Depression can overcome anyone at any time. But if we turn to the love of Jesus that is a cure that works in any season. And God's love is so abundant, so truthful, so freely given we can share this love to all who may feel down and out.
After tossing and turning at night, have you ever awoken agitated, discouraged, or depressed? Right from the get-go, does your personal situation seem to have the weight of the world pressing down on you with tons of suffering and hurt feelings? Maybe that's because something you had done wrong—or it was something you know you should have done differently. Possibly you were regretting something you should have done but didn't.
Is there a little voice bouncing around in your head demeaning you? Does it say you are bad, dumb, or a mean person? And, if that voice is saying you are no good at all, what is it telling you to do? Cuss, steal, slander, fight and be mean to someone else—or maybe worse, is that voice telling you to kill yourself?
In 2018, nine people in Alabama prisons—some in solitary confinement and some on death row died by suicide. The suicide rate in Alabama prisons is one of the highest in the country. Recently, within a span of two weeks, two Alabama prisoners were stabbed to death and three others injured in three separate incidents. The state of violence in Alabama prisons is worsened by overcrowding and its, seemingly, under-budgeted and understaffed. Is it true that “Everyone inside the prison walls, staff and the incarcerated, are exposed to constant risks of threats and of violence?” True yes, but yet, it is far worse outside the prison walls.
Outside the prison, in “Freedom Land,” there are a lot of problems as well. In the general USA population, nearly 30,000 people commit suicide each year, 14 per 100,000. Of course, the rate of unsuccessful suicide attempts is much higher—so much so that there is an estimated one attempted suicide per minute. The hatefulness extrudes from the television from many sources. You have politicians telling their audiences to get in the face of people that don't agree with their personal views. They say, “Run them out of restaurants, stores or anywhere you see them.
We've all seen the videos of Antifa mobs breaking windows, throwing rocks and causing all kinds of hate behind their cowardly masks and black-hoodie uniforms.
Depression may occur at any time of the year, but the stress and anxiety during the months of November and December may cause even those who are usually content to experience loneliness and a lack of fulfillment. Holidays are supposed to be a time of peace, joy, and endearingly quiet reflections. But for many, it is a time of worry, woe, and distress combined with suffering, hardships, and hard knocks. Yes, we live in depressing times.
Wait just a minute! This doesn't seem to sound like a Christian message. Depression runs rampant? Yes, depression runs rampant in all seasons of the year but especially around Christmas and the New Year. What should be joyful times shared with friends and folks we love?
But if depression is affecting you, possibly you feel your own despondence is more situational than seasonal? Bad timing, bad circumstances, undependable friends or relatives. Maybe you perceive that one of your best friends did you wrong? Maybe you did not like where you were or are in life? Maybe you are feeling isolated, totally alone? Is it just you against the world?
Ever felt like your saying “My life is over? Where did it go?" Have you already lived the best years of your life? Why do you have such negative thoughts?
Who do you think is placing those thoughts in your head? Who wants you dead and out of Christ? It's the damned Devil and his demon hordes, that's who!
But what can you do to change your feelings? Where do you turn? First, we must acknowledge who is really the enemy vying for our souls. Yes, we acknowledge evil but do not submit to evil, as we recognize evil is the root source of our tribulations. We don’t ordinarily see Satan, but he’s there. 1 Peter tells us in chapter 5, verse 8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” Thus, we best resist him by being firm and taking God at His Word. We must know the ways and wiles of our common enemy. That’s what I want to share with you so that you too can have victory over discouragement or any other spiritual battle descending upon you.
When did God create Satan? It is reasonable to believe that was sometime before Adam and Eve, Satan and all the other angels were created. Genesis doesn't relate precisely when this happened. When we read of Satan for the first time, in the third chapter of Genesis, Adam and Eve are already alive, and Satan appears in the form of a serpent. Still, Satan, as a fallen angel, is able to transform his very appearance. He is a dangerously cunning foe.
An important reference to Satan now being an angel is in 2nd Corinthians Chapter Eleven, where he is said to transform himself into an angel of light, which is one of his deceptions. This does not mean that he is an angel now, it means that he can appear as an angel, even a righteous and holy angel.
