Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Thes. 5:23 NKJV
Paul prays that our spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless in view of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are a spirit being, who has a soul and lives in a body. Keeping these three areas in view helps us keep our priorities in order and deal with the battles we encounter.
Our spiritual growth comes first. It is by the spirit that we can walk in authority over our thoughts and learn to take our body into subjugation. When we try to pursue a diet, follow a therapy plan for the healing of our emotions, or make the right choices without seeking God’s wisdom and guidance, we run into defeat. When we feed our spirit man first through the Word of God, prayer, and worship; our care for the rest of our being is more effective.
When sickness battles our bodies or we go through a painful trial and are emotionally overwhelmed, we find grace and peace, knowing that nothing can hinder who we are spiritually. In those times, we cannot question our spirituality; we need to trust it. It is human to go through things, but it does not determine our spiritual state. When we are weak, the Spirit of God living in and through us remains strong. He helps us rise stronger and stronger, from glory to glory!