More Than Conquerors!
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4
Our country, our society, handles what they call depression as a negative, cursed state that must be exited as quickly as possible, drowned by a myriad of pills. We are pressured, inundated by commercials advertising pills that, with side effects, will give a lift, happiness and acceptance; as do all the newly discovered, sure to please promises of every type of alcohol.
Marquees scream Happy Hours and Girls Night Out. Credit card commercials are becoming elaborate in their race to be the first to acquire our money, promising exciting wares that will sure to make our days luxurious and satisfying. Vacation packages, hotel and plane fares pop up on our screen unbidden, promising heaven. And for some there are areas where prostitutes and all the sex wares imaginable, and God knows now unimaginable, including raping of innocent kids, are reaching out to draw the unsuspecting, even our kids, into their nets. I am saddened and sickened, and mad at the enemy, that someone I know was fired as a teacher because his work laptop was discovered with pornography. A good person. Who loves God.
I read a line in a book where the character said that she cannot walk more than two blocks in her upscale neighborhood without someone having all kind of drugs available, with the promise of providing lasting ecstasy. One exciting event to another bombards our senses, whether it’s on the TV screen, the computer, the marquees, our phones or in the printed media. All with the promise to ease depression.
One of my professors once said that advertisements are just hyped up lies. Sadly even the church has jumped on the bandwagon, hyping up their ads to get people to come in, totally leaving out the fact that none of the promised greatness is possible if the giver of these does not show up, because He is uninvited.
What is depression?
Should a Christian be depressed? Just look at the dictionary’s definition of depression to answer this question, “sadness- a state of unhappiness, and hopelessness, psychiatric disorder showing symptoms of persistent feelings of hopelessness, etc.; economic slump- unemployment, low output, poverty; reduced activity, hollow, low pressure area.” Many families are plagued with lack of daily income or large debts due to overextension, sometimes used just to survive daily living. Because of brokenness in our homes and in society, there is a persistent hopelessness and dejection even among too many children and youth. Hence, depression.
In Matthew 24 Jesus tells us what to expect in the last days. Paul paints a picture for us that clearly reveals the times we are now living in,
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. –1 Timothy 4:1-2
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. –2 Timothy 3:1-7
If we focus on the times we are living in now instead of focusing on our God and His truths, we will surely come under depression.
Depression is rooted in fear that leads to hopelessness. Fear of the unknown future. Fear that we are not going to measure up to the standards created for us by past or present circumstances. Every fear imaginable. A seeming lack of control of our destiny. God did not give us a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear is a spirit. The spirit of fear brings torment. God gave us a spirit of love, His love, Himself, to combat fear (1 John 4:18). He gave us the spirit of power, love and a sound mind. All powerfully able to combat the worse depression.
Depression may come as we face, even after a great victory, fear of
- a real enemy
- a real negative event
- a spiritual enemy
- even those whom you least expect to come against you such as David when his son Absalom came after him to overthrow him (2 Samuel 15:14), and when Absalom died (2 Samuel18:33).
Depression may be turned into good as we focus on our God. Why? How?
- It may be a warning of an approaching season of illness or need for rest Keeps you from a season of going astray. -Psalm 119:67, 71
- Get our focus back on God as we recognize our weakness and cry out to Him
- It may expose unresolved past pain or sins - David and Bathsheba (Psalm 51)
- It can bring relief from the stresses of the fear of being found out
- It can bring protection from the enemy’s envious, angry assault after a victory against him that you may not even know your prayer has affected.
For example, Elijah just had a great victory in 1 Kings 19:1-4. Yet what followed him next?
Jezebel, not just threatened, but promised on her own life to kill him.. It may be a disappointment, let down after something fulfilling, followed by an uncontrollable fear of unknown circumstances like that Elijah faced.
David said in Psalms 42 and 43, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me?
In 42:6 he turns his cry to God, O my God, my soul is cast down within me:
David was a shepherd and so he speaks in shepherd’s language, though he was a king at this time. No wonder God loved him so much and said of him that, he is a man after God’s own heart. Though he was a king he never lifted himself above his station as a servant of God. David stayed humble before his God, giving us the biggest clue to the cure for depression. Here in Psalm 42:5 though he speaks to his soul and questions why it is down cast, he looks up at his God, his hope, and continued with strong declaration to his own soul, “hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.” Sometimes we have to slap ourselves and declare and decree God’s goodness to our souls. We have to forcefully tell ourselves, a million times if necessary until we believe it, that God is good, He loves us. He will rescue us. He will help us. He is a good, good Father. Faith comes by hearing His word and faith pleases Him.
1. Look up to God and use His word to make strong declarations to yourself of the faithfulness of God who will come to your aid.
In verse 6 he again affirms his reliance upon His God of whom he declares, “therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.” He looks back at places where a specific memorial was made of some horrific situation that he overcame with His God’s help. He gives us the next clue to getting out of depression,
2. Make a memorial of what God has already done and continuously proclaim it, reminding yourself that this God we serve will come through again (Revelation 12:11).
“Cast down” was a shepherd’s term used for when the sheep somehow got onto its back. In this state of laying on the back, the sheep can die since it cannot get up. Unless the shepherd comes and turns it over soon he will die.
