Sickness in Humans
When we hear someone say I don’t feel well, most of the time we believe they are sick in their body. That might be the case, but we can be sick in our souls, too. As I recover from major surgery, for the first time in a long time, my thoughts (part of my soul) thought, “I think I will clean my house.” And I also thought, “I think I will walk down to the mailbox.
I realized my physical sickness also affected my mental health. In the medical field, the term used is psychosomatic. That means what messes with your body messes with your mind, and vice versa. People with depression can also fight symptoms in their bodies caused by mental illness.
So sickness in us, as humans, can be in all parts of who we are. Except… as Christians, followers of Jesus Christ, our spirit is whole - without any sickness, disease, or death. Fully alive and fully with God. Those who do not believe and have not confessed Jesus as Lord can be sick in their whole person.
In Matt. we read that Jesus travelled by sea to the shores of the Gadarenes - story of the demonic. The possession of this man’s soul caused his whole person to be sick. The demons tormented his soul, tore his body, and his spirit was lost.
The Bible helps us understand that we are a three-part being, just like God is a three-part being. Father, Son, Holy Spirit - Spirit, Soul, Body. If all we do is acknowledge this, we are falling short of applying it in our lives.
Let’s look at three different scenarios from bad to best:
In the first scenario, we see the person who is lost in their spirit, soul, and body. They are their own god or serve other gods like money, sex, or anything else that occupies them. Their soul (mind, will, and emotions) is consumed with what consumes them. They are slaves to their body’s cravings. The Bible calls these fleshly desires. It affects every part of who they are, and especially the decisions they make.
In the second scenario, we see the person who is saved. They asked Jesus to be their Saviour (but not their Lord). They are sick in their soul, with an unrenewed mind, still thinking old thoughts and walking in old ways. The patterns continue, and this affects their body, with sickness and disease. They are pulled between right and wrong and often wonder why they cannot grasp the intimacy with God they see in others. The world calls this mental illness.
In the third scenario, we see a person who is whole in their spirit; they are born again. In their soul they are renewed, surrendered, and self-controlled. In their body they fear and obey the Lord. They are healthy in every part of their being.
Which one are you? Better yet, which one do you want to be? Of course, number 3 is our choice, but how do we get there?
The Creator of the universe made it plain. He created us for fellowship and to be with Him, because He is Spirit, we too must desire for our spirit to come alive - this happens through our salvation in God’s Son, Jesus. Romans 3:23, Romans 10:9,10
Just like God has a mind with thoughts and emotions, so do we. To make Him Lord of our lives, we renew our minds with the mind of God. In Isaiah 55:8-9, we read that no one can know the mind of God. We see that in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit reveals in I Corinthians 2:10-12 that God’s mind is revealed to those who love Him.
Finally, the body, which is the instrument through which all of who we are flows outward, will obey the spirit of God in us as we follow Him. It is designed to obey and follow and never to lead. It will always put us in a ditch if we give it the authority to lead. Romans 12:1 reads, I beseech (such a strong word), you by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, allowing your spirit to lead, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
If there is a spiritual formula, it is the whole Word of God. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that God’s Word is a living word. As we read it, it causes our spirit to ignite, our soul to be renewed, making God-led decisions, and our body to follow.
Let’s choose door #3 and be God-fearing, Holy Spirit-filled, people today and tomorrow and the next day. Help someone else along their journey, too.
Until next time, remember the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.
Spend some time with the Father.
Dr. Michele
February 1, 2026
