On the other side of a deep depression, the Lord shared with me how the enemy sets his trap for me. I fall into a depression when I feel helpless and unable to move forward; when I feel defeated and overwhelmed. When I feel this way, the Lord showed me that I have accepted the lies of the enemy. I believe that I am weak and defeated, and then I begin to spiral into a vortex of sorrow and defeat–the engulfing depression that keeps me from taking a step forward. But Scripture tells us that the devil is the father of lies (John 8:44), so we are not to listen to any of his lies.

When I am depressed and standing in sinking sand instead of firmly on Christ the solid Rock, how does my life look any more appealing to a non-believer? It doesn’t, so the enemy has taken my testimony and rendered it useless for kingdom work.

The Lord says that I am an overcomer, and not defeated. Overcomers are followers of Christ who successfully resist the power and temptation of the world’s system. An overcomer is not sinless, but holds fast to faith in Christ until the end. He does not turn away when times get difficult or become an apostate. Overcoming requires complete dependence upon God for direction, purpose, fulfillment, and strength to follow His plan for our lives (Proverbs 3:5–6; 2 Corinthians 12:9).

The Lord showed me that instead of listening to the enemy’s lies, I must turn to Him and submit to His truth. The first step was to tell my prayer warrior friends what was going on (the enemy wants us separated from God’s people). And to simply listen to His Word: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

And the Lord showed me that when I allow myself to wallow in depression, I have taken my eyes off of Him, and instead placed my eyes on myself and worldliness; and I must repent of that sin. Whatever is not from faith, is sin. “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” (Heb. 3:12-13) Allowing myself to fall into depression is departing from the living God.

I’ve had a lot of prayer warrior friends lifting me up in prayer this week, and I have felt it mightily. “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16)

I have shared with several people what they can observe in my behavior and speech when I am spiraling into depression so that they will bring it to my attention. And the Lord has directed me to share this information with others, so that you, too, will not fall into the sin of depression and listen to the lies of the enemy. Instead, “submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) And make every effort to spend time with your Christian family, because we are stronger together. “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (Eccl. 4:12)