Why Do Faithful Believers Still Get Sick?
1) Direct Answer
Faithful believers still get sick because we are living in mortal bodies in a fallen world. Sickness is an enemy and often an oppression of the devil, but God sometimes permits it as a test, a chastening, or a platform for His glory. Healing is in the atonement and we are commanded to pray and believe, yet the full redemption of the body is future at the resurrection; until then, even the righteous may face infirmity.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- Our bodies are not yet redeemed: “We… groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:23). “The outward man perisheth; yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16).
- Sickness is an oppression of Satan: Jesus “healed all that were oppressed of the devil” (Acts 10:38). The woman was “bound by Satan” (Luke 13:16). Job was smitten by Satan though he was upright (Job 2:7).
- Not all sickness is because of personal sin: The man born blind—“that the works of God should be made manifest” (John 9:3).
- God provides healing now: “By His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5; fulfilled in Matthew 8:16-17). “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders… the prayer of faith shall save the sick” (James 5:14-16).
- Yet choice servants still faced infirmities: Timothy’s “often infirmities” (1 Timothy 5:23). Trophimus left sick (2 Timothy 4:20). Epaphroditus was sick nigh unto death, but God had mercy (Philippians 2:27). Paul’s “thorn” remained so that God’s grace would be magnified (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).
- Final, perfect health is at the change: “This mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:53-54).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- New birth changes your soul; the Holy Spirit dwells in you. But the body remains mortal until the resurrection. That’s why a Spirit-filled believer can still get sick.
- Healing is provided by the cross. We stand on the promise, pray, lay on hands, anoint with oil, and believe. Sometimes God heals instantly, sometimes progressively, and sometimes He reserves the perfection of it for the resurrection.
- Sickness is not always a sign of unbelief. If it were, why were Timothy, Trophimus, and Epaphroditus sick, and why did Paul carry a thorn? The Bible says God used those circumstances for humility, mercy, and testimony.
- God may allow sickness for chastening (Hebrews 12:6-11) or for His works to be revealed (John 9:3). But we never glorify sickness—we resist it as an enemy and trust God for deliverance.
- Even those who were healed eventually died; that shows present healing is real but temporary, while the eternal cure is the body change.
4) Reinforcing Statement
Now notice, the same Lord who forgives your sins is your Healer. Stand on His Word, call for prayer, keep confessing His promise, and rest in His wisdom. You see, we fight the good fight now, and we will have the final victory when this mortal puts on immortality.
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.
I have heard but now I see
65-1127E §32
...imself with the genuine faith that God had give to him that he was just, that he had done everything that God required him to do. Now when we're going to be prayed for, for sickness, I wonder if we have done everything that God requires us to do. Have we followed every iota of the Scripture? Have we give Him our hearts and lives to service? What's the reason you want to be healed? That's the reason you can't get faith enough, see, because you haven't maybe made this thing to God sincerely from your heart. Like Heze...
Be certain of God
59-0708E §35
.... The German painting is called "The Cloud." And when you're way away from the picture, it is the most miserable, dismal looking sight. It's a bunch of clouds just mixing together. And as you start walking to that picture, it gives you a horror. Oh, what a dreadful sight it looks. But when you get close to it, it's angels' wings beating together. See, it looks different when you get there. Maybe that's the way it is with you tonight. You don't know just why you are sick. You don't know just why... What about this....
What it takes to overcome all unbelief: Our faith
60-0729 §75
...n. He had something to work forward to, and he had faith to do it. All the days of his life, he served God to deliver those people. He wasn't concerned about as long he was getting along all right; what he cared about, those people laying down there suffering. And God said, "I've heard the cries of My people, and I remember My promise with them ... with Abraham." And today when the church is sick, the sickness is piled up, and the people because of intellectual pride, and so forth, is getting away from divine heali...
Faith is our victory
58-1004 §45
...d. It has to be truth. Then if it is God's Word, and it is true, then He's obligated to every word that He spoke in here. He's obligated to keep that Word. Now, if you were sick and were dying with leukemia, or cancer, or whatever you had, tubercular, and you come up here, and brought all the ministers that we knew in the building, and bring them here and pray for them, every one of you, still, unless you, yourself, has got faith, it would not work, see. But if someone would be healed, perhaps that you'd notice, th...
The Queen of Sheba
57-0517 §35
...d" or, "We've been baptized a certain way" or "We've been sprinkled" "We belong to the greatest church"; "We have spoken with tongues"; or "We've danced in the Spirit," and still with those kind of a spirit that doesn't bear the fruit and love of Christ. Oh, God, forgive us of our iniquity. And be our Judge tonight, Lord. And judge us as our faith reaches Thee and pleads for mercy and confessing our sins. And knowing that we could not stand in Thy presence, but only by the grace of God, through Jesus Christ. Grant...