Spirit and soul: what is the difference?
The human being
Your brain is the collection of nerve cells in your head. Your soul is your mind, your will and your emotions. Most people believe that what separates man from animals is that man, having been fashioned in the image of God, also has a spirit.
The physical brain is a mass of nerves and is (on its own) little better than a computer. I think you can intuitively discern that there is a difference between your “mind” and your brain.
Spirit and soul
In Genesis, God breathed the breath of life (Hebrew neshama – spirit) in the chemical compounds of the soil, and Adam became a living soul. (Genesis 2: 7)
The New Testament book of Hebrews (4:12) speaks of dividing the soul and the spirit. The Bible clearly differentiates between the two. So what are they?
The soul
The mind is essentially your soul. The soul is your mind, will and emotions. Your “me” (Joyce Meyer likes to say, “I want, I think, I feel”). Those are the faculties of your soul.
The spirit
Few people know the faculties of the spirit (which are consciousness and communication with God) because they are born spiritually dead.
His spirit was essentially dead as far as God was concerned until he accepted Christ and was baptized. Then God “quickened” his spirit. (Ezekiel 36:26 also John 3: 5)
The faculties of the human spirit are communication with God, consciousness and intuition. About the only communication with God that unbelievers have experience with is a nagging conscience, or when God is trying to call them. That’s it. As the believer matures, his intuition will sharpen. Some people, like the late Watchman Nee, did not move until they heard from the Holy Spirit. Others of us, God has to use a baseball bat to get our attention. (Figuratively speaking, of course)
In summary
The term “immortal soul” is really a misnomer. Technically, the spirit is the immortal part of you. The soul will be resurrected. Some souls will be resurrected and others will be judged.
Let God soften your conscience, let Him remove the layers of numbness that harden every time you ignore your conscience, and let God speak to your spirit. You will be glad you did!
Additional study
For a very detailed look at the body, mind, and spirit, get Watchman Nee’s book, The spiritual man. But be careful. There is a lot of material. And it is very deep.