How are believers in the Spirit?

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The complete relocation of believers is clearly expressed in Romans 8:9, where Paul describes them as being in the Spirit while also referring to the fact that the Spirit of God lives in them. These apparently contradictory phrases are to be appreciated for what they are—descriptions that emphasise the integrated involvement of the Spirit with the believer (1 Cor. 6:17). 

The intimate association of the Spirit with the believer is heightened in that the Spirit is described as being of God (this, in 8:9, is the first occasion in Romans where Paul refers thus to the Spirit). It is none other than God who resides within the believer. 

Not only that, but he lives in them (8:9), indicating a tangible experience of God, not merely an intellectual acknowledgement of divine truths. Intimacy of relationship, not merely a rational response, is the ideal expected by Paul when he refers to the Spirit dwelling in the believer. The sense of privilege but also of challenge for believers is remarkable.

Paul, however, has more to say about the privileged position of believers. He emphasises their spiritual elevation by stating that, as well as the Spirit, Christ also is in them, by the presence of the Spirit who is described as the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9). 

The value of this for the readers was that it helped them appreciate the character and personality of the Spirit. To describe him as being of Christ reminded them of Jesus, his actions, deeds and words; his care, compassion and love; his power, authority and presence. Clearly, the Spirit is expected by Paul to function in the lives of believers as did Jesus with the disciples. Indeed, the Spirit is equivalent to the presence of Christ in the life of the believer.

Now, Paul moves to the climactic consequence of his train of thought. Their new life has commenced; now, he talks about the end of their lives. In Romans 8:10, he notes that although their physical bodies are to die4 as a result of sin, the Spirit5 of life has been given to them as a result of righteousness (obtained on their behalf by Jesus and granted to them at salvation). 

Paul encourages them by stating that their final resurrection is guaranteed since the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, guarantees to raise them from the dead (8:11). Paul affirms that the Spirit confirms their eternal status rather than simply enlivens them throughout their lives on this earth. 

He is not here encouraging them to take advantage of the power of the Spirit to improve their lifestyles; he will come to this in verse 12. Here, he is caught up with the glory of the position of the believer. The Spirit comes into the lives of believers at salvation and does not leave them; then, at death, the Spirit transforms them as he transformed Jesus.

This comprehensive salvation results in their being placed in a capsule of care that will ensure that they are ushered into the presence of God with the same quality of love as experienced by Jesus. 

Paul is not interested in exploring how this happened with reference to Jesus; simply to note that it did and that the same miracle of grace awaits the believer.6 Given this certainty and the lavish provision of the Spirit (8:12–13), Paul reminds the readers that the presence and commitment of the Spirit demand righteous lifestyles.



4 Some suggest that this death is that which occurs at salvation when believers ‘die’ to sin, meaning that they are no longer dominated by sin or subject to the reign of sin since they are now members of a new reign, or kingdom. However, it functions as a clearer contrast if it refers to physical death.


5 The term ‘spirits’ in 8:10 (RSV) is actually in the singular form’spirit’ (pneuma) in the Greek and this changes the meaning considerably. Since words in Greek do not take a capital letter unless they begin a paragraph or are proper names, it is not certain whether Paul is referring to the Spirit (ESV, KJV) or the life force (spirit) of a person (NIV, NASB). However, elsewhere in 8:1–11, the same word (pneuma) is translated ‘Spirit’. Therefore, it is more likely that the same translation ought to be offered here. In particular, the same Greek phrase is translated ‘Spirit of life’ in 8:2.


6 J. D. G. Dunn, in Romans 1–8 (Word, 1988), p. 445, writes, ‘The believer escapes neither this body of death nor the death of this body, but God’s acceptance, life and power are not subject to sin or death, and when sin plays death as its last card God’s Spirit will trump it.’


Warrington, K. (2009). The Message of the Holy Spirit: The Spirit of Encounter (D. Tidball, Ed.; pp. 158–160). Inter-Varsity Press.

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