The “spirit” of any living thing is the principle and essence of that thing. In accepting Christ our nature has been transformed by receiving a new spirit.

We no longer have the spirit of man (Adam / Cain), but the spirit of God in Christ living in us.

Behavior change can’t change the nature of the tree, nor can simple trimming its branches. For the tree to bear a different kind of fruit we must take an axe to the root of that tree. Man’s basic nature must change.