In the physical world, certain things pollute the world. These things make life for man and nature unbearable. The causes of pollution of the essential nature, such as air, water, soil, etc., could be by human activities or natural degradation, which the Bible refers to as “bondage to decay (Romans 8:21).
Unfortunately, humans can engage in activities that contaminate their immediate environment. Some of these activities are necessary, while some are not. The adverse effect of the pollution is enormous. Some natural disasters and human crises are direct results of human awful activities on nature.
Similarly, the spiritual realm has pollutants. The spiritual realm is real, and even more real than the physical realm. And some activities that go on in the realm either make it or unmake it.
Residue of the Spiritual Realm
The spiritual realm is just the opposite of the physical realm. It is the unseen realm. This unseen realm can be categorised into two, i.e., the presence of God and the human heart. God is spirit, and He inhabits a spiritual sphere. It is His spiritual nature that makes the realm spiritual. The realm is everywhere because of the presence of God everywhere. That is why the realm of the spirit is not limited to heaven, where God’s throne is resident. The Scripture says: “It is in Him we move and have our being (Acts 17). God is Omnipresent. Therefore, the spiritual realm exists side-by-side with the physical realm.
The spiritual realm is always present over the physical realm. The second destination of the spiritual realm is the heart of man. God has created the heart of man to be spiritual in nature. The thoughts of the human heart are kept from physical sight until manifested. The Scripture says: the heart of man is desperately wicked, who can understand its ways, but God (Jer. 17). This spiritual nature of man makes him a wonderful creation, made with both physical and spiritual features. Therefore, man is basically made up of two components, the spiritual and physical. God has made man's spiritual nature so that he could relate with God, his Maker.
Just like the physical realm can be contaminated, so is the spiritual realm. The basic contaminant of the spiritual realm is sin. What physical dirt is to the human physical environment, sin is to the spiritual realm. Human nature, fallen to sin, is repulsive to holiness and cannot stand God's presence (Gen. 6:3). This fallen nature is subject to degradation from one state of corruption (fallenness) to another (Rom. 1:24-28). And every activity done out of this fallen nature is a filthy emission to God. The coming of Christ is meant to save mankind from this hopelessness.
A Christian must guard his or her heart with everything possible. We have the mandate to protect our new nature in Christ Jesus. The flesh, still subject to fallen nature, always desires to pull the heart into sinfulness. Satan and the world constantly bombard us with so many distractions that will get us stained with worldly pollution.
The Consequences of Spiritual Filthiness
The consequences of spiritual filthiness, just like the physical filthiness in the physical world, are tremendous. The consequences span from the spiritual to the physical. Sin hampers spiritual activities and the growth of a Christian. The human society, in every generation, suffers greatly from different social vices, including wickedness and cruelty. Lastly, Satan and the kingdom of darkness influence and exercise authority over human affairs and cause different afflictions when man lives sinfully.