Courage, Dear Heart (devotionals to encourage the faint of heart)

Depression: What Really Is It and How Should We Approach It?

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned."

-Isaiah 9:2

What is really behind depression? What are the similarities between it and anxiety?

Depression is an ugly thing. It robs us of our joy. It presses down upon our souls like the darkness of a storm cloud, snatching away our very interest in things we take pleasure in. It can place a burden so heavy upon us that we don't have the energy to fight it and we let it fester inside us, feeling as if we are being consumed by dark and negative thoughts.

Depression is usually linked with anxiety because they both share one main source. Worry. Anxiety causes you to worry that things won't turn out the way you expected which then leads you to frantically find ways to fix the situation yourself. But when the situation still doesn't turn out right, despite all your efforts, you find yourself spiraling down into that pit of despair. It causes you to doubt if you are even good enough. You begin to think that there is no way for this problem to be fixed and that you will be stuck with it forever.

Let me tell you something. There is something much bigger behind these mental struggles. The doubtful, accusatory, obsessive and deceitful thoughts are not your own. They are the voices of the demonic. Most of us may not think this is true or possible, but it most certainly is! Just read Ephesians 6:12. "We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."

We do not live in a world that is only physical. There are unseen spirits that are constantly waging war for our souls and they will try with every ounce of power they have to distract us from God and focus on things that only point to our destruction. The demons will attack whenever we give them the opportunity, especially when we are at our weakest points. Their main target is our minds and they will fill our thoughts with insecurity and obsessions, whispering their deceitful words to our minds and laughing with glee when we open our ears and accept their lies as truth.

Their tricks are subtle and nasty. Sometimes it can be hard to discern the difference between the voices of the tormenters and your own thoughts, but let me tell you this, the more you seek after God, the more you soak yourself in His word and pray, the clearer everything will become and the more you will be able to recognize the voices for what they are.

Depression and anxiety, both linked together through worry all have the same origin. The tormenting voices of the demons. They feed off it like hungry pigs. If they can get us to obsess, worry, or despair about a situation, the demons will hold us captive with all their might and refuse to let go. What can we do when we find ourselves stuck like this? What can we do when we become stuck in that tight trap of despondency?

Finding Peace through the Renewal of Our Minds in Christ.

There are tough times for all of us. Whether it's physical, mental, financial, familial, there is something in it all that can bring despondency and discomfort. It's all part of the cursed and broken world that we live in.

But we have been given a source of relief and comfort that the world has no hope of supplying for us. We have God! The Creator. The Lord of Lords and King of Kings. He has promised in Philippians 4:7 that he will grant us a peace that surpasses ALL understanding. All we have to do is turn from the slavery of our sin, repent, and return to the Lord.

Doing this, however, is not as easy as it sounds. Although we have been born again into the family of God, we still live in the sin-ridden bodies of the earth and the temptation to entertain thoughts and actions that are in direct disobedience to God are all to easy to fall into. Trust me, I know.

Depression and whispered "what if's" into our ears are the demonic tactics of deception. The more we listen to their voices, the more we focus on things that lead only to destruction and the easier we are led into sin. The more we obsess and occupy our minds with the negative, the more sin and selfishness we are inclined to indulge in.

The only way to be free of the demonic destruction to your body and soul is to turn your eyes off the obsessions and depression and bring them back to Christ. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:5-6, we need to destroy every argument and opinion that questions the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. We need to stop indulging and encouraging the disobedient voices of darkness and make our obedience to the Lord complete.

So what do we need to do to defeat depression and anxiety? Cast aside the "what if's" of demonic doubt and darkness and turn them into the "even if's" of faith when you turn your eyes on Jesus.

Author: Lily lilyflower1603