What is to be spiritual?

Romans 8: 5-8
"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God."

(flesh = brain - walking according to our own thoughts)

(spirit = revelation/His voice - walking submitted to His guidance)

Those who are living according to the flesh are subject to the level of their own minds, the wisdom of men.

To be carnally minded does not necessarily mean to think about sex all the time (like some people think that is what it means), and it does not mean unbelievers. 

There are many pastors who are carnally minded. 

Their preachings are carnal, in other words, their preachings are based on their own thoughts.
Even if they are preaching the Word.

To be spiritually is to have our ego crucified allowing our spirit to be submitted to God. 

Those who are spiritual live according to revelation, they lead according to what God tells them, they live and act according to God's guidance. 

They receive in their spirits His voice, His thoughts. 

When they preach, they do not speak from their brains because they are spiritual and live in the level of the Spirit. They give what they receive from God, not their own wisdom and thoughts.

"These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 

But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one."

1 Corinthians 2: 13-15

Spiritual people seek God. They know they depend on Him for everything, they depend on His voice every day, all day, for everything.

If a carnal person desires to be spiritual, they will have to crucify their egos to be able to seek God constantly, always open to receive from Him and submit, no matter what He is saying. 

They will have to love God above themselves. They will have to trust that His ways are better even if they are contrary to their ways. Ready to surrender their will.

Spiritual people are so submitted to God that whatever He says becomes their will.

Spiritual people are mature because they are extremely humble. They are always ready to be wrong. Always ready to obey God even when He says No to what they want the most.

God can trust revelation to spiritual people because He knows their heart is circumcised, in other words, their egos are crucified.

"For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh;
but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God."
Romans 2: 28-29

Carnal people have their thoughts stuck on a level that they can only receive and understand human wisdom.
Spiritual people have their spirit open to receive spiritual things because they have their senses exercised.

"For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."
Hebrews 5: 12-14

Babes are carnal minded believers.

When Peter said to Jesus that He would not die and Jesus rebuked satan, is because when we are carnally minded we do not think in accordance with God's thoughts. And whatever is not according to God, has an influence from the enemy. Matthew 16: 21-23

I want to copy the first verses of this post again and analyze them with you.

Romans 8: 5-8

"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God."

"To be spiritually minded is life and peace".

Freedom is found in our spirit, not in our brains. But our spirit only find peace when we hear from God. And to exercise our spirit to hear from God constantly, we have to read the Word constantly. We have to allow the Word to penetrate our hearts, destroying our pride. We have to allow ourselves to read and receive words that correct and bothers us.

"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be."

The law of God is Love. We only obey Love and subject ourselves to Love when we stop being carnally minded. When we crucify our ego.

"So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God."

When we are carnally minded we live according to our own thoughts and leave God in second place, we don't please Him because we do not allow Him to guide us. Then, we need to convert to Him. (Even if we are a pastor).

"Then you shall again discern
Between the righteous and the wicked,
Between one who serves God
And one who does not serve Him."
Malachi 3: 18

Those who don't live according to the Spirit are not serving God. (No matter how many things and works they are doing for the kingdom)

Did you know that wicked people are not necessarily unbelievers? 

Carnally minded believers can be wicked too. Wicked people don't seek God. Or sometimes, they try to seek Him but their hearts are not open to Him.

Psalm 10: 4

"The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;

God is in no one of his thoughts."

To serve God is to do His will. Is to obey what He tells you to do. And for that, we must seek Him every day and find out what His will is for that day. (And many times during the day)

Carnally minded people don't know what His will is because they don't even seek to find out. They just do and preach whatever their own thoughts tell them to.

"I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people,

Who walk in a way that is not good,

According to their own thoughts."

Isaiah 65: 2

When carnally minded people receive an admonition, they do not really receive it. Because they feel disrespected and misunderstood. They feel superior and cannot think that the person is right, they don't allow the person to influence them. 

An admonition is a solid food. They cannot receive it. They are used to milk, which is kind, flattering words, honor, and things that babes need.
Babes need to be always comforted and encouraged. 

So what can we do to grow spiritually and bear solid, deep food?

We can try to allow the Word to poke our hearts and tell us that we are wrong. Admitting that we don't know everything and that our ways and thoughts are not always right and just.

Fasting is also a good way to discipline ourselves to deny our own will, pride, and stubbornness.

A good exercise is to try reading the book of Proverbs seeing yourself as the wrong person of each verse. Remember situations that you identify yourself in the negative part of those verses. Meditate, repent. Desire to be changed.

Repenting is always a good exercise. The more humility and submission, the more revelation we receive.
The Word is a sword, and allowing the Sword to cut our heart, it hurts, but we get circumcised.
We will be allowing our pride to be transformed into humility.

Also, avoid hearing words that massage your ego. This will be healthy for your heart and spirit.

Hey! Be encouraged! The Holy Spirit wants to bring liberty to your mind and spirit! If you let Him, He will destroy all the strongholds that make you stuck and unhappy. If you allow Him, He will relieve your spirit. Turn to Him and seek Him with all your strength, with all your might!

"But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.
Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as the Spirit of the Lord."

2 Corinthians 3: 15-18