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Thus we come to a rather fascinating set of concepts to set beside each other.
A spirit is more powerful than a being born of flesh. Note any Maia as compared to an Elf or Man. However, that spirit is, as unbodied, unable to have any effect upon material things, both living and unliving, other than by influence of thought.
A spirit can cause fear (not fëar), doubt, confusion, weariness, and the like, but cannot actually stop a bodied being in the road unless by influencing another bodied being to get in the first one's way.
Why would a spirit want to take on flesh? There is a good reason, and an evil reason. The good reason is to sub-create and enjoy; the evil reason is to possess and control. This is, of course, an oversimplification, but nevertheless harks back to some of the primary themes of Tolkien.
Funny, humans are faced with the same choice as are the Maiar in LotR: subcreate and enjoy, or possess and control.
However, Sauron does both in the making of the Ring. He sub-creates in order to possess and control, and finds his pleasure (enjoyment) in torturing others that he possesses and controls. So subcreation is at base what humans (both in LotR and in real life) are meant for; the choice is whether to do so for enjoyment and sharing (in all the best senses) or to possess and control.
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