Who exactly is Satan? He is the one in Scripture who is called the “evil one, the Devil.” One thing is for certain, he is not the equal opposite of God. God has no equal counterpart. There is no equal to God except in the considerations of the Holy Trinity. Satan is merely an underling subject to God’s judgment, as are we all. Satan attempts to exert power over Christians, but we are told in 1 John, “Greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world.”
Yet Satan tries to discourage, depress, and demoralize Christians. He tempts us to sin and endeavors to keep us from believing in God and God's True Word. Never forget, the Devil is our opponent. We don’t see him in his real form, but he is there. Jesus himself prayed that the Father would keep us from the evil one. (John 17:15)
Satan is referred to in Scripture as the accuser, the slanderer, the father of lies, the murderer, the deceiver, the adversary. In Ephesians, Paul tells us; “our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Paul's words are a warning about being warred upon by immoral, evil entities. In 2 Corinthians 2:11, Paul also said, “he was not ignorant of Satan’s schemes.” We cannot afford to be ignorant either.
We are also told not to be dismayed when Satan implants depressing thoughts in our minds. Though darkness certainly exists, we should never dwell in that darkness. It may surround you or infect your mental state of mind. Instead, know the sacred, sanctified victory that we Christians have in Christ… that security and salvation are ours for all eternity.
Once we stop to think about it, we all really know how Satan works. Primarily, Satan tries to delude and victimize all humankind through lies that can be vicious or subtle. He is always trying to lie about something to make it enticing or disguised to look like the truth. The whispered lies and temptations of the Devil and his minions are the roots of our depressions. As mentioned before, Satan is the father of lies. (John 8:44).
Ask yourself, “If someone was tempting you, you would know it?” Not always! If someone lied to your face, or tempted you to do something outlandish, you might or might not recognize the evil behind the falsehoods. But if you were truly deceived, you would not know it, at least not until it was too late. The power of Satan is that his most desirable temptations are wrapped within his treacherous lies. When you are infected by those temptations, you never become truly satisfied. However, if you are vaccinated against his lies, you prevent the power of evil from contaminating you. The Holy Word is all the truth serum you'll ever need.
How do we confront Satan’s lies? I say, “Meet him head on. You are powerfully shielded within the protecting armor of Christ. So, if you feel like an unworthy person or a discouraged Christian, fight back. Spend time in prayer. Get back into the Word. Don't feel like you’ve let God down in some way and start thinking, “God must be so disappointed in me, He’s likely to just give up on me.”
What does God’s encouraging Word say? “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6) and, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) Jesus is here to help us!
You may think or say; “God doesn’t really love me. If God loved me, I wouldn’t be having all of these spiraling problems.” That may feel like the truth you live in but what does God’s Word say? Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.” (John 15:9)” This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us…” (1 John 4:10) “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.” (1 John 3:1)
Maybe you are demoralized about some repetitive sin and Satan is persuading you that God will never forgive you. That’s a lie. How do you know? What does God’s Word say? “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
Here's another warning example. If you become sexually attracted to someone outside the sanctification of a Christian marriage, and you might falsely reason, “Becoming sexually involved would not be a problem with God, since we love each other so much.”
What does God’s Word plainly say? “Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled…” (Hebrews 13:4) “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God…” (1Thessalonians 4:3-5)
In dealing with Satan’s untruths, you have to seek the truth. Don’t allow your feelings or thoughts to mislead you. Seek God's Word to dictate what is true or what is not true. Satan lies all the time and often directs your 'friends' to lie to you!
Has a 'friend' ever lied to you? Did a 'friend' ever lead you down a troublesome path? How did that make you feel? More importantly, how do you feel about it now? Hopefully, you show true remorse over any evil you did and you are not still brewing bitterness over the incident or your friend's involvement! Your repentance of sin and your forgiveness towards others are powerful virtues.
