In the Image of God: The Biblical View Of Taking Care Of Your Body

"In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house." - Mark 3:27 NIV

It has become profoundly mainstream over the last few years to discuss the topic of mental health. Often missing from the conversation is the role that physical health plays in the matter. For example, in the United States the idea of mental health has become nearly synonymous with "rest." Employers who offer employees "Mental Health Days" equate that idea with days off to do things like "recharge." Often missing from the equation is the idea that taking care of your mental health means doing something positive for your physical health. In fact, physical health is one of the strongest indicators of mental health. The marriage between the physical and the mental should be of no secret to anyone, although they are often treated in society as if they were unrelated.

If you are a Christian, this should come as no surprise to you, but God commands us to take care of ourselves physically. He designed us to be physical and spiritual beings, and the two cannot exist independently. Let's examine just a few snippets of a Biblical case for taking care of our bodies.

First, we are all image-bearers of God. This fundamental understanding is the basis for why each of us should take care of ourselves, and should shape our worldview when it comes to how we view others. Secondly, our souls were forgiven at the cost of the physical body of Jesus, and it would seem like an awfully ignorant slap in the face to abuse that gift by treating ourselves with, at worst, contempt and, at best interpretation, with complete apathy. Thirdly, our bodies are to be used as living sacrifices and testaments to God's work. There are many references for these concepts in the Bible, but these are the most direct three:

"So GOD created mankind in his own image, in the image of GOD he created them; male and female he created them." - Genesis 1:27 NIV

and

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from GOD? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor GOD with your bodies." - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV

and

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of GOD'S mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to GOD—this is your true and proper worship." - Romans 12:1-2 NIV

amongst myriad other such references.

In this article, we will take a deep dive into a more obscure reference to taking care of one's body that can be found in the gospel of Mark.

Setting the Stage

In Mark 3, verses 20-30, Jesus and his disciples are in the midst of enormous crowds gathering to witness the miracles Jesus is able to perform. Demons are being casted out, crowds are buzzing with energy, and people continue to draw nearer and nearer to Jesus. During this time, the Pharisees ("teachers of the law" in the NIV) speak to the crowds, trying to discredit Jesus, accusing him of, of all things, being possessed by Satan!

In this moment, Jesus responds to the Pharisees through one of his most well-known parables:

"How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.'" - Mark 3:23-26 NIV

The Point

In the next verse of that chapter, Jesus makes a crucial point to his "house divided" comments, one that often gets overlooked:

"In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house." - Mark 3:27 NIV

In this context, Jesus is describing that he can't be driving out Satan's work via Satan, because he obviously could not undo Satan's work if he was drawing his power from him. The fact that he is undoing Satan's work is evidence that he is 1) not Satan and 2) spiritually stronger than him. If we look at it in a more literal sense, Jesus is acknowledging something we all inherently know to be true. It isn't some throw-away line. Jesus is pointing out that strength is a deterrent against those who would do you harm. In the specific context Jesus is speaking, it could be interpreted similarly to Ephesians 6:11

"Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes." - Ephesians 6:11 NIV

That is, being spiritually strong makes Jesus fit to overcome Satan. He is too strong to be tied up by the devil's evil schemes and can thus drive the demons out of the people in the crowd. He has established his authority through his spiritual might. Similarly, we as Christians need to strengthen ourselves against the devil's plots. It is my belief that in order to derive the type of spiritual strength necessary to do so, it is considered a best practice to care for our physical health. It states as much in 1 Timothy 4:8

"For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." - 1 Timothy 4:8 NIV

As you can see here, the two concepts are not independent, but there is a clear pecking order. The physical strengthening is in service to the spiritual strengthening. Caring for our bodies keeps our mind and spirit capable and ready when the devil arrives to tempt us.

Taking Fitness a Step Too Far

In the era of calorie counters, sleep trackers, custom blood panels, and wearable tech that will even track things like your erection data we find more and more ways fitness can remove glory from God and turn the focus onto to glorifying ourselves. Obsession over longevity markers and data (often to be posted for strangers online) can lead us to such narcissism and neuroticism that we lose sight of the important things, like a closer relationship with Jesus. While caring for our bodies is good stewardship of God’s creation (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), an obsession with appearance can distort our priorities, fostering pride, idolatry, and spiritual emptiness.

Scripture reminds us what a biblical view of our body looks like:

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves,” - Philippians 2:3 NIV

When fitness becomes a means to showcase one’s body for admiration rather than a way to honor God, it turns into a form of self-worship. The gym can become an altar where the mirror replaces the cross.

Vanity can easily turn fitness into an idol—something that takes priority over God. If our identity and worth are rooted in how we look rather than in Christ, we are building our lives on sinking sand (Matthew 7:26-27). It can also fuel a constant cycle of comparison. Social media bombards us with images of seemingly perfect bodies, tempting us to measure ourselves against others. Yet Proverbs warns,

“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” - Proverbs 14:30 NIV

Instead of striving for worldly standards of beauty, we should seek contentment in God’s design for us. While physical fitness has value ( see 1 Timothy 4:8 above) , it must never overshadow our ultimate purpose—to glorify God in all we do. A body sculpted for admiration alone serves no eternal purpose. The question we must ask is: Are we exercising to serve God better, or to elicit the praise of others?

Vanity can also destroy our sense of humility. Christ calls us to humility, yet vanity inflates our egos.

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” - James 4:6 NIV

If our workouts are driven by a desire to be admired rather than a heart of gratitude for God’s gift of health, we risk falling into the sin of pride.

All this to say, if we fill our heads with unrealistic standards and shift our focus onto temporary things, this leads us down a path to sinful behavior. The pursuit of the “perfect body” can tempt people into harmful shortcuts—steroid use, eating disorders, and unhealthy obsessions. Jesus laid it out perfectly in Mark 8:36:

“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” -Mark 8:36 NIV

No amount of muscle definition is worth compromising our spiritual integrity, and no matter how much we train, our bodies will inevitably age and decay.

“For dust you are and to dust you will return.” - Genesis 3:19 NIV

If we invest more in our physique than in our relationship with God, we are misplacing our priorities. True fitness is not just physical—it is spiritual, preparing us for eternity with Christ.

The Biblical View of Your Body: A Call to Holy Stewardship

Fitness is not inherently sinful, but when it is driven by vanity, it leads us away from God. Instead of working out for self-glory, we should view fitness as a means to better serve Him—stewarding our health, increasing our strength to do His work, and caring for the temple He has given us.

As Christians, our ultimate goal is not to be admired for our bodies but to reflect the image of Christ in all that we do—including how we approach fitness. Let our workouts be acts of gratitude, our discipline an offering of worship, and our bodies instruments of God’s glory.

“Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” - 1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV

So go out and unashamedly become a strong man who can protect his home. Just keep in mind that it is for God's glory, and not your own.

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