The #1 Anti-Depressant: God’s Word

God has a potent, supernatural prescription for depression–His Word! Hebrews 4:12 says, “The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (NKJV). The Word will not only diagnose our condition, it will also prescribe a potent treatment program that drives depression out of our lives and sets us free! God’s Word is the ultimate antidepressant.

God’s plan for dealing with depression is very different from the world’s plan. The world wants us to reopen our wounds and recall every injustice from the past. The Word tells us to focus on the Healer.

When depression tries to come upon you, determine to look at Jesus–not at your distress. When you focus on God and His Word, the cause of your depression becomes irrelevant. God’s answer is the same: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds” (2 Cor. 10:3-4).

Depression has many causes–in both the spiritual and the natural realms. Spiritually speaking, generational curses in a bloodline can predispose members of certain families to suffer from depression. In the physical realm, medical treatments, chemical or hormonal imbalances, fatigue, and just plain stress can be the culprits. Additionally, unresolved emotional issues or abuse can bring overwhelming sadness, anger and the inability to function normally.

The bottom line is: Depression is a supernatural spirit of destruction straight from the devil, and as such, needs to be treated like an enemy. We must take a strong stand against it and refuse to give it any power in our lives.

Depression stems from an underlying root of unbelief–unbelief in God’s care, goodness, faithfulness, presence in your life or ability to get you out of seemingly “impossible” situations.

Unbelief is more than simply harmful to you; it is sin. In Mark 16:14, Jesus rebuked the disciples’ “unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe.” We cannot afford to make excuses or convince ourselves we have a right to be depressed. Instead, we need to take the supernatural prescription God has provided.

BIBLICAL EXAMPLES
The saints of old had to do the same thing. The Bible indicates in 1 Kings 18 and 19 that Elijah was at the pinnacle of his “career” as God’s prophet. Yet, at the end of chapter 19, he has plummeted from his highest high to his lowest low, sinking into a deep, suicidal depression.

Elijah began to look at his circumstances and feel very sorry for himself. This opened the door to destruction and caused him to cry out to God, “I’ve had enough….Take away my life. I’ve got to die sometime, and it might as well be now” (1 Kin. 19:4, The Living Bible).

Elijah focused on the past and on the unfair treatment he had received from Jezebel. He forgot about the amazing things God had done in his life and now found himself hiding in a cave, alone and depressed.

I love God’s response to Elijah: “Then He said, ‘Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice” (1 Kin. 19:11-12, NKJV).

God came to Elijah and spoke in a still, small voice–the voice of the Spirit. When depression comes to your door, don’t open it! Listen to what God says to your spirit.

As He did for Elijah, God will give you a truth that will take you through despair. Freedom occurs as you listen to His quiet voice. “‘You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free'” (John 8:32). When you find yourself physically and emotionally exhausted, His gentle Spirit will remind you of His faithfulness–past, present and future.

King David struggled with depression throughout his life. Sometimes it was self-induced, brought on by his own sin. On one such occasion, he said, “For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity” (Ps. 31:10).

At other times David’s despair was the result of his enemies’ treatment of him. This was the case in 1 Samuel 30.

Before David became king of Israel, he and his 600 men were on the run from both King Saul and the Amalekites. They took up residency at a place called Ziklag (which means “overwhelming despair”).