by S.A. Thomas, R.N., B.S.N., B.B.A.
via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 4, 31 December 1991

[Editor’s Note: The following article was written by a professional health-care provider who is a faithful Christian.]

Cachexia is a term used to describe a "physical fading of wholeness" and a "progressive wasting away of the body." Medically, this condition is often found in people who have cancer. Webster’s dictionary states that the word "cachexia" is derived from two Greek words: "kakos" (meaning "bad" or "evil") and "hexis" (meaning "condition"). In the New Testament, we find the word "kakos" several times; two examples are I Timothy 6:10 (the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil) and Romans 12:21 (Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good).

Let us take a few minutes to consider some similarities between cancer Cachexia and spiritual Cachexia. The medical diagnosis of this condition appears to have a rather fuzzy and gray area. There is no universally accepted list of guidelines to determine the initial presence of cancer Cachexia concretely. For example, the diagnosis is not based solely on the amount of weight lost, as this may vary significantly from patient to patient, nor is it based on a decrease in food intake, as this may also vary. Thinking of these facts in the light of spiritual things, isn’t it usually difficult to diagnose or detect the exact beginnings of spiritual Cachexia? A person is not in good spiritual health one day, and in a cachectic state the next. It is almost always a gradual process, a "progressive wasting away."

Another consideration that may be misleading, in both medical and spiritual areas, is the size of the cachexia-causing tumor in relation to the body. The quantity of malignant tissue is often very small compared to the total body weight. Likewise, our greed for money, or love of gossip (or whatever our "tumor" might be) may seem like a very small part of us, compared to all our other good works. But beware — if untreated, this "malignant tissue" will continue to grow and will draw nutrients and energy away from our good works. A small amount of "tumor" can result in a very large amount of "wasting away."

Cachexia has been defined as an imbalance between the energy required and the energy available for use. Good works require spiritual energies, which in turn come from keeping our minds on things above, putting God first, and feasting on His word (Psalms 107:9 and Matthew 5:6). If we fail to do these things, our energy level is decreased, our good works cease, and our lights grow dim. Have you recently assessed your spiritual energy level?

There are several causes of cancer Cachexia, some known, some unknown. One major cause is a spontaneous decline in oral intake. Factors associated with this decrease in appetite are many: pain; depression,; anxiety; and worries about finances, about family, and about body image. Likewise, many things can cause a decline in our intake of the Bread of Life, the food which endures to eternal life (John 61:27). Worries and concerns of this world are endless, and if we let them, they will choke us. Are you giving your spiritual diet as much time and thought as you are your physical diet?

Another problem with Cachexia is that even with adequate intake of food, often there exists an abnormal utilization of food products. The body is not functioning correctly, and absorption is either reduced or nonexistent. Also, some studies show that many cancer patients experience taste changes and develop food aversions. This is easy to apply to the spiritual realm—easy, but sad and sobering. Evidently, the Galatians were experiencing a change in taste and were instructed by Paul to return to the true Gospel of Christ (Galatians 1:6).

A frightening fact about the diagnosis of Cachexia is that since this condition is not always the result of inadequate eating, improving nutritional intake often does not reverse Cachexia; the primary cause must first be eliminated. The primary cause may be a combination of factors that contribute to the total disease process. On the spiritual side, many factors can be identified as primary causes of the spiritual decline of souls. I John 2:15-17 names the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. Unless these are eliminated, the mere action of attending worship or reading words on pages of the Bible cannot reverse the Cachetic state. Matthew quotes Isaiah and tells of people who worship God but whose hearts are far from Him (Matthew 15:8).

Cancer Cachexia is different from starvation or protein and calorie malnutrition. With these, the body employs adaptive compensatory mechanisms to maintain balance. For example, during starvation, the body decreases its metabolic rate, resulting in less energy and, consequently, less food being needed. Another natural compensatory mechanism is found in pregnancy: the fetus utilizes nutrients from the mother, and God, in His great wisdom, provided for this by an increase in the mother’s total blood volume of about 50%. But with malignancies, nutrients are taken from the body by the tumor with no provision of replacement. Satan certainly does not provide for the replacement of nourishment either, when he draws from our total store of spiritual energy.

Two other processes that Cachexia impairs are wound healing and immune functioning. The mechanisms in the body that normally would not bother us can cause grave illness or even death. It is difficult, sometimes impossible, to resist the devil and flee from him when our souls are immunosuppressed, in other words, when we have not put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). Also, our spiritual wounds inflicted by Satan remain unhealed and begin to fester and can result in death - the death of our souls.

Cachexia causes fatigue and apathy, which in turn leads to an inability to work or take part in normal family and social life. An endless cycle can develop as a person starts to feel unworthy and inadequate; depression leads to further decrease in appetite and utilization of food, and the Cachetic circle spins away. A Christian who gradually spends less and less time in Bible study, less time associating with other Christians, and less time in worship and prayer. The Cachetic person begins to feel apathetic and unworthy. As stated before, the changes in cancer Cachexia and spiritual Cachexia occur over time, sometimes very subtly. Assess your spiritual life for these warning signs: loss of appetite for the Word, unusual weakness, muscle atrophy, decreased tolerance for Work, decline in attention span, and reduced concentration abilities (especially in prayer). Paul instructs us to examine, to test, ourselves to see if we are in the faith (II Corinthians 13:5).

The bottom line: if cancer Cachexia is not reversed, physical death occurs; if spiritual Cachexia is not reversed, spiritual death occurs. Remember, it can be reversed only by eliminating the primary cause.

Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might (Ephesians 6:10). David, Moses, Isaiah, Habbakuk, and others declared God to be their strength (Psalms 18:1-2; Exodus 15:2; Isaiah 12:2; Habakkuk 3:19). Is He your strength?