Regarding health, sickness, and healing in the Epistle of James, two passages occur that add to the subjects.  James 4.14 reads, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears a little while and then vanishes.” James’ point is that we need to recognize our dependence on God and His sovereign plan. Sickness or death could strike at any moment. That is the reality of life in a fallen world. Therefore, our lives depend on God’s grace.
The final chapter of James directly addresses the subject of healing. It reads, “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the called-out to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops” (James 5.13-18). The context of these verses in chapter 5 is prayer: prayer when one is in trouble (“experiencing bad things,” v. 13), when someone is in poor health (“experiencing weakness,” v. 14), when sins are confessed (vv. 15f.) or when a major display of God’s power is needed, as in the days of Elijah (vv. 17f.).
The basic elements of the situation described by James in verses 14-16 are as follows:
1. A believer is sick (“weakened”).
2. He or she calls on the elders.
3. They come and anoint the sick person with oil.
4. They offer a prayer of faith over the person.
5. The sick person becomes well because the Lord raises him or her up.
6. Mutual confession of sin is made.
7. Mutual prayer is offered.
8. The sin is forgiven.
9. The forgiven person is healed.
A number of questions need answers. For example, Is the sinner the same as the sick person? Is the sickness physical or spiritual or both together? Is confession made to the elders at the time they come to anoint or to another person at a separate occasion? Is there physical healing, spiritual healing, or both? Does James consider that what he is stating is true for all believers in all circumstances? What exactly is “the prayer offered in faith” (v. 15), and how much faith is needed, and on the part of whom? The questions multiply because he appears to be combining two different matters – physical sickness and sinfulness. Verses 14-15a seem to deal with the physical aspects, whereas verses 15b-16 (beginning with “If he has sinned … “) focus on forgiveness.
First, James acknowledges the reality of sickness, sin, and healing as having physical and spiritual causes and results. Further, James does not say that only unbelievers are sick or that everyone who is sick has sinned. Instead, James is mentioning problems, both physical and spiritual that may show up in a believer’s life, even simultaneously, sometimes.
Secondly, the physically weak believer recognizes the need for divine intervention, calls on the elders to pray with him or her, and anoints with oil. In a case of sin, believers join together in prayer before God, though this latter case may not necessarily involve the elders.
Thirdly, James underlines the fact that all healing ultimately comes from God. It is the Lord who raises up the (formerly sick) person.
Fourthly, the larger context of this passage demonstrates that he is not implying that physical healing is automatic if these steps are followed. After all, he has already spoken of the necessity of enduring trials (Jas. 1.12), the brevity of life (Jas. 4.14), and the need for patience in suffering (Jas. 5.l0f.). In verses 14-16, James highlights the procedure to follow. Healing, if granted, comes when God himself chooses to act favorably and restore the person. In summary, we see these lessons from the Epistle of James:
• It is God who heals, but he does not always choose to heal.
• In difficult cases, the sick person can call the elders for anointing with oil and prayer.
• Spiritual and physical healing are both needed in life, sometimes at the same time.
• Confession of known sin, prayer, faith, and dependence on God are all expressed.
• God, rather than the person, controls the parameters of life, including its length.