“3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.”
Jesus Christ exhibited awesome fortitude in dealing with sin. He dealt with what seemed like insurmountable opposition only to come out on top time and time and time again. Even when He laid down His life for the redemption of sinful mankind, He was not overcome by death, but He overcame death with resurrection power*!
Defeating depression requires the resurrection power of Jesus and an attitude of fortitude. If you're going to beat this thing, you're going to have to do more than whine and complain and writhe on your bed or couch. You're going to have to get up and fight. Even in those times when you don't think you can take another swing, you must take another swing -- even when you're afraid you might get hurt. If you must take another step, you must take a step -- even if it's backward. Life moves forward. Time moves forward. Times change. People change. You will change. God is allowing this for a reason: for you to gain the victory! The devil has the legal right to attack you in this way, so you will have to gain the victory in the courts of Heaven through prayer and fasting.
There is no victory, no raising of a flag, on what used to be enemy territory without fortitude!
Not long after I got out of the hospital, one of my wonderful therapist/counselors shared a truth that, at the time, seemed an awful thing to say to me, but now I recognize it as a powerful and enduring statement, "At times, you will go two steps forward and one step back."
Every war has battles. Every battle has its surges and retreats. There are battles when you are tired and sore and hungry and just want to give up, but you must never give up. The victory is ours in Jesus. He has won us the victory. We have to claim it and fight for it. Satan isn't just going to let go of you so easily. He is a very real enemy and he wants to take you out. If you quit, he wins. If you fight in Jesus' name, you will win. It is that simple. I am living proof.
“4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”
These 'strongholds' are addictions, bad attitudes, lies we believe, pretense, idols, and demonic afflictions, oppressions, and possessions. The most powerful weapon we (Christians and Messianic Jews) fight with is the TRUTH. The world fights with lies, thievery, deception, pretense, addictions, malevolence, and violence. The weapons we fight with are the name of Jesus, His Blood of the Covenant, prayer, kindness, compassion, gentleness, fasting, and especially love. Love conquers all because God is love. He isn't just 'loving,' He IS love.
I cannot begin to tell you how many times, when things got especially difficult and the "waters" got high and rough that I referred to her statement. When she first said that, I thought, "Why would she tell me something negative right now? Doesn't she know what I'm going through? I need to be lifted up, not pushed down. I need to be inspired, not deflated." However, as time went on, I kept that in the back of my mind and, eventually, the truth of the statement bore out and I found a deep comfort when I would go through something and now had a foundation of truth for the times of difficulty. I cannot tell you how valuable those things are -- those truths that can carry you through thin times when you're trying to figure out which end is up. Obviously, the power in my counselor's statement is that 'You will experience moments where you might rather give up. But always remember that life is like the ebb and flow of the sea -- the seas may roar and surge or the waves may calm and withdraw, but you're still making progress. As long as you're alive, you not only can make it, but you WILL make it!'
We can't control life. We are called to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit known as self-control, but we can't always control our thoughts! Some thoughts are not our own, but we can control what we do with our thoughts.
“5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Our life is our responsibility. We must remain obedient to the directions of the Lord. We must continuously seek the truth and accept it wherever we find it no matter the impact on us or others because there is no victory, no freedom, without knowing the truth. We cannot blame others for what is going on now. We have all been hurt, but we either choose to stay hurt or we choose to deal with the pain and take our soul wounds to God for healing. Johannes Amritzer, a wonderful Christian, prophet, teacher, author, and evangelist, described a common scenario with a metaphor. I think you'll like it.
Suppose you have a desk and somebody takes a crap on it. It is their mess, right? Yes. It is their mess and they should be the one to clean it up. That person now leaves the room and never returns. You can stay angry and wait for them to clean up the mess while your desk is unusable and the room is very stinky. You can call them and write them and badmouth them and tell everybody about all they've done, but all your efforts of trying to get that person to clean up the mess won't clean up the mess. That poop isn't going to get up and walk out the door and it is damaging the desk more and more the longer it remains. That desk is yours and, since that person has no intentions of cleaning up the mess, it is now YOUR mess to clean up, regardless of who made it. Now it is up to you to decide if and when you will take care of this mess you did not cause. You are the one most in need of cleaning it up, so it must be you who does it.
Having the attitude of fortitude will be the difference maker for those times you feel like you just can't go on. It's your mess and it's time to clean it up ... and get the victory and freedom!
Prayer
My Heavenly Father, I come before You and ask that You would reveal the truths I have avoided. I repent of, renounce, and reject the lies of the enemy and now want to walk in all truth by Your Holy Spirit. Please fill me with a fresh anointing so I can do all You have asked of me. I release from Heaven the wisdom and understanding of Christ and I bind myself to You forever and ever. I need You to break the chains of depression from around me, and bring Your dynamis, Your resurrection power to what the devil has killed within me. I want to be free to sing Your praises before You and the assembly of Heavenly angels one day, but help me to sing Your praises here in Your creation because You deserve all the glory, honor, and praise my lips can create. Grant me an attitude of fortitude so I can be mentally and emotionally strong in You and the power of Your might. I tried to free myself from these chains and I simply cannot. You can and I ask that You would show up in my life in a new way and help me to be all You made me to be. In Jesus' mighty name I pray, amen!
* The Greek word for Godly power is 'dynamis' and the word that our English word 'dynamite' comes from.
Special thanks to waterfromrock.org for the use of the garden tomb photograph and to http://www.iwojima.com for the use of the famous photograph of the raising of the United States flag.