There are four types of human beings we have on earth. Dag Harward Mills in his book “Sweet Influences of the Anointing” identifies three of the four types of humans and their ways of living, as the Three Evil Influences that control most people and he did a great job of unveiling and explaining them excellently.
We are going to look at them as the four types of human beings and their ways. The four types of human beings and their ways are those who live:
i) Earthly (Carnally)
ii) Sensually (Immorally)
iii) Devilish; (Devilishly) and
iv) Spiritually (Uprightly).
James Chapter 3 in the Bible lists three of the four types of lives people lead. Let’s see it – “This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.” Jas 3:15. The fourth type of individual and lifestyle are those who live a life of the SPIRIT of life in Christ Jesus which is extensively described in Rom. 8:1-4, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the SPIRIT. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the SPIRIT. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”
We also see it mentioned in the Book of Gal. 5:25 that there is the walk of the spirit, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Yet again, Apostle Paul talks about the SPIRITUAL Christian. Even though he is writing to Christians in Corinth he distinguishes between the SPIRITUAL Christian and the ignorant or Carnal or earthly Christian in 1 Cor. 14:37–38, “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.”
The Earthly Person
Now let’s see James Chapter 3:15 again as we begin to look at the first type of human being which is the EARTHLY person – “This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.” The first kind of life on the list in James 3 :15 is the earthly lifestyle. Who is an earthly person? The earthly person lives a natural life. He has not accepted Christ. He is so earthly, carnal or natural that heaven or eternity isn’t in his or her thinking. Such people are materialistic and mundane in their thinking. They are pedestrian to the things of the spirit. They are blunt and have no spiritual relevance. Such people make a good meal for the devil. They are like floaters on water or if you like balloons tossed up and down at the will of the winds. Such people tend to think highly of their innocence and their good deeds as being enough to earn them God’s approval and protect them from evil. These sorts of people will sometimes make statements such as “Church is in your mind”. Some of them go to Church and can be very religious. But some don’t. They mostly try to reason God with commonsense. You may also hear them say, “No one can harm me because I haven’t done anyone any wrong – My hands are clean”. Such people tend towards self-righteousness without knowing it. They are their own saviours. They don’t know that they don’t know. There are many earthly people who are very nice and appear quite upright amongst ordinary people. Many highly educated people and very enlightened individuals, the low, the middle class as well as governors of peoples and presidents. They are the sorts that Apostle Paul wrote to describe in 1 Co 2:14 “But the NATURAL MAN receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” The ‘natural man’ referred to here is the same as the ‘earthly man’ described in James 3:15. The ‘natural man’ and the ‘earthly man’ are exactly the same thing. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “Earthly” as a “Characteristic of or belonging to this earth and relating to human life” – as against God-life. Earthly people are natural people. And looking at the dictionary definition we just saw, we can clearly see that it says, “…belonging to this earth.” So, you see, the earthly man does not only think about and does earthly things, he belongs to this earth, he does not belong to heaven. The earthly man may exhibit lots of self-control against many vices of life. He may even appear upright and tend towards righteousness he is still earthly, natural and belongs to the earth.
Scripture Describes the Earthly Person
The following are further scriptures from the Bible about earthly reasoning, earthly living and earthly things, in clear contrast to heavenly or spiritual things.
Joh 3:12 “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?” Joh 3:31 “He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.” 2 Cor. 5:1 “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Php 3:19 “Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.” All the references in the scriptures above refer to earthly things or they refer to things belonging to the earth and they are the same as natural things. In some cases, just because they are earthly doesn’t make them sinful. It’s just that by being earthly or natural, some of them have no eternal relevance. The scriptures let us know that earthly people are very far removed from the supernatural life experience.
