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.
Earnestly contending for the faith once delivered
56-0419 §34
...end for. Amen. Now, notice, just a little farther. We'll go just a little farther. You say, "Did He heal everybody?" No, sir. When the disciples was given power to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leper, cast out devils, they were given it. Did they heal everybody they come contact with? No. Did they heal everybody they prayed for? No, miserably failed, after they was given power. There's where it laid; the church has the power, but not the faith to operate it. Jesus give the disciples power to heal the s...
It is I
61-0517 §88
...ds? Raise up your hand. Kinda take your numbers. All the A's first, line up right over here. No, wait. Where did we--you leave off? Okay, I... All right, let--let--'fore we get to... Just a moment, if you don't, we'll get all mixed up. Let these people over here that's got prayer card A, get in the line. That--A and B get in the line over here, this--this section over here; line right up over here, A and B. On that section only now. Just a moment. Just get the--get that side over there. We'll get them every one. Ju...
As the eagle stirreth up her nest
59-0815 §76
Like the lepers at the gate, they said, "Why do we lay here until we die? Why," they said, "If we go in the city..." How many knows the story? Samaria was being sieged by the Syrians. And they were so hungry, they was staving, till eat the bark off the tree, the grass off the ground, and they boiled one another's children and eat. Do you remember that? And these lepers couldn't come into the city, they were lepers. They thought it was contagious, and so they set at the gate. And they said, "Why do we set here till...
Diseases and Afflictions
50-0100 §8
Diseases and afflictions are all the results of sin, maybe not in your life, but in somebody's life before you. The devil is the author of sickness and afflictions. Before we had any devil, we had no sickness or affliction. But when Satan came, he brought with him sickness and afflictions. There's so many times that we refer to them as blessings. I never could think that God could get a blessing out of a sick person, unless it was a sinner, driving him to God, or a disobedient child, bringing him back to be reconci...
The waters of separation
55-0606 §26
...hout including divine healing? Can't be done. It's inseparable. He was wounded for our transgressions, with His stripes we were healed. Same Christ; same thing; same blood. Sickness is a penalty of sin. All sickness come from sin. May not directly from your sin, but inherited. Before we had any sickness, we had no sin. When sickness came... When sin came... Sickness is an attribute, or a result of sin. And you cannot deal with sin in any matter, unless you deal with sickness. And you can't deal with sickness, 'less...