One of the greatest ways the enemy has come against not only the church but also

society in general is through

their bodies.

I Thessalonians 5:23 says, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole SPIRIT
and SOUL and BODY be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Thus you are a living
soul; you have a spirit, and you live in a body.

Most Christians do not understand how important it is to take care of these separate parts -- especially the body
because it carries your soul and spirit around. I Timothy 4:8 states: "For bodily exercise profits a little; but
godliness is profitable unto all things..." In this article, I will discuss how the spirit will help bring your body and
soul into proper balance and wholeness.

In Romans 12:2, we are told to "present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is our
reasonable service." I Corinthians 3:16 says that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (the house of God). It is
vital to the victorious Christian that he fully understands the body and its nature.

Many Christians do not know how to properly take care of their bodies. We are a driven culture obsessed with
instant gratification, like fast food, for example. We often take medications for the "quick fix", rather than focusing
on preventative methods. Galatians chapter 5 talks about the fruit of the spirit; Christians need more
temperance or "self control" in this particular area.

Our flesh, for the vast majority of Christians, is in total control of our dietary and exercise practices. This is why so
many millions of Christians and non-Christians suffer defeat.

One of the best ways to start taking back control of our flesh is by reading the Word of God (the Bible)
and then by walking in wisdom as a result of meditating on God's Word.

You see the spirit man needs to be fed too, and this is accomplished by reading the Word of God. The more you
are in the Word, the more your spirit man will bring your body or flesh into subjection. By reading the Word, you
are also renewing the mind (Romans 12:2) which helps you gain control over your will and emotions.

Without making a commitment to be in the Word, I believe that most, if not all dietary/exercise programs will
eventually fail because your flesh, at some point, will get in the way. This may seem unrelated to health for some
people, but I believe we must have a strong foundation before we ever build anything. Jesus, who is the Word
(John 1:1), is also referred to as the Rock many times in the Bible. We must have our foundation for anything we
do on the Rock of Christ Jesus. For it is only by His grace that we will accomplish what he has called us to do.
Philippians 4:13 says that we "can do all things through Christ who strengthens us."

By being in the Word, we are laying our foundation in the Rock. Hebrews 4:12 states: "For the Word of God is
living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing assunder of soul and spirit, and of
the joints and marrow..." After reading the word, we need to meditate on it and then apply it to our daily lives.
Thus we will begin to walk in wisdom. Wisdom, in turn, will help us with our eating and dietary habits, and we will
begin to practice more self-control.

By daily digesting the Word of God, our spirit man will begin to grow. There are many benefits in having a strong
spirit. Proverbs 18:14 says that "A man's spirit sustains him in sickness" and Proverbs 16:24 says that "Pleasant
words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." I personally can't think of any more pleasant
words than those in the redemptive Word of God!

Furthermore, Proverbs 15:30 says that "good news gives health to the bones." The Word of God is definately
good news! After we get the Word in us, we need to start speaking it with our mouths, so as a man thinks, he
becomes. By speaking health and healing scriptures with your mouth, you will be exercising the force of faith.
Hebrews 11:6 says, "that without faith it is impossible to please God." Thus by confessing your words, you will be
birthing your blessings in the spirit realm which will eventually if not instantly manifest itself in the natural.

May God richly bless you, and remember that Christ (Jehovah Rapha) is the Healer.