How Can I Tell If I'm Acting from My Soul or My Spirit?
Only the key formed by the Spirit will open the door to lasting peace.
There’s a quiet but honest question that often rises when we long to live and serve in the Spirit: How can I tell whether I’m being led by the Holy Spirit in my spirit, or simply acting out of my emotions, intellect, or will? Especially for those of us who once sought mountaintop experiences and gravitated toward mysticism or religious highs, the line can seem blurry.
This post is for those who desire to discern rightly—not introspectively, but with peaceful clarity rooted in Christ. You may be writing blogs, creating videos, discipling others, or simply trying to walk out your faith day to day. Here are five practical ways to distinguish soul-driven impulses from spirit-led movement.
The Source Test: "From Me, or from Him?"
The soul operates from me, the spirit receives from Him.
Soul says: “I want to experience this, express this, accomplish this.”
Spirit says: “Lord, I trust You to express Yourself through me here and now.”
If it begins with your desire to move others, prove something, or recapture a former spiritual thrill—it likely starts in the soul. But if there’s a quiet trust that Christ is moving and you’re just walking with Him, even when it doesn’t feel exhilarating—that’s the spirit.
The Outcome Test: "What’s the fruit?"
Jesus said we’ll know the source by its fruit (Matthew 7:16).
Soul-driven activity often results in exhaustion, striving, or an emotional rollercoaster.
Spirit-led movement bears peace, joy, clarity, patience, and a sense of God’s sufficiency—even if it doesn’t impress the world.
When the video is uploaded or the post published, do you walk away restless and questioning, or at rest, knowing Christ was sufficient in that moment?
The Disruption Test: "Can I release it?"
If your soul is driving the effort, any disruption will cause distress. But if the Spirit is leading, interruptions may disappoint but won’t destroy your peace.
Ask: “If this never airs, is poorly received, or misunderstood—can I still rest in Christ?”
If your heart can say yes—not as resignation, but as a Spirit-born posture—you were likely walking in the Spirit.
The Identity Test: "Is this confirming who I am in Christ, or proving who I wish I was?"
The soul craves validation. The spirit rests in identity.
Soul wants affirmation, likes, applause.
Spirit rejoices in being accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6).
If your creative work or spiritual engagement flows from a settled identity—Christ in me, and I in Him—you’re operating from your spirit. If you’re hoping it will finally make you feel okay, that’s the soul grasping.
The Illumination Test: "Do I know, or do I sense?"
The soul wants to figure it out. The spirit discerns.
Soul says, “I’ve reasoned this through.”
Spirit says, “There’s light. I sense peace.”
You may not be able to explain your direction in detail, but the Spirit has made the way clear enough to walk. That’s spiritual intuition—an inner witness, not outer logic.
Real-Life Analogy
Picture trying to unlock a door you’ve walked through a hundred times. You approach with confidence, insert the key—but it won’t turn. You jiggle the handle, double-check the key, and start to get frustrated. But then, you pause. You realize the key you grabbed isn’t the right one. It’s similar, but not the one uniquely fitted to that lock.
That’s the difference between acting from the soul and from the spirit. The soul’s key looks familiar—driven by will, emotion, and logic—but it never quite unlocks the door to spiritual peace or fruit. Only the key cut by the Spirit—quiet trust, surrendered dependence, and Spirit-born intuition—can open what the Lord has truly called you into.
A Word of Encouragement
If you’re asking these questions, that’s already a sign your spirit is alert and tuned toward the Lord. Don’t fear missing His voice—trust that His Spirit in you is perfectly able to guide, correct, and confirm.
You’re not chasing the mountaintop anymore. The Mountain Himself has taken up residence in you.
So walk on. Rest on. Record on. Not to impress or prove, but to reflect the life of the One who now lives in you.
“The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord” (Proverbs 20:27).
“My sheep hear My voice... and they follow Me” (John 10:27).
“Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).