God’s Word is genuine. Satan clouds your thinking by making you believe that God is depriving you of something you falsely desire. But it is God who created us and God who loves us enough to send Christ to die for us as the unblemished lamb—slaughtered for our eternal salvation. That is a true love granted, by God's Grace, to the faithful.
Our Faith should not be a fleeting feeling. It is a personal choice where each must take God at His Word. To gain freedom in spiritual battle, take hold of your thoughts, feelings, and temptations, and ask, “What does God’s Word say about this?” Does WWJD, What Would Jesus Do come to mind?
In John 17, Jesus prayed to the Father, “that you protect them from the evil one.” Do you know what He said right after that? He said, “Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth.”(John 17:17) Jesus also said, ”You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:32) Free for all eternity.
It’s important to know we believe in Christ. Paul writes in Ephesians, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know… what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe,” toward us who take Him at His Word. (Ephesians 1:18,19)
God lives in us and empowers us. So when we find ourselves having negative thoughts about ourselves, about God or about others, what do we do? Ephesians 6:16 says, “… taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” This tells us we will be able to diminish, if not entirely vanquish, Satan's control. If evil thoughts seem to come out of nowhere, what do we do? We are told to “take up the shield of faith.” That is something we must do. We cannot afford to be passive in the spiritual battle. James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” And Brothers, we must resist every day, if not every moment.
When (not if) the Devil attacks you, he aims to trouble, depress or confuse your mind.
Have you ever thought you had to give in to a temptation? Does Satan try to convince you that a particular sin is too wonderful to resist? If so, think of 1 Corinthians chapter 10:13, so you can bring it to mind as needed: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
Satan cannot read our minds, but he can plant thoughts in our heads. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says in part; take every thought captive according to the obedience of Christ.” Okay, what kind of thoughts are we to take captive? Certainly not thoughts contrary to what God says about Himself, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, or about other people. And certainly not thoughts contrary to the good things God says about you.
Bad thoughts often become bad actions. Actions can become habits, good or bad. And it all starts with a good or bad thought. God wants us to trust His Word more than we trust our feelings about how things might appear. God’s Word is true. It is truer than anything we feel. It is truer than how things sometimes seem to be. The Bible says that “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8) David in the Psalms said, “Your Word…is a light to my path.” (Psalms 119:105)
Jesus spoke a parable on the importance of hearing and acting on what He says. “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24,25)
Jesus went on to say, “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love; just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” (John 15:10,11)
When we abide in God's Word and live in the joy of Jesus of Nazareth, we can withstand all situations, put aside any evil thought or feeling of helplessness. Don't linger in discouragement, turn to the One who loves us and guides us into all truth. Satan may try to tempt you and discourage you! His goal is to defeat you! Think about that! Can you overthrow the Devil all by yourself? Those condemned to hell know the answer to that!
But Satan is a liar. Confront his lies headlong with the genuine truth of God’s Word. When we actively hold up our shield, our faith in God’s Word, we stand victorious in Christ. The Goal of Satan is to fight God by trying to capture your soul. While trying to frustrate God, he will cause many to suffer hell's eternity! Yet, he will lose in the end. God has allowed him to have control of this earth for a while, which means Satan can rule over you if you let him! The Bible calls Satan the “god of this world” (2 Corinthian 4:4), “prince of the power of the air,” (Eph. 2:2), and “an angel of light” (2 Corinthian 11:14). Don't be fooled. Satan is a very religious entity. He knows the bible inside and out as he is responsible for all the false religions in the world. Deceitfully, he tries to come across as an angel of light, seemingly providing truth but only offering falsehoods.
Satan always works against God and Christ to keep humanity from understanding that the Bible is the truth (Matt. 13:18-23, 37-40). But Jesus spoke nothing but the truth. We are in a war with Satan over truth and he is doing everything he can to deceive us.
Still, you have to know, understand, and practice God's Word before its deliverance will set you free. We are told “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who has called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:6-11)
Yes, love is the cure for Christmas depression or anytime you feel self-doubting, lost or unworthy. God's love for you and your Christian love for all those that you come in contact with. Love your parents, spouse, friends, and enemies. Reach out and give your love to those that you think are feeling blue.
