There is a condition for us to be in the spirit. The condition is that the Spirit of God dwell in us (v. 9).

The
word “dwells” really means “makes home.” We are in the spirit if the Spirit of God dwells, makes His
home, in us. Although you are saved, perhaps the Spirit of God does not yet make His home in you. This
explains why you are still not in the spirit. Although the Spirit of God is in you, He has been unable to
make His home in you. He does not dwell in you. I may be invited to your home, but I am unable to
make my home in your home. I am there as a guest, unable to settle myself there. Likewise, the Spirit of
God is in us, yet He may be unable to dwell in us. He is the guest, not the dweller. If the Spirit of God can
make His home in us, settling Himself in us with adequate room, then we will be in spirit and not in the
flesh. However, if the Spirit of God does not have this room in which to lodge, we will remain in the
flesh, not in the spirit.

Verse 9 says, “But if anyone has not the Spirit of Christ, he is not of Him.” Immediately “the Spirit of
God” is changed to “the Spirit of Christ.” No one can deny that this indicates that “the Spirit of God” is
“the Spirit of Christ” and that “the Spirit of Christ” is “the Spirit of God.” Paul says, “if any one has not
the Spirit of Christ, he is not of Him.” If you have realized that the Spirit of God does not yet make His
home in you, do not be discouraged. Do not say, “Since the Spirit of God doesn’t have a home in me, I
give up.” Although the Spirit of God does not dwell in you, you do have the Spirit of God which is the
Spirit of Christ. As long as you have the Spirit of Christ, you are of Christ. Are you not of Christ? We all
must declare, “Hallelujah, I am of Christ!” We have the Spirit of Christ in us and we are of Christ.
However, it is a conditional matter whether or not the Spirit of God, which is the Spirit of Christ, dwells
in us. The Spirit of Christ has to make His home in us, has to take possession of our inner being, that we
may be in the spirit

Verse 10 says, “And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is life
because of righteousness.” Here it says that Christ is in us. In verse 9 it is “the Spirit of God” and then
“the Spirit of Christ.” Now in verse 10 it is “Christ” Himself. This surely proves that “Christ” is “the Spirit
of God” and “the Spirit of Christ.” We all must admit this. Christ as the Spirit is in us. This is a
tremendous matter. Where was Christ in Romans 3? He was on the cross, shedding His blood for
redemption. Where was Christ in chapter four? He was in resurrection. But in chapter eight Christ is in
us. In chapter six we are in Christ, but in chapter eight Christ is in us. To be in Christ is one aspect; to
have Christ in us is another. First, we abide in Christ, then Christ abides in us (John 15:4). Our abiding in
Him brings His abiding in us. Being in Christ is the condition for Christ to be in us. Praise the Lord that
Christ is in us! Christ has wrought Himself into us; He has been processed into us. This Christ has to dwell
and make His home in us.

Though Christ is in us, our body still remains dead because of sin. After reading the previous message in
which we have pointed out that God has condemned sin in the flesh, some may say, “Since God has
condemned sin, sin cannot function anymore. Our body is no longer dead — it is now alive.” This is not
the right understanding of Paul’s word. Although God has condemned sin in the flesh, sin continues to
dwell in our body, and thus our body is still dead. There is much argument about this point. Some say
that since God has condemned sin on the cross, sin has been nullified and believers cannot sin. Some
even say that after we are saved sin is eradicated or uprooted. The school of eradication teaches that
when we were saved the root of sin within us was extracted. All those who follow this school believe
that sin has been eradicated from the being of a saved person.

Although Christ is in us, our body is still dead because of sin. The indwelling sin has brought death to our
body. However, we should not be troubled by our dead body since our regenerated spirit is life because
of righteousness. The indwelling Christ brings life to our spirit through righteousness. This righteousness
is the righteousness of God, which is Christ. Christ is firstly righteousness to us and then, because of this,
He is life also to us. When the prodigal son returned home to his father, he was not qualified to sit down
with him and eat the fatted calf. He was not yet clothed with the proper garment, the best robe, which
typifies Christ, the righteousness of God, as the covering that qualifies us to sit with the Father and to
enjoy Christ as life. First we must have Christ as our righteousness. Then under this righteousness, under
this righteous “robe,” we are qualified to enjoy Christ as our life. As long as Christ is in our spirit, our
spirit is life because of Christ as our righteousness. Now not only is the Spirit of God life; even our
regenerated spirit is life. The Spirit who is Christ Himself is now life in our spirit. Therefore, our spirit
becomes life. The indwelling Christ has brought life to our spirit.

Verse 11 says, “But if the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from among the dead dwells in you, He Who
raised Christ Jesus from among the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit Who
indwells you.” The Spirit in this verse is the Spirit of resurrection. We have seen that our spirit is life (v.
10) and that our mind also is life (v. 6). Now we come to the last item of our being, our mortal body. Our
body is dying. However, life is given even to our dying mortal body. Our body can participate in this life,
be sustained with this life, and be supplied with this life through His Spirit who indwells us.
Undoubtedly, the indwelling Spirit is the resurrected Christ (1 Cor. 15:45; 2 Cor. 3:17). Christ as the
indwelling Spirit constantly imparts life to every aspect of our being.

Verse 12 says, “So then, brothers, we are debtors not to the flesh to live according to flesh.” This verse
also proves that after we are saved the possibility still remains of living according to flesh. If this were
impossible why would Paul remind us that we are not debtors to the flesh? We need to say, “Hallelujah!
I am not a debtor to the flesh. I don’t owe it anything. I am not obliged to it. I am discharged from it and
freed from it. I have been fully liberated from this hopeless thing called the flesh. I am not a debtor to
the flesh to live according to it any longer.”

Paul continues, “For if you live according to flesh, you are about to die; but if by the Spirit you put to
death the practices of the body, you will live” (8:13). The “you” here certainly denotes saved persons.
Hence, this verse is further proof that a saved person may live according to flesh. If we live according to
flesh, we are about to die. Of course, this kind of dying is not physical; it is spiritual. If you live according
to flesh, you are about to die in your spirit. However, if by the Spirit you put to death the practices of the
body — that is, to mortify or crucify them — you will live. This means that you will live in spirit. This
verse corresponds to verse 6 which says that the mind set on the flesh is death and that the mind set on
the spirit is life. To live according to flesh primarily means to set our mind upon the flesh, and, likewise,
to set our mind upon the flesh mainly means to live according to flesh. In order to put to death the
practices of the body we need to set our mind on the spirit and walk according to spirit.

When we have our mind set upon our spirit, our flesh will be put to death. By setting our mind on our
spirit we put to death all the practices of the body. This is to “crucify the flesh” (Gal. 5:24). When we
desire to go shopping, our feet may try to go, but our spirit says, “Stay on the cross.” This is mortifying,
putting to death, or crucifying the deeds of our body. As a result, we will experience the death of Christ.
The genuine experience of the co-crucifixion with Christ is to be had in the putting to death of the
practices of the body by the Spirit. This does not happen once for all; it is a constant daily exercise. Every
practice of the body must be put to death by turning our mind to the spirit and setting it on the spirit.
This is the way to “walk according to spirit” (v. 4).