Why Do Christians Become Discouraged?
1) Direct Answer
Christians become discouraged when they take their eyes off the Lord’s promises, listen to the accuser, walk by sight instead of faith, grow weary under trial, or misunderstand God’s loving chastening. Discouragement is a real battle, but it is not the believer’s portion—God provides strength, comfort, and renewal.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- Looking at circumstances instead of the Word: Peter sank when he saw the wind, but was safe while looking at Jesus (Matthew 14:29-31).
- Isolation and fear: Elijah ran, sat under a juniper tree, and asked to die; God fed him, spoke gently, and sent him back with a word (1 Kings 19:1-18).
- Delay and dashed expectations: “We trusted…” said the Emmaus disciples, sad and confused, until the Scriptures were opened and Christ was made known (Luke 24:17-32).
- Weariness under chastening: We “be wearied and faint” unless we consider Him who endured; God’s chastening yields fruit (Hebrews 12:3-11).
- Hope deferred: “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12).
- Satan’s accusations and attacks: The adversary seeks to devour; he is the accuser of the brethren (1 Peter 5:8-9; Revelation 12:10).
- Honest testimony of saints: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? hope thou in God” (Psalm 42:5). “We are troubled… yet not distressed… cast down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- Discouragement rises when sight takes the throne and the promise is pushed aside. Faith looks away to Jesus (Hebrews 12:2).
- If God’s people never faced discouragement, why would He say, “Be not weary in well doing” (Galatians 6:9), “Fear not… be strong” (Joshua 1:9), and give us “the comfort of the Scriptures” (Romans 15:4)?
- The remedy is not to deny the storm, but to lift higher than it:
- Return to the Word: “This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me” (Psalm 119:50).
- Pray and cast away your cares: “Be careful for nothing… the peace of God shall keep your hearts” (Philippians 4:6-7); “Casting all your care upon him” (1 Peter 5:7).
- Resist the devil and take the shield of faith (James 4:7; Ephesians 6:16).
- Wait on the Lord for renewed strength (Isaiah 40:28-31).
- Keep fellowship and encouragement (Hebrews 10:24-25).
- Rejoice and give thanks—“the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
- Remember past deliverances (Psalm 77:11-12).
Short reinforcing statement
You see, discouragement is a sign of battle, not of abandonment. Lift your eyes to Christ, speak what God has spoken, and keep walking. “We faint not… while we look not at the things which are seen…but at the things which are not seen” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 7:E-41
...hey entrench themselves and resist all attacks. I will not say that these confessions of faith--for we can admit in most cases that they are so--are bad in themselves. They become so, however, in that they feed the fire of enmity; only by putting them away altogether would it be possible to set to work on healing the wounds of the Church. "To this labyrinth of sects and various confessions another belongs; the love of disputation... What is attained by it? Has a single learned strife ever been settled? Never. Their...
Why many Christians struggle to live the Christian life
57-0303A §15
...long as the oil from the animal skin is in the skin, it's flexible. But when the skin gets old, and set, and dry, then it isn't flexible any more. Bless the Lord! This skin becomes dry and sets, then it won't give no more. And to put new unfermented wine, that has got life in it yet, into a skin like that, wouldn't be wisdom. When the wine begins to ferment and to stretch, the skin bursts, and you lose both bottle and wine. Jesus said in another place, "Cast not pearls before swine." You lose your pearls. And you t...
The Comforter
61-1001E §27
...see the sunshine---the natural sunshine---that God has provided for him, but he refuses to believe it. And because of selfishness, he shuts hisself off. That man will soon become anemic, he will become pale. He won't have good strength, he won't have health. And he'll soon ... because that he has shut himself off from the very privilege that God gave him. That's right. He did it willfully. Then if we shut ourselves off from the glory of God, from the baptism of the Holy Ghost, or the fellowship of the Spirit, the...
Faith (Africa trip report)
52-0725 §60
Went on like that. One night, while we had service, I said, "All that wants to become Christians, wants to be remembered in a word of prayer stand up." There he stood up. I said, "Come here a minute." He walked up. I said, "What's the matter with you?" "I don't know." I said, "Do you want to be a Christian?" "Yes, sir." I said, "Why don't you become a Christian?" He said, "I don't know. I said, "There's just something you, down in your heart, you want to be a Christian, but there's something that won't let you be a...
Power of transformation
65-1031M §51
...rt hair; and this one not. And..." There's no such stuff as that, and let them get by with this. It's rugged. It's the gospel. Lay it out there---let it fall where it will. Christians love it. "Must I be carried home to heaven on a flowery bed of ease; while others fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas?" Must I be patted on the back and this, that, and the other, and babied? I expect my place out here with the rugged. I expect not to come up there with no trophy scars at all. "I must fight if I mus...