I remember watching The Chosen, a show I’ve generally appreciated, until one particular moment made my heart twist.

Little James, walking with a staff due to his limp, comes to Jesus after He has told the apostles they are to go out to heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead. And Little James asks the obvious:

Why hasn’t Jesus healed me?

Jesus’ reply? That he’d be a better witness because of it.

It’s a beautiful moment. Thoughtful. Emotional. I understand why so many felt seen by it. But I also believe it’s exactly the kind of moment we need to examine closely — not because it lacks compassion, but because it quietly contradicts the compassion Jesus demonstrated through healing.

The idea that God withholds healing to make someone more “relatable” or to teach a lesson is one of the most common and spiritually damaging narratives we’ve inherited. And it’s time we reconsider who we’re actually blaming… and who’s been left out of the story entirely.

(If you haven’t seen the scene, you can watch it here.)

Pause me if you’ve heard one of these before:

You’ve probably heard — or even believed — at least one of these. But what if none of them are true?

Let’s be clear: God uses what the enemy purposes for evil and turns it for good. However, that doesn’t mean He is the cause of it.

As a preacher I once heard put it, “God is not subcontracting the devil.”

The Bible doesn’t teach that sickness is God’s tool, it teaches that sickness is an enemy.

Jesus never told anyone, “This is just for a season to teach you something.”
He never said, “Stay in your affliction so others can grow through you.”

Jesus healed.

Immediately.
Compassionately.
Consistently.

So if Jesus spent His life healing sickness and pain — why do we think He’s now repurposing it?

No, there is an actual culprit in this story that’s gone too long without being named…

In the West, the devil has been turned into a literal joke. A cartoon with a pitchfork. A Halloween costume. A punchline. And slowly, Satan has written himself out of the story.

Most people stop believing he exists at all — or at the very least, forget that he does.

Even Christians who know he exists often live and think like he is irrelevant. When sickness comes, when tragedy strikes, when prayers seem unanswered who gets the blame?

Not Satan.

We blame ourselves. We blame each other.
Or worst of all… we blame God.

But the truth is, sickness and disease are the work of the real, active enemy of our souls.

Satan is the one who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. He is the one who brings affliction, not the Father.

Every tumor, every breakdown, every moment of hopeless pain: Satan is the thief behind it all.

Let me be clear: I’m not saying the Christian life is supposed to be one of ease.

Jesus absolutely calls us to sacrifice, to lay down our lives down for others, enduring hardship for the sake of love. That kind of suffering is Christlike and modeling the very compassion that He carried for us to the cross.

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. - Matthew 16:24-25

Laying your life down for someone else is Christlike.
Choosing sacrifice for the sake of another is Christlike.
Sickness, disease, torment, and chronic affliction?

That’s not Christlike suffering. That’s enemy sabotage.

If you’ve explored this topic before, you may already be asking:

We’re going to cover these types of questions in a future issue — I promise. But if you’re eager to have those questions answered now, you can check out my full guide here where I unpack it all: 👉 ⚔️In Jesus’ Name: A Divine Healing Guide

God’s not trying to toughen you up with tumors.
He’s not keeping you sick so you’ll stay grateful.
He’s not hurting you to help you.

Jesus is not using the enemy’s weapons to shape His children.
Satan is.

Let’s put the blame back where it belongs.
And the trust back where it’s always belonged.

In Christ.

Until next time,
Addison

PS: Next time, we’ll explore what motivated Jesus to heal in the first place — not performance, not pride, not even power. Stay tuned!

This article is part of a four-part Bigger Than Me series on healing—meant to be read together.

If this issue stirred something in you, I recommend continuing through the series in order or catching up on any parts you’ve missed:

Each piece builds on the last, helping you move from understanding to confidence without pressure.