The spiritual life is fundamentally rational, rooted in God’s Word rightly understood and applied (2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2; Jam 1:22). The Holy Spirit enables the believer to think clearly and act consistently with divine truth (1 Cor 2:12-16), producing a life aligned with the character and will of God (Rom 8:5-6; Gal 5:16, 22-23). When God’s Word governs the mind and positive volition directs the soul, the believer becomes spiritually stable. In this setting, emotion plays a legitimate, supportive role. It is healthy when subordinated to truth—enhancing joy, gratitude, courage, or compassion—but becomes dangerous when detached from doctrine and driven instead by the sin nature or worldly thinking (1 John 2:15-17). Emotion should follow truth, not lead it. When it leads, it distorts perception, fuels instability, and misguides decision-making.
Emotion has no inherent moral or cognitive value; it does not think, reason, or discern truth. It is simply the soul’s responder. When the believer’s mind is saturated with God’s Word, emotion appropriately amplifies noble responses—such as love, courage, or delight in beauty and excellence. This is healthy emotion, rightly subordinated to virtuous thought. But when emotion responds to Satan’s philosophies and values, the sin nature, or human viewpoint, it becomes a destabilizing force. It breeds fear, anxiety, guilt, anger, and other emotional sins that shatter objectivity and hinder doctrinal application (Psa 73:21-22; Phil 4:6-9). In such cases, emotion becomes the tyrant rather than the servant, and the believer—no matter how sincere—loses traction in the spiritual life. True spirituality is not measured by feelings, but by the Spirit-led application of Scripture (John 17:17; Gal 5:22-23).
Many believers struggle because they allow emotion to dictate their thinking rather than submitting their minds to the authority of Scripture. Some, though well-meaning, live by the motto, “Live what you feel.” But when feelings become the compass, the soul drifts. Lacking doctrinal orientation, they interpret life through the lens of emotion—often shaped by past wounds or distorted expectations—rather than by divine truth. For those who prioritize emotion, Scripture—no matter how faithfully presented—fails to take root, because truth is filtered through feelings. In that condition, emotion eclipses reason, and they begin to live as perpetual victims instead of victorious saints.
The solution is found in a daily, deliberate reorientation to divine viewpoint (Rom 12:1-2). This begins with the renewed mind—a transformation that comes only through consistent intake and meditation on God’s Word (Psa 1:2-3; Col 3:16). As the believer internalizes Scripture and submits to the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit, a doctrinal framework is built that shapes values, stabilizes thinking, and anchors the soul against emotional volatility (Heb 5:14; Psa 119:11, 130). The mind must lead, volition must choose, and emotion must follow. When the thinking is right—biblical and Spirit-enlightened—the emotions will respond appropriately. This is the dynamic of true spiritual growth: the mind instructed by truth, the will aligned with God’s will, and the emotions rejoicing in what is eternally real.
Therefore, the key to emotional stability is not suppression but subordination. Believers must learn to recalibrate their thinking to align with God’s Word (Psa 42:5), to reject the dictatorship of feelings and instead walk by faith in God’s promises (2 Cor 5:7). Spiritual maturity demands discipline in the inner life, where divine truth sets the tone and emotional responses are filtered through a soul grounded in Scripture. This doesn’t mean a cold or joyless Christianity—it means a robust, resilient faith that feels deeply, but thinks biblically. It’s not the absence of emotion, but the presence of doctrine rightly applied, that defines a Spirit-filled life.
Steven R. Cook, D.Min., M.Div.
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