Life is conferred when “the breath of life” gets into the body. See Gen 2:7 and Gen 7:21-22.

Functionally, we observe this among newborns; unless there is spontaneous or artificial breathing, they are dead.

When this “breath of life”, which is the “spirit” of life”, leaves us and go to the Creator or origin of life, we are declared “dead” and our physical body becomes “dust”. See Eccl 12:7

Paul considers us “asleep” to reckon the fact that this state of “physical death” is temporary. We shall be resurrected either as “flesh” or as “spirit-beings” with “immortal, spirit-composed bodies” that can metamorphose into “visible “flesh composed bodies” to be seen, at our discretion. See the narrative of Christ’s resurrected body, and the angel-spirits visible to Abraham and Lot as in Gen 18 and 19.