriety, distinct from the world's ways. This Spirit is a gift from God, bestowed through the laying on of hands, and can be stirred up within a person. It imparts the capacity for God's will and work to be accomplished, though always under the constraint of love and sound-mindedness, focusing on glorifying God rather than self. The Spirit of God also empowers believers to be witnesses of Jesus Christ and the Father, providing spiritual knowledge, understanding, and wisdom, and impelling them toward holiness. As God's children yield to and make use of His Spirit, He gives more, shaping His character image in them. Through this process, their lives become testimonies of God's goodness, love, holiness, and stability, reflecting His glory to the world by becoming like Him.

Wind, as a symbol in the Scriptures, often carries varied meanings, but when connected to the person of God, it assumes a profoundly positive significance. One of the physical characteristics of wind is its invisibility, mirroring the nature of God's Spirit. The Hebrew word "ruach," translated as wind, also means spirit, representing that which is unseen except through its manifestations. In the New Testament, Christ connects God's Spirit with wind, emphasizing both its invisibility and independence. Another aspect of wind is its association with voice and words, as seen in the gentle breeze described in I Kings 19, where God manifests Himself through a still small voice. Breath, akin to wind on a micro level, is shaped by the spirit in man to produce speech and words, reflecting the disposition of that spirit. Similarly, God's Spirit enables speech, as evidenced in Acts 2 during Pentecost, where it imparts the ability to speak in foreign languages. Wind also plays a significant role in determining weather, paralleling how God's Spirit influences the spiritual environment. Words, formed by breath and disciplined by a spirit, create social and attitudinal environments, impacting hope, despair, anger, or forgiveness based on the spirit's intent. God's Spirit, through His Word and voice, builds a spiritual realm, an unseen environment where His children dwell, internal and intimate, akin to breath within us. This spiritual space, described as a kingdom, is shaped by the power of God's wind, His Spirit, transferring us into a realm of light and love.

Spirit is the most critical element in the entire salvation process. It represents an invisible, immaterial, internal, activating dimension, agent, or power that influences and motivates actions and attitudes. As Jesus illustrated, spirit is like the wind—unseen, yet causing visible effects by moving things in its path. In relation to mankind, spirit operates within, energizing and impelling conduct and attitudes, whether good or evil, edifying or destructive. Mankind is surrounded by truth about God, yet there is a powerful impulse to reject it, often influenced by a spirit that resists acceptance. This rejection is evident as people fail to live up to the knowledge of God's law within them, lacking the inclination to make it part of their lives. Within the church, divisions arise not merely from doctrinal technicalities, but from a deeper issue in the area of spirit, where something powerfully influences separation despite the presence of truth. Spirit also functions as a force in groups, creating a collective mood or inclination that can pull individuals along, as seen in mob psychology or societal trends. This unseen force can be yielded to or resisted, depending on its direction, but many conform to what is popular rather than what is right. In a broader context, spirit can be manipulated to sway masses, as historical examples show how leaders and environments create a specific atmosphere to influence behavior. Man possesses a spiritual dimension to the mind that imparts understanding of the physical, yet struggles with the spiritual realm due to deception by an opposing spirit. This deceptive spirit, stemming from the ruler of the air, operates in the unseen world, motivating sin and death by aligning individuals with the course of this world, contrary to God's way. However, God's Spirit counters this by equipping individuals to discern rightly and make good choices, replacing a destructive mood with one that is joyous, positive, and selfless. The Holy Spirit embodies the essence of God's mind, holding power over creation and residing in His sovereignty. It enables revelation, illumination, and inspiration, interfacing with man's spirit to facilitate a spiritual creation process. God's Spirit is distinguished by its holiness—transcendentally pure and infinitely good—along with its vast knowledge and infinite wisdom, setting it apart from man's spirit or any opposing influence. God's Spirit is the missing dimension in life, necessary for true success, as it aligns individuals with His purpose through revelation, illumination, and inspiration about who He is and what He is doing. Words themselves are spirit, carrying life when they come from God, activating and motivating when they reach another's mind. In contrast, without this essential knowledge and inclination from God's Spirit, individuals remain at the mercy of cultural forces and the spirit of the times, which are alien to God's way.