Welcome if you are reading this post for the first time.
I wish to share with you my experience with depression that had affected my life for a number of years.
I can’t really put a finger on what triggered the depression but at some point in my adult life I realised that I had depression.
I suffered unknowingly but when I came to know that I had it, I went into self-denial. My symptoms and actions were obvious cases of depression. I had a big weight gain from food cravings, I sought affection from random people, I toyed with thoughts of self destruction, my moods changed instantly from extreme happiness to extreme anger and I generally based my happiness on material things.
I tried to get rid of depression by first packaging it as another problem and going through counselling. It didn’t work but I “wore” a “happy” face when in public and suffered silently when I was alone.
The bible says in John 8:32 “…then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free…”
When the truth hit me, I put my mind into finding more about the causes of depression and how to get rid of it.
I came across many documented causes of depression ranging from personal upbringing to social problems! My people can trace their depression from relationship problems, separation or divorce of parents, personal issues that stem from socially toxic environments in homes or work places. Some people have depression that came from being bullied. Neglect by parents or guardians, insecurity, loss of control in your own life, death of loved ones, and sickness to mention but a few of the many causes of depression around us!
Depression is a spiritual problem
I then realised that depression is a spiritual problem and no amount of counselling, antidepressants (luckily, I didn’t reach this stage of taking medication) can solve it! This knowledge alone meant that my problem was half solved. I now know that counselling or chemical treatment can only deal with the symptoms of the brain reaction and the nervous system but the root cause of depression is spiritual unless you had physical injury or brain infection that affected the parts that controlled your moods.
Depression mainly comes from what your environment fed you. It can run along the family lineage since environmental actions can be recycled through different generations within a family. A spiritual problem simply means that there is a bad spirit attaching itself to your human spirit and therefore contaminating your normal peaceful spiritual nature. When our spirit is contaminated, a person losses peace, a state that triggers emotional issues. Then you become unpleasant to other people around you. This is because what comes out of your contaminated spirit is toxic. Matthew 15:11 (NIV) “..What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them…”.
I learned the hard way that a person who has this type of depression is demonised. I was personally demonised but I denied it for quite a while! It sounded unfair that a smart looking person dedicated to good life can have demons. I did!
By default, humans are demonised by all types of unclean spirits. There are a number or reasons for this, ranging from our own disobedience, to ancestral inheritance.
If the cause of your depression cannot be explained, please try to dig out if your parents, grandparents or your great grandparents were involved in occultism, acts of witchcraft, were members of organisations involved in mass murders, unholy rituals, false religious beliefs, tribal or killings or had membership in secret societies. They may have committed generational sins of idolatry even by association! That’s why we should be careful of the groups we join! Some group activities have a direct or indirect roots of idolatry and is clearly stated in the bible that these sins attract curses from God that flow down to the children, grandchildren or great grandchildren. You need to deal with these sins urgently. You need to renounce and repent these sins on behalf of your ancestors. If you are not sure, you should still do it. Don’t take any chances.
Getting rid of depression through medication
You may be treated medically for physical symptoms of say chemical imbalances but please note that the root cause of many depressions is spiritual. Once the spiritual threat has been eliminated by casting out the unclean spirit responsible that is living in you, the body functions will heal themselves. You will respond to treatment quickly and will eventually cease to take medication. If the spiritual root of depression is not dealt with, then you may take medication for ever or invite other spiritual problems like self-harm.
Getting rid of depression through counselling
If the source of the issue was a simple problem of forgiving of self, your spouse, parents or someone else, once you forgive, the issue is corrected spiritually, your mindset changes, then the unclean spirit leaves because it has no right to be in you and loses a foothold on your thought pattern. The foothold here being the unforgiveness that was in you.
In such a case, any counselor will unknowingly help you get rid of a demon spirit without necessarily treating it as spiritual. This is not always the case. Since an unclean spirit uses two spiritual platforms to live in you, a foothold and the legal rights.
Legal rights are handled in a curse. A curse can be from ancestral sins that may be out of your control if you don’t acknowledge the reasons why Jesus was crucified. Jesus was crucified to take away the legal rights that the devil has on us. Once the legal rights are taken from the devil, its then easier to deal with the footholds!
Some people try to deal with the footholds before the legal rights! That is religion and you won’t be able to live in victory!
A foothold is the area of spiritual darkness in you are operating in. Unforgiveness is a form of darkness and so is hatred or sexual immorality to mention but a few footholds!