The Sensual Person
We have seen who an EARTHLY person is. Let’s again look at our scripture in James 3:15 as we consider the second type of human being on earth – “This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, SENSUAL, devilish.” Sensual is the category to which most humans fall. There are lots of people who are EARTHLY but much more people are sensual than any of the other three types of humans and their living styles. But of course, all sensual people are earthly as well, in the sense that they belong to this earth. Sensual people are more controlled by their passions than reasoning or common sense. The Collins English Dictionary describes a “sensual person as someone or something that shows or suggests a great liking for physical pleasures, especially sexual pleasures.” We have a preponderance of sensual people on earth. Such people like their earthly counterpart, are far from being spiritual, they cannot attain the supernatural unless by God’s sovereign providence. Sensual people are ruled by desires which come from their senses and feelings. Sensual people have no respect for constraints. They are free flowing like oil on water and will follow their passions to any length. They follow their appetites. They follow their desires in many varied areas, such as eating a lot, sleeping a lot, having lots of beer and getting drunk as they like, lots of sex, lots of games, they gamble a lot, curse if they think to, fight if they have to, murmur if they feel they need to. They could be very excessive in both good and bad. They could give excessively and be very generous as well. Sensual individuals will change their hairstyles, they will do plastic surgery to change their facial look if they think they should. They’d change their gender, get married to same-sex. Sensual people will sleep with dogs or other animals if they want to and if they deem it proper. They say things like, “A person only has one life to live and must enjoy that life.” A man called me after my weekly radio programme known popularly as “PrayerLikeRain with Apostle Anthony Esezobor” and told me that he bred dogs and that he bred them not as pets or to sell as is commonly done in Africa but that he bred them to satisfy his sexual urge.
Sensual People Can Invent Evil
Some sensual people have little respect for tradition or decorum. In the book of Rom. 1:26-27 we read a perfect description of the sensual lifestyle, “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.” The scripture here is referring to sodomy in and out of the Bible. A sensual person will feel very much at home in an environment where sodomy reigns. Sensual people will move a step higher and further away from the earthly lifestyle by damning the natural. While those who live the earthly lifestyle are natural, sensual people think to be post-modern in their reasoning and conducts. Sensual people sometimes do things that you do not find in the laws of the land. They make governments to enact new laws to regulate new ways of life that may be dangerous to individuals or society. Sensual people tend to invent new evils as clearly indicated in Rom. 1:30 “Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents.
For example, the United States of America was in confusion as to whether a transgender female could use a female-only public toilet and whether a transgender male could use a male-only public toilet. It is still a cause of confusion to the USA and a topical issue at the time of writing this. Sensual people will make dictionary writers to search for new words to represent novel patterns for inclusion in dictionaries. Sensual people tend to be contemporary and postmodern in their thinking and actions. Sensual people are like minced meat for the devil. They are completely blind to supernatural experiences. They are even further away from the supernatural life experience than the earthly people.
Devilish People
The more advanced a people are sometimes the more sensual they become. We will now look at Devilish lifestyle and people who lead devilish lives. Our key passage in James 3:15 identifies three of the four types of humans and their lifestyles as we mentioned earlier – “This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, DEVILISH.” Jas 3:15.
When Adam fell he fell to earthly standards and from then on people began to move from earthly or natural living to being sensually bad, to sensually evil and then, devilish. When a person or a people are earthly Satan is in partial control. When they are sensual Satan is in reasonable control but when they are devilish then, Satan is in total control. God didn’t need to destroy the world when men were just earthly. But man has moved from being earthly to being sensual and then from being sensual, the world has become so evil that you now wonder why God has not yet destroyed the world. Sensual people live a lifestyle farther away and far worse than the earthly people. But the devilish person is like a demon even though human. Devilish people prefer self and would do all in their power to retain power of any sort. Power is the predominant issue for the devilish. Earthly people value life. Sensual people devalue life and are self-destructive. But devilish people sell their souls to Satan and take other people’s souls when they can. They have no regard for other people’s lives. They can take life without thinking twice about it. Such people do not value the human life apart from theirs. They easily shed human blood. Abortionists, witches and wizards are in this category. Those who engage in human sacrifices and haters of God belong here. Armed Robbers and ritual killers as well as those who hate other people are in this category. The book of Romans 1:18-32 describes the sensual and the devilish lifestyles without begging the issue.
God’s Wrath on the Devilish
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Romans 1.
As you may have noticed all the three different types of lifestyles we listed here are in Romans 1. It shows that God is fully aware of the ways of men. Devilish people live a life far away and far worse than sensual people. Devilish people are evil people. They disregard God, they disregard others and they disregard the laws of the land. God is against such people as written in 1 Peter 3:12, “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” Also, the government of the land is against them as well, as we are told in Rom 13:3-4, “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” The main enemy and cure to evil is good. That good that will overcome the evil in an individual will either come from outside which is governments and their law enforcement agents or it would come from the evil person themselves through repentance – “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Rom 12:21. If the change comes from outside which is brought about by the government then it can be very painful. If the change comes from the evil doer themselves through repentance then it is much easier to bear.
