Is
There Really Healing
For
Depression?
Still Wondering if You Can
Ever Be Totally Free?
You
may have been told by a doctor that there is no real healing for
depression. That the depression you are
fighting is due to a chemical imbalance, and will always require
medication.
I was once told the
same thing.
The issue is that,
science looks at you as a one dimensional being - a physical body.
Because the real you is not just a physical
being, looking in the
physical realm for answers to any problem can never really give you the
whole truth.
All things going on in the spirit realm
have counter-effects that appear here in the physical realm - Effects that we can see and
feel here on earth.
Poverty is a great example of
this. We find it in the curse
(Deuteronomy 28:16-19, 38-40), so we know it is a spiritual issue.
But, we can also see the counter-effect of that spiritual issue
every day here in the physical
realm.
All sicknesses are the same
way, including depression. They
are curses that manifest themselves in physical ways, which is why we
can actually point to the physical causes through science.
But, science can never really
get to the root of a spiritual problem. That is why doctors
will tell you that there is really no healing for depression.
But, thankfully, the doctors are wrong.
God has two powerful prescriptions for healing depression.
And His prescriptions don't have any crazy side effects!
NOTE:
I'm not telling you to pour your depression meds down the
drain. I'm not a doctor, and am not qualified to give you any
medical advice. So, this is just spiritual advice - Pray and
seek God before you put any foreign substance into your body.
If you are already on medication, pray and ask God BEFORE you
stop taking it. He knows what you need better than any
doctor, or even you.
Christian
Healing for Depression
Prescription #1: Praise and Worship
One thing that has always shocked me is that David, who God said was a
man after His own heart (Acts
13:22), also battled with depression.
Why are you cast down, O my
inner self?
And why should you moan over me
and be disquieted within me?
- Psalm 42:5a (AMP)
How could David have possibly been considered a man after God's own
heart, if he allowed himself to be depressed?
That
is what many Christians would wonder. Many times, people
think
that being depressed is a sign of spiritual weakness. But, it
is
not.
It is a sign of a
spiritual attack.
![healing for depression-sky and mountiains healing for depression-sky and mountiains](http://www.hem-of-his-garment-bible-study.org/image-files/235x360xnorthern-wilderness10.jpg.pagespeed.ic.SkPZ4sR5Ez.jpg)
So,
what did David do when he found himself in a spiritual battle with
depression?
He said to himself:
...Hope in God
and wait expectantly for Him,
for I shall yet praise Him,
my Help and my God.
- Psalm
42:5b (AMP)
Then, He cried out to the Lord:
O my God, my life is cast down
upon me
[and I find the burden
more than I can bear];
therefore
will I [earnestly] remember You...
- Psalm
42:6 (AMP)
David
decided that He would praise God anyways. That He would turn
his
mind to the remembrance of things God had already done for him, and
trust
that He would come through for him once more.
Why is praise and worship such an important part of healing for
depression? Because it has the power to Confuse the Enemy!
See, part of why the devil wants you depressed is that depression makes
people selfish. They become focused on themselves and their
pain. In fact, over time, it begins to feel like their pain
is all that exists.
He is not expecting you, in this midst of all of this pain, to find the
strength to praise God. To praise Him, when it almost feels
like it physically hurts to say 'Hallilujiah'. To whisper
'He's Worthy' when, at that very second, you're not even sure He still
is.
Your praise can be a powerful weapon in your healing for depression
battle. That is one of the reasons why you may be feeling
opposition when you try to praise God - Satan realizes God inhabits the
praises of His people (Psalms 22:3).
But, how do you get the strength to say, as David did, "I shall
yet
praise Him," (Psalm 42:5 AMP).
You begin to put on the armor of God.
Prescription #2: The Whole Armor of God
In our online Bible
class on renewing your mind, I explained the power of understanding
that your mind is a battleground. The Bible says
that, as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7).
That's why there are two entities literally fighting for
the territory of your mind - God and Satan.
You see,you aren't just battling depression. You
are actually fighting something much bigger.
...we are not fighting against
flesh-and-blood enemies,
but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world,
against mighty powers in this dark world,
and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
- Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)
Healing for depression is really a spiritual battle. And
Satan would love to steal your joy, and keep you paralyzed by this
spiritual disease.
But, God has not left you defenseless against spiritual attacks.
He wants you to "Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty
power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm
against all strategies of the devil" (Ephesians 6:10-11 NLT).
But, how do you do that? And how does the armor of God offer
healing for depression?
Your Heavenly Father promises that, if you put on this spiritual armor,
you'll be able to resist the enemy in times of evil, and
will be the last man standing once the battle is over (Ephesians 6:13)!
Here are the different parts of the spiritual armor of God (Ephesians
6:13-17).
Your Defenses
- Put on the
belt of truth- Distinguish between what the doctors are
saying about you, and what God says about you. Decide who you
will believe.
- Cover
yourself in the body armor of God’s righteousness-Don't
worry if you don't have any righteousness of your own. Jesus
has enough for all of
us!
- Put on the peace from the Gospel
for your shoes- God says the good news will give you
peace. The fact that He loved you enough to
send Jesus to redeem you from the curse of the law. Knowing
this in your heart makes you fully prepared for war, and gives you good
footing
for your battle.
- Hold up the shield of faith - This is your
ultimate defense. When you believe God's Word more than you
believe what you perceive with your senses, it stops the fiery arrows
of
the devil in their tracks.
- Put on salvation as your helmet -
A helmet protects your mind from attacks. This is
especially important in healing for depression. The word
salvation is something that we as Christians often misunderstand.
The
word we translate as being saved
means much more
than going to heaven. It includes total healing and wholeness.
Your Offense
- Use the Word
of God as your spiritual Sword- Hebrews 4:12 says that
"the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged
sword." It is the only weapon that can paralyze the enemy.
Write out scriptures that affirm your healing from
depression, and when you feel an attack coming on, read them aloud.
Of course there is so much more to be said for how to use the armor of
God to break free from mental strongholds. In fact,
when I teach about this in
our online class, Who's
Controlling Your Thoughts, it takes me over an hour to go
through each of the parts of your armor, and explain exactly how you
will use them to win the battle for your mind.
But,
I pray that the truths that you've learned here will start you on your
journey to receive healing for depression, and begin walking in
victory!
Depression
Bible Study Lesson 2:
Is There Really
Healing for Depression?
Reflection Questions:
- Do you believe that depression is more of a spiritual
battle, or a medical battle? Why?
- Have you ever had times when it felt like it would
physically hurt to praise the Lord?
- What parts of your spiritual armor are a bit rusty?
How can you strengthen them for your battle with Satan for
your healing for depression?
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Christian Depression
Bible Study