It is easier to get rid of the footholds once the legal rights that demons have on you have been removed! What removes the legal rights? Genuine salvation! Salvation acknowledges the meaning of the cross! The cross is there to cancel the legal rights!
Depression can be overcome spiritually through the Holy Spirit
Where the source of depression is complex, and say it is ancestral or is a result of a curse, then you need the help of the Holy Spirit.
King Saul disobeyed God and ended up with a tormenting spirit that gave him depression and fear.
1 Samuel 16:14(NLT) Now the Spirit of the LORD had left Saul, and the LORD sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.
Around that time in a different location, a young lad by the name of David received the Holy Spirit after he was anointed by the prophet Samuel.
1 Samuel 16:13 (NIV) So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David…
The anointing of the Holy Spirit did not go unnoticed. People around David noticed that he was different from the others.
God was with David and when king Saul started being tormented by an evil spirit, they recommended the services of David to Saul.
1 Samuel 16:18 (NIV) One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre… He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the LORD is with him.”
King Saul sought help from the only Person Who could help and that was not David but the Holy Spirit living in David.
The services of the Holy Spirit
Please note that spiritual issues which include depression can only be resolved by the Holy Spirit in us or in other people. Once the legal rights have been dealt with!
David went to the presence of king Saul and worshiped God through music. Whenever he did this the depression on the king would lift and he felt OK.
1 Samuel 16:23 (NIV) Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.
This experience must have inspired David to later compose the following hymn.
Psalm 51:10 (kjv) Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
It’s not a surprise that David knew about what it is to struggle with an unclean spirit. He saw it firsthand in king Saul and I am sure in his own life too.
David also knew that unclean spirits leave us alone when we obey God, allow the Holy Spirit to dwell with us and constantly worship God in Spirit and in Truth. This delights God and sends the devils fleeing.
Jesus confirmed this in John 4:23 (NIV) Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
Prophet Joel prophesied about the Holy Spirit coming to all people and not for the selected few like David, Moses, King Soul, the Prophets or the Judges .
He said that it will be for all people so, we have no shortage of persons to pray for us because there are many who are filled with the Holy Ghost in our world today.
Joel 2:28 (NIV) “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people…”
The birth of Jesus was the beginning of the fulfillment of this promise.
Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and … to set the oppressed free…“
Unlike David who was only able to relieve Saul from the torments of the unclean spirit, Jesus came not only to set us free but to prepare us for the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
Just like David, if we embrace the Holy Spirit and worship God in Spirit and in truth, then we shall overcome all spiritual oppression.
God is willing to remove that spirit of desperation and fill us with a garment of praise that comes through the infilling of the Holy Spirit. This will make us shine for Him.
Isaiah 61:3 (NIV) and provide for those who grieve in Zion– to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
Let’s start by doing first things first; repent our sins, repent the sins of our ancestors and unconditionally forgive those that have wronged us.
When we’ve done this, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for His salvation and desire to be filled by the Holy Spirit.
Let’s be filled with the Holy Spirit
If you’ve never heard of the Holy Spirit, you are not alone. Many people don’t know about Him. Acts 19:2 (NIV) and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
The Holy Spirit gives us power against the enemy.
When we have this power, we are able to worship God and fight unclean spirits in other people or in us without fear or despair.
1 Samuel 16:23 (NIV) Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.
David was full of divine courage and the unclean spirit in Saul left their presence whenever David started worshiping God with music.
Acts 1:8 (NIV) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…”
It’s biblical to ask someone who is living right and who has the Holy Spirit in them to lay hands on you to receive the infilling. This is not just anybody in the street and certainly not persons who waste other peoples time by bubbling nonsense. These are people who manifest the fruits of the Holy Spirit and certainly not the sexually immoral or gossipers or idolaters. It’s all clear in Galatians 5:13-26
Acts 19:6 (NIV) When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
Once you are filled with the Holy Spirit, ask the unclean spirit of depression to leave your presence for ever. You don’t need to shout, demons are not deaf. You can quote scriptures as you do it.
Mark 16:7 (NIV) And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons…
You can read more in this site on how to be filled by the Holy Spirit.
I believe that you’ve been blessed by this article!
Remember, the scripture says that the devil came to steal, destroy and eventually kill!
Don’t let the devil steal your peace, joy and life through depression!
Let it not destroy you or your family!
Let depression not kill you or your future!
May God richly bless you!
[Article Author: Joseph GM]
Live In Victory 