What does it mean to have spiritual life?

TL;DR:

Spiritual life begins when faith in Christ moves us from self-rule to Christ-rule, making us new and truly alive. At that point, believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and progressively sanctified into Christ-likeness.

what does the bible say?

The Bible shows that spiritual death is a result of the fall of humanity. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they did not immediately die physically, but they were cast out of the Garden and God’s presence, experienced a spiritual death that brought sin into all of humanity, and were separated from God (Genesis 3:22–24; Romans 5:12; 6:23). In the Old Testament, that separation was temporarily addressed through the sacrificial system of the Mosaic Law.

But such sacrifices were temporary (Hebrews 10:4). Only through faith in Jesus, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” can humanity be permanently reconciled to God and avert His wrath (John 1:29; Romans 5:9-10). Christ took on the sin of all humanity, and those who place their faith in Him are covered by His righteousness (John 3:16; Romans 3:23-25; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19). Even though sin separates humanity from God, those who abide in Him gain spiritual nourishment (Psalm 1:2-3; Jeremiah 17:7-8; John 15:4). Faith in Christ makes us “born again,” resurrected from spiritual death to spiritual life (John 3:3; Ephesians 2:1-6; Romans 8:5-8).

from the old testament

Adam and Eve enjoyed spiritual life with God in Eden (Genesis 2:7-9), but their disobedience of God separated them from Him, bringing sin and death to all humanity (Genesis 3). That death is both spiritual and physical.
Even in the Old Testament, whoever walked with God was spiritually nourished (Psalm 1:2-3; Jeremiah 17:7-8).
But the Old Testament sacrificial system of the Mosaic Law was meant to bridge the separation that sin had caused between humankind and God—but it was only temporary. It had to be repeated (Exodus 29:38-39; Numbers 28—29; Leviticus 16:34). These sacrifices pointed to Christ, the once-for-all sacrifice for our sins.

from the new testament

Hebrews 10:4 says, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” The Old Testament sacrificial system was insufficient to permanently remove sin and give us spiritual life. Only Christ, the sinless Son of God, could do that.
Jesus told Nicodemus that we must be “born again” to see God’s kingdom (John 3:3). Being “born again” means that through Christ, we have renewed life, both spiritually and physically in eternity (John 1:4; Romans 8:11; Ephesians 2:4-5)
Just before raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus told Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25). Because of Christ, we, too, will be resurrected, but unto eternal life. As we lead our lives on Earth now, though, we have the Holy Spirit who regenerates us to spiritual life(Galatians 5:25).
The apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are more than merely the physical body that we were born with; we are new creations spiritually.

implications for today

Anyone with a green thumb knows that once something is alive, it can grow and flourish. But the same applies to God’s children. God intends for those who believe in His name to grow and flourish, spiritually. Spiritual life is living in Christ and growing in Him (Colossians 2:6–7).

In everyday life, what does that look like for the spiritually redeemed believer? It means that we are no longer slaves to sin, no longer controlled by it (Romans 6:11-18; Ephesians 2:4–6). But it doesn’t usually mean that we stop sinning. Believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies us to become more Christ-like (Romans 8:9-11; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:22-24). Yet we must not grieve the Holy Spirit by deliberately conforming to the world rather than witnessing about Christ so the world, too, can be transformed (Ephesians 4:30). That means rejecting the lures of the worldly system characterized by evil, and instead putting on and walking in the ways of God (Colossians 3:5–17; Romans 12:1–2; James 1:16–18; 1 John 2:15–17). Through this, God works in us to transform us (Philippians 2:12–13; Romans 8:28–30). The joy is that when we are made spiritually alive, we are able to live in a way that pleases God, not out of rules but out of love for who He is and what He has done for us (Matthew 22:36-37).

understand

Because sin separates us from God, we are spiritually dead without Christ.
Those who accept Christ as Lord and Savior become “born again,” made spiritually alive.
Spiritually alive believers walk in the Spirit and avoid gratifying fleshly desires.

reflect

Where in your life are you still tempted to live by self-rule rather than submitting to Christ’s leadership?
How do you see evidence of the Holy Spirit shaping your attitudes, choices, and desires over time?
What habits or patterns either nourish your spiritual life?

engage

How does living under Christ’s rule change the way Christians engage with a culture that values self-rule and independence?
How can we tell the difference between outward religious activity and genuine spiritual life in Christ?
In what practical ways can we help others grow and flourish spiritually?