702 The Spiritual Man
to “take hold of the eternal life” (1 Tim. 6. 12); surely Timothy is not
here in need of eternal life that he may be saved. Is not this life that
which Paul subsequently describes in the same chapter as “the life
which is life indeed” (v.19)? Is he not urging Timothy to experience
eternal life today in overcoming every phenomenon of death?
We would hasten to inform our readers that we have not lost sight
of the fact that our body is indeed a mortal one; even so, we who are
the Lord’s can verily possess the power of that life which swallows
up death. In our body are two forces in action: death and life: on the
one side is consumption which brings us nigh to death; on the other
side is replenishment through food and rest and these support life.
Now extravagant consumption weakens the body because the force
of death is too powerful; but by the same token excessive supply
reveals signs of congestion because the force of life is too strong.
The best policy is to maintain these two forces of life and death in
balance. Beyond this, we should understand that the weariness which
believers often experience in their body is in many respects distinct
from that of ordinary people. Their consumption is more than
physical. Because they walk with the Lord, bear the burdens of
others, sympathize with the brethren, work for God, intercede before
Him, battle the powers of darkness, and pommel their body to subdue
it, food and rest alone are insufficient to replenish the loss of strength
in their physical frame. This explains in a measure why many
believers, who before the call to service were healthy, find
themselves physically feeble not long afterwards. Our bodily strength
cannot cope with the demands of spiritual life, work, and war.
Combat with sin, sinners, and the evil spirits saps our vitality. Solely
natural resources are inadequate to supply our bodily needs. We must
depend on the life of Christ, for this alone can sustain us. Should we
rely on material food and nourishment and drugs we will be
committing a serious blunder. Only the life of the Lord Jesus more
than sufficiently meets all the physical requirements for our spiritual
life, work, and war. He alone furnishes us the necessary vitality to
grapple with sin and Satan. Once the believer has truly appreciated