When Jesus and the disciples were heading to Jerusalem, the shortest way was through Samaria. It would save days on the trip, a big deal especially for those travelling on foot in the sun all day - but it would put them in and amongst folks that really didn’t like them. When they tried to stop over in one town, Samaritans wouldn’t give them a place to stay.
“And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of…” (Luke 9:54-55 NAS)
In the Bible they distinguish between kinds of human spirit (or demonic spirits, but there is overlap here) and what is of the Spirit of God.
Examples of human spirit include: a spirit of bondage that makes us slaves to fear (Rom 8:15); a spirit of stupor regarding hard heads and hard hearts that refuse to believe God or His word (Rom 11:8); a spirit of conceit to provoke and attack each other (Gal 5:26); a spirit of timidity in testifying about Jesus, especially in the face of persecution (2Tim1:7). These days it seems like you can’t escape these spirits.
Contrast the Spirit of God, which is the Spirit of Truth (John 15:26), and the Spirit of His Son (Gal 4:6), the Spirit that gives power and love and self-discipline (2Tim1:7), which seeks justice, peace, reconciliation with God, that strengthens and builds family and community, all of which bring glory to God by displaying His truth, His beauty and His goodness to the world.
Do you know what spirit you are of?
Look at it. Call it what it is; confess it if you need to. Pray for God’s Spirit to work in us and around us.