And so, there are times in our lives when we will be “cast-down” for various reasons, some because of our own disobedience, other times because of someone else’s fault. Or just because of a nasty enemy who hates God so much that he dares to touch those God loves. Many of us because of unresolved childhood trauma to our spirit, soul or body. Regardless of the reason we are cast down, depressed, so to speak, we must learn to
recognize this as a season in our life. We must not strive to get out of this state, especially by covering it up with pills and soothing ideas, unless we allow the shepherd to come to us to examine and rescue us. The sheep striving to get up on its own could result in worse damage, deeper pits dug. The Shepherd must be humbly sought. Loudly call and expect Him to come to our aid. He promised that He would. Luke 15:4.
3. Humbly allow the Holy Spirit access to your heart to examine and rescue you by His power.
King Asa had a disease (2 Chronicles 16:12) but ignored His God and focused on the physicians. Is it wrong to go to the Psychologist or Psychiatrist for help with depression? Absolutely not! But it is displeasing to our God when our focus is on the world’s method of help that treats only symptoms, and we totally ignore the God who died to rescue us, the God who created us, purposed us and knows EVERYTHING about us, the God who can clearly see all the enemy’s shenanigans against us and has the power to stop it, the God who can put us back on our feet- Our GREAT I AM!
However, He did not call us to live as islands, but even the lonely He sets in families (Psalm 68:6)). He warned us to not forsake the assembling of ourselves in godly groups (Hebrews 10:25). He encourages us to call for the elders (James 5:14) and seek godly counsel (Psalm 1). So it is okay for us to seek out help to get back on our feet. Some may need to seek godly help immediately because of how long they have allowed themselves to stay in a state of despair on their backs, unable to function, unable to move.
4. Putting God first and being guided by Him, seek godly help
Finally, during a season of depression, hold on, wait on the Lord. David declared,
I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:13-14
Wait does not mean to lie in your bed and despair, or to do nothing. It is the Hebrew, qavah (ka-va) which has the idea of binding together, as the cords of a rope are intertwined to give it strength. We bind ourselves with God, with the Holy Spirit, with like minded people in church and spiritual gatherings, listening to uplifting music and words. We refuse to listen to R&B that lies to us of how deprived of love we are, when God validated us and loved us by His death. We are loved. We refuse to withhold our help and love to others who may be less fortunate than us, because in helping others we are pulling out of our bellies rivers of living waters, His truths in us, that will bring life and healing to us and others.
We wait, planting our roots deep in Him, and refuse to see ourselves through the eyes of the world who says that unless we are thin and trim or have a large bust andrear end, or have the success and riches of the world, that we are poor and unsuccessful. But we look to God as our guide and giver of life, the one who planned our lives before we were born (Psalm 139). We wait on the Lord, believing His truths. His Holy Spirit is with us 24/7/365 and 366, providing all the grace and help we need to press through to the next season.
Another translation of wait is in Psalm 37:7
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Here wait is the Hebrew chui, (khul) which the idea of being passionately, engaged seeking God’s face. It is to writhe and dance and wait longingly, to whirly about. Thus we are to intensely, deliberately do what it takes to believe in the truths of God, waiting for the season of depression to end. God promises that as long as we are on this earth that seasons will past from one to another, i.e., no matter how long the winter of Alaska lasts, it will change to spring! (Jeremiah 33:20; Ecclesiastes 3:1).
The winter forces the roots of the trees to dig deeper and deeper in the soil so that when, not if, when the storms of spring come the trees will be able to stand, deeply rooted in the soil. So we deepen our souls in Him, the anchor of our souls (Hebrew 6:19) doing, with His grace, that which is difficult to do during depression- get out of bed, call someone, press on in Him, knowing the end is ahead. Spring is coming. Yea, though we walk through the valley of death, we will fear no evil for His rod and His staff comfort us! He will prepare a table for us in the next season before our enemies (Psalm 23). So we wait by His grace, favor, mercy and help, all new each day.
5. We choose to believe our God and patiently and passionately wait with Him, and know that the season will end.
So, how do you deal with depression?
Recognize it is real in this world we live in, but cannot outdo the purposes or plans of our God for our lives. Our God is more powerful in us, with us, for us, and through us than anything the enemy can throw at us.
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. –John 4:4.
So we,
Look to God. Give thanks to God, despite the circumstances1 Thessalonians 5:16. (As we are strengthened we can even praise God for the circumstances because if it were not for it we may not have grown in grace and maturity as we are (Romans 8:28)
Boldly declare God’s truths. Put one foot in front of the other each day, decreeing that this too will pass, speaking His truths boldly even if you do not feel like it- because they are truths, and God cannot lie. He said it. He will do it. Whether we feel it or not! Numbers 23:19
Allow the Holy Spirit access to examine and rescue you. Give Him access to your innermost being to examine and give help. Psalm 19: 12-14. Psalm 51:6. Even search self- Jeremiah 17:9-10.
Get with like-minded, godly people, which may include counseling, ensuring that their counsel lines up with God’s truths-John 14:26, James 5:13-20
Wait patiently on our God, knowing He is at work on our behalf -Isaiah 40:31, Prov 3:5-8
Romans 8:24-39
24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. More Than Conquerors 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all— how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future,nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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