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Take Heed to Your Spirit
Malachi 2:16
"For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously."
In Malachi 2, God warns us two times to "take heed to your spirit..." The word "heed" means, "to take notice of; to attend to; to observe; to watch for danger." In other words, God was cautioning us to watch our spirit. Your spirit is your disposition or outlook on life. God knew that if your spirit were destroyed then you would be destroyed as a Christian.
God takes this truth further by cautioning to be sure that your spirit is not being dealt with treacherously. The word "treacherously" means, "violating allegiance." In other words, you must watch your spirit that its allegiance to your faith is not destroyed. What is interesting is that God tells us that two different people can "deal treacherously" with your spirit. In verse 15 God says, "...let none dealt treacherously..." Notice this is showing us that others can destroy your spirit. Then in the verse above God says, "...that ye deal not treacherously." The second person who can destroy your spirit is yourself. God is simply warning you to guard your spirit from others and yourself. Don't let others destroy your spirit, nor should you do anything that would destroy your spirit. As I look at this warning, I see that God shows us two things that will destroy our spirit.
First, you must stay pure in your marriage if you want to keep your spirit from being destroyed. A person may get away with being unfaithful in their marriage, but the one thing that unfaithfulness will do is it will destroy your spirit. You can't be unfaithful in your marriage and it not affect your spirit. You can't look at wrong pictures and it not affect your spirit. You can't entertain wrong thoughts and it not affect your spirit. Staying pure in your marriage will help you to keep your spirit right.
Furthermore, those who are not married should stay pure until they are married if they don't want their spirit destroyed. A single person who is committing fornication will destroy their spirit. Yes, you may have your few minutes of pleasure, but you will destroy your spirit in the mean time. Staying morally pure, whether you are married or single, will keep your spirit from being destroyed.
Second, living a pure life will help you to keep your spirit from being destroyed. Christian, you can't live in sin and it not affect your spirit. One of the reasons that the spirit of churches seem so dead is because they are filled with Christians who are living in sin. When you are living right, you will have a good spirit. When you are doing what you know you should do, then your spirit will be free and protected. On the other hand, when you know you are doing wrong, your spirit will be defeated. When you know that you are living in direct contradiction to the Word of God, it will affect your spirit. Sin always affects a person's spirit before it destroys their life. You may think you can hide your sin, but your spirit will tell on you.
Christian, take heed to your spirit. Watch it and guard it with your life. When you have a defeated spirit then you will live a defeated life in Christ. If there is ever a reason for you to stay morally pure in your marriage and life, it is because you want to guard your spirit. Guard yourself from others destroying your spirit, but also guard your spirit from yourself. Don't do anything that would destroy that victorious spirit that God wants you to have.