However, some ailments in life can be more intense and more destructive. In relation to this, Paul makes an interesting statement as he describes the battle between the spirit and the flesh in Romans 7. In verse 24 he proclaims, "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" So, what exactly is a "body of this death?" which had its grip on Paul. It possibly conveys a most gruesome meaning. The MacArthur Study Bible says that "...an ancient tribe near Tarsus tied the corpse of a murder victim to its murderer, allowing its spreading decay to slowly infect and execute the murderer-perhaps that is the image Paul had in mind." I cannot think of anything more hideous and grotesque.
Yet, that is exactly how seasons and circumstances of life can linger in their destruction. It could be a failed marriage, a job loss, financial difficulties or loss of health.
Although I have been cancer free since 2006, the effects of this disease and its treatment just never seem to go away. I still have damage from the chemotherapy with hearing loss, peripheral neuropathy and chronic kidney disease. Since my bladder was removed in 2004 and a neobladder created I have to stick a tube in my artificial bladder three times a day and am forever a slave to companies which sell urinary catheters. In addition, I have to sleep with a diaper nightly due to the threat of urinary incontinence. Furthermore, there is the concern of how to care for myself in latter years, wondering if I will have sufficient assistance when I am old and feeble.
Hence, similar to Paul, I also feel like I am attached to a "body of death." How will I ever escape this predicament? The cure is listed in Romans 7:25 with the glorious news, " Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Although life may be difficult in many ways, I know that "weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning." (Psalms 30:5)
