When Jesus spoke of the spirit as willing but the flesh as weak, he addressed his hearers in a world still shaped by Greek and Platonic thought, where spirit was understood as the seat of courage, resolve, and moral strength—the inner fire that rises to defend what is good and noble. In that sense, Jesus was not rejecting the human spirit but calling it to its true strength. The courage, honor, and willpower that Plato saw as the noble ally of reason find their fulfillment when directed toward God’s will. Jesus taught that such strength of spirit must be sustained by prayer and communion with the Father; only then can courage resist the weakness of the flesh. Thus, the “willing spirit” is not merely human resolve but the awakened center of a person’s being, alive in relationship to God and capable of steadfast obedience.
Paul develops this further, teaching that for those who belong to Christ, the spirit—the inner self, the seat of moral energy and conviction—is “alive because of righteousness” (Romans 8:10). The human spirit, still the place of courage and will, is no longer driven by pride or self-exaltation but by a righteousness born of faith and restored harmony with God. To live by the spirit, then, is to let that God-quickened strength within—the sanctified thymos—govern the whole person. Courage becomes faithfulness, honor becomes humility, and willpower becomes steadfast love. The believer does not suppress the spirited part of the soul but redeems it, allowing it to serve truth and goodness under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In this way, the ancient ideal of the brave and disciplined soul is fulfilled not through philosophy alone but through participation in divine life: the spirit, alive because of righteousness, animating all of human strength toward the likeness of Christ.
Let that drive towards honour, courage, noble living, the will of God, the teachings of His Son—the spirit and drive given vitality in you by the Holy Spirit as you believed the gospel—let it rule. This drive towards the kingdom of God and His will on earth in fulfilment of His realities of right living in heaven, let it rule within you. Live by it. Overcome.
