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.
Expectation
61-0205M §24
You Christians sometimes don't examine, find out what belongs to you. Healing's yours, salvation's yours, joy is yours, peace, every promise in the Bible is yours. When a man's filled with the Holy Spirit, God gives him a checkbook with Jesus' name wrote on the bottom of it. Send it in. Don't be afraid to write it out. Send it in and He'll send down his bountiful blessings upon you of what He promised. Moses had done give up hopes. He was back on the back side of the desert herding his father-in-law's, Jethro's, sh...
Be not afraid
63-0607 §69
...d. I've seen a piece in Reader's Digest. If they keep on feeding women and things this hybrid food, then in twenty years from now the whole generation of people will be ... become extinct. The women is getting wide-shouldered, narrow hips. They can't have their babies, and things. Hybrid. Talk about hybrid corn. There's nothing to it. What is it? A great big fine grain, but nothing in it. Take that hybrid corn and plant it back, you don't get nothing. It's done, crossing up anything. And that's exactly what the chu...
The Key to the door
62-1007 §61
...ng ago on baptizing a man here in the pool, an old fellow. And I went to him, he was a good old man. I had the privilege of leading all of his family to Christ, all of them Christians. This old man was a nice old man, and I liked him, so I went to him and I said to him, "Papa, why don't you become a Christian?" He loves me. He said, "Brother Branham, I would become a Christian when I can get good enough." I said, "Tell you what you do, Papa. You look all around till you find where you can get good enough, then tell...
It becometh us to fulfil all righteousness
61-1001M §61
...hey had took their stand for God. It was becoming to them. They didn't care about the fiery furnace. Under hard trials, what did they care? They had took a stand! O God, if Christians of today could only see that! "I'll take my way with the Lord's despised few. I've started in with Jesus; O Lord, take me through." Under trials, troubles, heartaches, death, sickness, sorrow, I'll still cast my lot on Jesus Christ, to take my stand! "On Christ, the solid rock, I stand, all other grounds is sinking sand." Everything e...