Yes—spiritual death means being physically alive while having no spiritual life, a condition that applies to all who are still in Adam until God makes them alive in Christ.
Les Feldick explains from Ephesians 2 that people who are “dead in trespasses and sins” are still walking, working, and living physically. This is not physical death; it means a person has no spiritual life, no ability to respond to God, and is under the control of the prince of the power of the air, Satan. Scripture describes this condition as carnally minded death that leads to eternal doom, while salvation is being made alive together with Christ by grace.
Ephesians 2:1 — This is the Bible’s core description of spiritual death: being “dead in trespasses and sins” before being made alive.
Ephesians 2:2 — This verse shows that the spiritually dead are still walking and are following the prince of the power of the air, confirming the death is spiritual, not physical.
Romans 8:6 — This verse connects carnality to death and spiritual mindedness to life and peace.
The Bible’s central description of spiritual death is Ephesians 2:1: “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” These same people, however, were not physically dead. Ephesians 2:2 says, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” Paul is describing living people who were spiritually dead. Romans 8:6 states the same truth in another way: “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” John 3:36 adds, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
Les Feldick explains that spiritual death does not mean physical death. In Ephesians 2, Paul is writing to believers and reminding them that they were once “dead in trespasses and sins”—yet they were walking, working, and living in the flesh. To be spiritually dead means to have no spiritual life whatsoever; a dead person cannot exercise faith and can do nothing spiritually. Les connects this condition to Adam. He says the trespasses and sins are the result of the one singular sin of old Adam, and the “children of disobedience” are the children of Adam who have disobeyed by virtue of Adam’s disobedience. The course of this world is Satan’s domain; the prince of the power of the air is Satan himself, and his spirit works in those who are spiritually dead. Les describes the lost world as a world full of spiritually dead people—people in offices, on freeways, in the fast lane—who are dead spiritually even while their bodies are alive. They are under the control of old Adam, are carnal, have nothing of eternal life in them, and are headed only in one direction: spiritual death, eternal doom. The remedy is God’s grace: believers are made alive together with Christ—“by grace are ye saved.”
Spiritual death is the state of being without spiritual life even while physically alive. Les Feldick points out that in Ephesians 2, Paul is speaking to believers who were once dead in trespasses and sins yet still walked in the course of this world. These were not physically dead people; they were physically alive but spiritually dead.
Every child of Adam who has not been made alive suffers this condition. Les describes the children of disobedience as the children of Adam who disobeyed by virtue of Adam’s disobedience. The whole unsaved world—people in offices, on freeways, in the fast lane—is dead spiritually.
God quickens the dead sinner and makes him alive together with Christ, by grace. Scripture shows this in Ephesians 2:5, and Les stresses that this was a past-tense experience for the believer. Being spiritually minded, in contrast to carnally minded, leads to life and peace.
Death Makes Faith Impossible
Les teaches that the believer was made alive in the past and was previously dead in trespasses and sins; a dead man can have no faith and can do nothing spiritually.
The Result of Adam's Sin
Spiritual death is the result of Adam's sin, and the spiritually dead walk according to the course of this world under Satan, the prince of the power of the air.
Dead People Walking
The unsaved are not physically dead; they are spiritually dead even while active in their daily lives.
Spiritual Death While Walking
Paul is describing people who are still alive physically but without spiritual life, walking according to the world and Satan.
Carnal Mindedness Is Death
Worldly priorities blind people to spiritual truth; being carnally minded is spiritual death, while spiritual mindedness is eternal life and peace.
The Lost Are Carnal
The lost person is still under old Adam, has nothing of eternal life, and is headed toward eternal spiritual death.
A World Full of Dead People
Les repeats that the world is full of spiritually dead people, citing Ephesians 2.
Blinded by the God of This World
The spiritually dead are in darkness, blinded by Satan, with no concept of the Spirit and only fleshly appetites.
Ephesians 2:1: And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
This is the key verse for defining spiritual death—it contrasts the past dead condition with being made alive.
Ephesians 2:2: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
It shows that spiritually dead people are still walking and are following Satan, the prince of the power of the air.
Ephesians 2:5: Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved;)
It shows that salvation is God's act of making dead sinners alive together with Christ, by grace.
Romans 8:6: For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
It contrasts the death that comes from carnal mindedness with the life and peace of spiritual mindedness.
John 3:36: He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
It confirms that the one without the Son has no life and remains under God's wrath.
No. Les Feldick explains from Ephesians 2 that the people Paul writes about were dead in trespasses and sins while still walking, working, and living in the world. Spiritual death means having no spiritual life, not the cessation of physical life.
No. Les Feldick says that a dead man can have no faith and can do nothing spiritually. Left in that condition, the spiritually dead person remains under the control of Satan and the old Adamic nature.
Les identifies the prince of the power of the air as Satan. His spirit works in the children of disobedience, who are the spiritually dead children of Adam.
God is the one who quickens or makes alive. Les emphasizes that salvation is by grace: “Even when we were dead in sins, he hath quickened us together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:5). This is a past-tense work of God for the believer.
Watch the Teaching: What Happened When Adam Sinned? Genesis 3:14-24 Explained