God as the Life of the Body 715
any task, yet our eyes are upon the Lord. We are absolutely helpless,
nonetheless through Him we shall go forth and conquer. Alas, how
many of us are too powerful in ourselves! We know not how to
distrust our strength that we thereby may know how to trust in Him.
His strength is made perfect in our weakness. The more helpless we
are (this pertains to attitude), the better is His power demonstrated.
Our strength can never cooperate with the Lord. If we try to reinforce
His strength with ours we shall reap nothing but defeat and shame.
Since the Lord demands such a trust in Him, this practice should
not be limited to the naturally weak situation in s but should include
the naturally strong in us too. Perhaps some Christians who currently
can boast robust and healthy bodies assume they need not seek this
experience until they become weak. This is a misjudgment, for both
the naturally weak and the naturally strong require the life of God.
Nothing we receive in the old creation is satisfactory to Him. Were
believers deeply taught by the Lord they would lay down their own
power to accept God’s, even should their bodies be strong and
seemingly have no need for His life. This is not a choosing of
weakness with their will but is rather a disbelieving in their own
strength just as they distrust their own talents. Such consecration will
preserve them from self-exaltation founded on natural energy—a
common ill among many servants of the Lord. They will not dare
move beyond what He orders. They will act as the naturally weak do;
without the strengthening of the Lord they dare not move one step.
They will refrain from overworking and avoid careless living, just as
though they were weak naturally.
In such a way of life it is imperative that “self” be imprisoned by
the Holy Spirit; otherwise we certainly shall be defeated. Some
genuinely admire the self-denying life but are unable to cease
completely from their own energies. Hence they disregard God’s
purpose and move along according to their desire. They may reap the
temporary admiration of men but their bodies shall finally collapse.
God’s life refuses to be enslaved to man’s will. That work which He