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.
Faith cometh by hearing
54-0320 §30
These little, old sicknesses, burling around like this. And little, old things, saying, "Well, the days of miracles is past," and this, that, or the other. But let faith step up one time, pull up his muscles, and say, "I will take over!" I tell you the rest of them keep still when faith does it. That's the fellow we want to deal with. Is that right? Now, how do we get faith? "Faith cometh by hearing. Hearing what? The Word of God." Now, that's right. You can't base it on nothing else but the Word of God. It's got t...
Jairus, the secret believer
55-0604 §9
I have taught much to heathens in Africa, India, and many different parts of the world, but the worst unbelievers to deal with is not that man who has never heard; it's the man who's self centered in his own way and won't heed to God. That's the worst kind to deal with, for they seem to be just so centered that nothing can move them. Say, "Don't talk to me. I don't believe it." Recently a man said to me, said, "Brother Branham, I do not believe in divine healing." I said, "Well, it wasn't for you. It was for believ...
Show us the Father and it will suffice us
62-0722 §81
...t excommunicate no one. We believe if you're a believer in Christ... Is that not correct? Is that right, my brethren? If you're pastors here, and believe in praying for the sick, no matter... If you're a believer in Christ and believe this is of Christ, come right up here and do your duty as a man of God, to stand here and help me pray for the sick and afflicted. Come up here, pastors. Make a double line along here. I'm going to get down there with you just in a moment. We're going to pray for every sick person. I...
Believest thou this?
50-0716 §61
David, a shepherd, used to... The old shepherds of the days gone by used to carry a scrip bag on them. And they put honey in that scrip bag. And when their sheep would get sick, they'd take that honey and pour it on a rock and let the sick sheep go to licking on that rock. When they licked off the honey, they got some of the limestone out of the rock and it healed the sheep. Now, look brothers. I got a whole scrip bag full of honey. Now, I'm going to put it on a Rock called Jesus; you sick sheep get to licking righ...
Why?
61-0128 §35
Now, I know it's dangerous if you've got a disease, and the doctor's got a toxin for that disease, and you don't go get inoculated. Like smallpox---a epidemic in the land of smallpox---if you don't go get vaccinated, you could die with them smallpox. Like the great Salk vaccine now. You say, "You believe in divine healing, and talking about medicine?" Oh, yes. Uh-huh. God heals all sickness. Medicine don't heal no sickness. We know that. Medicine does not heal. There's no doctor'll tell you that medicine heals. Med...