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.
Hear ye Him
60-0712 §95
All right, how many sick people is in here? Raise up your hands. You said you was believers didn't you? All right, I'm going to ask you to do something. You two pastors, want you go come down to this cot. You two pastors, want you go over to this cot. Show you it ain't man. Amen. Now, these men are men that believe. These others do also, but I chose those two. Two is a witness. All right. How many of the rest of you believe now? All right. Now, is God's Word right? Sure it is. It's right. Now, the prayer of faith s...
God's chosen place of worship
65-0220 §63
Is there any sick among us? Let them raise their hands, right or left. Great crowds of sickness. I can't call the line. You see, I haven't ... can't come up on the platform. There's no way of doing it. They're having prayer meetings out in the other places for the sick, in the churches and things, down in the Tabernacle. I'm going to ask you something. How many believers is there? Raise your hand. All right. I'm going to quote to you the Word, which is Christ. Jesus' last commission to the world---and to the church...
The sin of unbelief
58-0517E §51
Now, there's no man can heal you. Healing is already done by God. He was wounded for our transgressions. With His stripes we were healed. The only thing anyone can do is to get you accept something He's already done. Do you believe that? The Scripture does say these signs shall follow them that believe. If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover. Is that right? Well, how many believers have we got? Raise up your hand. Then lay your hands on one another. If you're believers, let's prove it to God you ar...
Will I find faith when I return?
51-0508 §61
And now, you ministers here as you go pray for the sick, you probably never will, and it probably won't be in my age, never again for these things; and don't try it, unless you know that God is speaking, because something would happen. But you're ministers; you're children of God, and people are sick. Look at the hundreds of them there. Go out, get going, pray for the sick, get them started, build faith, lay your hands on them. You got a right to claim it. Go and do it in the name of the Lord, every one of you, see...
Separation from unbelief
55-0228 §18
...out six or eight months, and, you know, the thing come back on me again.' So that shows that William Branham is false." And the same man, over in a camp meeting every year, get that bunch of Nazarenes and Pilgrim Holiness up there, that backslid during the year and claim that they were saved at the altar. That's right. Brother, healing is just as long as faith holds out and so is salvation. You can be saved tonight and lost next week. And you can be healed tonight and crippled again tomorrow, sick again tomorrow. T...