The Spiritual Person
We have learnt about the earthly person, the sensual person and the devilish person. We will now look at the fourth kind of human being on the earth which is the SPIRITUAL person who lives the spiritual life. There are spiritual people. We are talking about Christians here. These are people who have conquered their earthly lifestyles. They have conquered their sensuality and have divulged themselves of evil. They now have become – the children of God. They are the sorts of people who can attain the supernatural life. Without being spiritual, you cannot as an earthly person command the supernatural. You may benefit from the supernatural but you cannot command the supernatural. This is why Apostle Paul said, “But the NATURAL MAN receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” The opposite of flesh is spirit. The opposite of natural is spiritual. Only the spiritual can command the supernatural. The flesh cannot command the supernatural. But what exactly gives birth to the spiritual person? The Lord Jesus gives us the answer in John 3:3-8. “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” The question about what gives birth to the spiritual person is answered by our Lord Jesus Christ in the above scripture when He said that, that which is born of the flesh is and is called flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is and is called spirit. This is profound and revealing – flesh gives birth to flesh Spirit gives birth to spirit. And the Lord goes further to explain that just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it is not happening. This is why it is supernatural. Just because you can’t feel it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen – “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” Without doubt, it is a wonder that a man can be said to be a spirit because we don’t see it. In Rom. 7:14 the Scriptures say, “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.” Apostle Paul is telling us here that the law is spiritual but he himself was carnal. So, Paul could have been spiritual instead of being carnal. The point we are trying to make here is that a person can be spiritual, just like many are earthly, sensual and devilish – a person can be a spiritual person.
Spiritual Understanding
Apostle Paul again shows us in Col. 1:9 that the spiritual world is a complete world, “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;” There is spiritual understanding as Apostle Paul reveals in the above scripture. Definitely, those who are spiritual are given spiritual Apostle Paul again shows us in Col. 1:9 that the spiritual world is a complete world, “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;” There is spiritual understanding as Apostle Paul reveals in the above scripture. Definitely, those who are spiritual are given spiritual understanding by God. The way that our Lord puts it in Luke 8:10 is even more enlightening, “And he said, unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.” You see, those who are spiritual have spiritual understanding. They know things through the Spirit of God which other people do not know. Most people don’t understand the things of the spirit. This is why no matter how educated a person might be, they cannot understand the things of the spirit by their own power.
Spiritual Walk
There is a walk of the spirit. In Gal. 5:25 we are told that there is the walk of the spirit “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” This is talking about the ways of the spirit-regenerated and spirit-filled person. Walk here talks about conduct definitely. There is a way a spiritual person behaves. In Rom. 8:1-4 we learn that “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the SPIRIT. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the SPIRIT. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” There is the walk of the flesh and there is a walk of the spirit. When you walk in the spirit you cannot fulfil the lust of the flesh. The spiritual person is not controlled by what Apostle Paul calls the ‘motions of the flesh’ in Rom. 7:5 “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.” The motions of the flesh are no other than the things which our flesh likes, such as the desires of the flesh, which causes a man to want things that are sinful and deadly.
Conclusion
There are, as we have explained above four types of people on the earth from our main text. Where do you belong? Judge yourself and ask yourself where you fall, “This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, DEVILISH.” James 3:15. The last one is the spiritual person. This is the highest kind of life. Every other life is offensive to God and not acceptable. We are commanded to be born again so we could experience the spiritual life – which is the same as the supernatural life.
Let Us Pray
Heavenly Father, I acknowledge you as my Father. I am unable to live the kind of life you want me to live unless you help me. I am an earthly person controlled by earthly things. I am a sensual person controlled by my senses and the motions of my flesh. I am a devilish person controlled by my lust and passions. Only you can help me to become a spiritual person. I now need your help Lord. I reject Satan, his demons and his ways. Heavenly Father, save me in the name of Jesus Christ your son. I confess and ask that you forgive me and give me the power to sin no more. Thank you Jesus for forgiving me and for coming into my heart in Jesus Name.
Amen.
