Dealing with Depression | Rejecting Lies & Embracing Truth

Sadness, tearfulness, hopelessness, and anxious thoughts—do these emotions torment you daily?

Depression and anxiety are conditions that impact about 12 million women and 6 million men in America, and these numbers are on the rise—especially among women.

This deep disturbance of the mind affects your emotions and will. Those who put their hope in the Lord can be the ones whom the enemy attacks the most.

Many Believers hear the whispers of the enemy grow into loud shouts over time.

Phrases such as…

• “If you trust in the Lord, why is He allowing this to happen to you?”
• “You are all alone. There must be something wrong with you.”
• “You aren’t enough, and you won’t ever be. You mess up everything you do.”
• “You have nothing to offer the people around you. You should give up.”

…invade your mind, will, and emotions—pushing out the trust you have in the Lord.

The list of detrimental phrases can go on and on. Satan has been studying human behavior for thousands of years, and he’s been studying you. He has gathered information from your past—memories that cause you pain. And when you are feeling low and vulnerable, what does he do?

Satan uses those memories to his advantage. He places those old records on that revolving turntable and lets them play for hours.

In fact, we unknowingly start to adopt those turntable lies as truth. When the scales begin to tip in the enemy’s favor, he puts on even more pressure. And before we know it, we are consumed by the lies that have forced out the voice of God.

The enemy has skillfully tricked us into thinking that depression and anxiety are things we have to live with, carry around, and filter every circumstance through.

But as men and women of God, let’s turn the tables and tip the scales in our favor—because the enemy has nothing on our Savior in whose blood we have been washed.

“…for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.”—John 14:30

How does the enemy persuade us into false beliefs?

Because the enemy knows death was defeated at the cross and that his time is running out, one of the first tactics he uses is to disguise himself. He wants to blend in with the world around us so we can’t detect him.

As a result, he goes completely unnoticed, sometimes for years. When this happens, it is like a pot on the stove getting ready to boil. Situations slowly start to heat up and then burst when the heat is unbearable.

Shame, doubt, fear, depression, anxiety—Satan’s signature is written all over it.

First, he doesn’t want us to know he exists. The next thing that he wants us to be unaware of, is the seemingly undetectable array of tools in the arsenal he uses against us… Turmoil in relationships, finances, families, jobs—all are weaponry he twists and turns like a knife in our side until doubt and unbelief settle in.

But the lies are being revealed! More brothers and sisters in Christ are coming to understand who the real puppet master is and what tricks he has up his sleeve. As a child of God, stand firm in your faith and refuse to be pushed around because you have access to eternal armor!

Let’s take a look at how Satan is still using the same tricks he did in the garden so many years ago to distort the beautiful truth of our Creator.

Satan’s lie—“God is not going to rescue you from this darkness. If He were, He would have done so already.”

Since time began, Satan has tried to get us to discredit the Lord. When we don’t trust in the One who upholds us, we fall, and the enemy kicks us when we’re down.

God’s truth—He never leaves us, and His timing is perfect.

• “And the Lord, He isthe One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”—Deuteronomy 31:8
• “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”—Romans 5:6
• “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”—Isaiah 40:31

Satan’s lie—“If you can’t overcome this feeling, something must be wrong with you.”

Satan wants you to believe that you should overcome feelings of despair and fear using your own strength and that the Lord doesn’t want to be bothered with such insignificant troubles. He definitely doesn’t want you to get on your knees because the biggest threat to the enemy is prayer.

God’s truth—The Lord wants to hear our prayers, and through the spirit of thanksgiving, He gives us unfathomable peace. Let our prayers never cease (see Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). When you realize and embrace the power of never-ceasing prayer and the spirit of thanksgiving, then operate in it, the enemy has to leave.

• “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”—Isaiah 41:10
• “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”—2 Corinthians 12:9
• “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ‘He who believes in Him is not condemned…’”—John 3:17-18

Satan’s lie—“You try and try, and you always fail. You should give up.”

Satan’s plan can only continue to succeed when we give up. That voice that says, “You should quit, there’s no point,” is not from God. We must choose to cancel it and embrace God’s words.

God’s truth—The Lord tells us that when we stand alone, we are weak. This is the reason He sent His Son, so that we can be strengthened by the One who makes our enemies the footstool under our feet (see Luke 20:43). God knows the power of surrounding ourselves with godly counsel so that we are sharpened (see Proverbs 27:17).

• “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”—2 Timothy 4:7
• “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”—Hebrews 12:11
• “Come to Me, all youwho labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”—Matthew 11:28

Satan’s lie—“You’ve been rejected over and over. You have nothing to offer those around you, and God is done with you.”

Satan wants us to believe that man’s opinion is more important than God’s. If we move the Lord down a notch, the enemy steps in and causes chaos. No matter what is happening, choose to hold tight to the Lord and His promises—because His Word will prevail in you.

God’s truth—God is not done with you yet. He uses all circumstances—joyous occasions and painful trials—to grow us and build our character for His glory so that we will be blessed!

• “…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete ituntil the day of Jesus Christ…”—Philippians 1:6
• “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”—Jeremiah 29:11
• “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His”—Romans 8:28

It is not always easy to discern the voice of our enemy, the “angel of light.” If you need a prayer warrior to come alongside you in Spirit-led prayer, don’t hesitate to schedule a 1-on-1 prayer appointment now.

The Lord does have plans for a breakthrough in your future, and He wants you to be actively involved so that you can see the work of His mighty hand deliver you from bondage.

If you want to know more about spiritual warfare and how to pray with passion and power, click here!