Christian often seemed surprised by feelings of depression and discouragement, but these are common emotions which actually come to us as lies.
Satan “oppresses” and accuses even non-believers, even those who have not yet come to believe. He is the “accuser of the brethren.”
The Bible tells us also that; “If a man comes to God, he must believe that God is, and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.”
“It is a crime to be weak in God’s strength,” writes Oswald Chamber’s in My Utmost for His Highest. Depression involves our personally letting emotions take us down; emotions that are common to all people, and may be especially powerful among those who have sided with God. We must not allow that to happen.
The film, “A Beautiful Mind” depicts a person, while afflicted with what appears a permanent schizophrenia, as a person who takes charge of his feelings/thoughts.
Probably the greatest need common to all human beings is encouragement. Encouragement is love. God is an encourager. And to allow depression to attach itself to us over and over is to thwart God’ stretched out hand. God constantly is the Comforter and is there offering encouragement, that we can overcome our fears and depressions.
If we actually understood the function of depression, we would hate it, resist it. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you,” the Lord tells us. Resisting is do-able and the sooner we do resist, the less becomes our habit of resisting. In fact, by resisting, we are strengthened by the Lord. The devil loves to see his effect on us, as he becomes a stronghold in our lives where we poorly demonstrate to the world the mighty saving power of God.
If a person finds lust attaching itself he needs to get a hold on his feelings, snap out of it; re-affirm his commitment to God and family.
We used to sing:
“Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin.
Each victory will help you, one other to win. . .”
So it is with the depression temptation which may have gotten a stronghold on us. Our God is not a scolding Person, He is the Friend of sinners. He is not fooled into being ashamed of us. Rather, He will perform His personal deliverances we need. It is as though He says, ‘Friend, we will work through this together.” Such love melts any sincere heart and by it we learn to (and how to) abide in Him and over-come.
If we continually do not resist depression and temptation, we allow Satan to build a stronghold in our very being.
Have we sinned? We are told to go to Him, tell Him, to trust Him to make it just-as-if-we had not sinned. Cling to Him, hide in Him. Hide under His wing. Be honest and remember, of course we can win: “We can do all things through Christ which strengthen us.”
Buddy