I’ve had a frequent visitor in my life since adolescence. Sometimes this visitor warns me in advance of his arrival and sometimes he shows up with no notice. It seems like we would be close friends, considering all the time we’ve spent together. But in recent years, I’ve realized how nearly everything he says is a lie. These lies are audible only to me for they come from deep in my mind and heart where my visitor, named Depression, comes to stay.
Over and over, throughout the years, I’ve believed the lies. When faced with obstacles or trials, I hear whispers like, “It’s too much, you can’t handle it” and “You’ll never make it.” Other recurring lies have been, “You’re not loved or wanted.” “No one understands you.” “You’re ugly and can’t do anything right.”
These lies can become shouts that reverberate within my soul. And the echo lingers on for days, weeks, months, even years. I could be in the midst of a group of friends who care for me, yet the only thing I hear is the voice of Depression telling me I am not loved or even worthy of love. Every time I give in and believe those lies, the overwhelming feelings of sadness and despair threaten to drown me.
Do you have frequent visitors in your life? Perhaps instead of Depression, they might go by the name of Shame or Anger, Pride or Anxiety. No matter the name, they all bring with them lies that were birthed from the original lie spoken long ago in the Garden. And just like that first lie, the whispers of twisted truth steals joy and brings sorrow and despair.
But God, in His grace, has given us ammunition against the lies. When we use these weapons, we can better fight the battle raging within our own mind and soul.
Before Jesus began his ministry, he was in the desert for forty days. Physically, he was suffering from thirst and hunger. Yet His soul was fed and nourished from the word of His Father. Jesus was able to do what our first parents could not-withstand the lies of the Devil. How did He do it? With each temptation the Deceiver gave, Jesus responded with the very word of God.
In 2 Corinthians, the apostle Paul tells us to take every though captive to make it obedient to Christ (10:5). When I am confronted with a lie, I capture it and speak the word of God to my heart, making the lie powerless. It’s the very word of God who created the cosmos and the word of God who declared Jesus as His son on the river Jordan. It is also the word of God that teaches me that while I am more sinful than I ever thought, I am also deeply loved, more than I could ever imagine.
When I hear “It’s too much, you can’t handle it.” I remember these verses: “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.” (Phil. 4:13) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
When I hear “You’re not loved or wanted.” I remember: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:13,14) “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
When I hear “You should give up, you’ll never make it” I remember: “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 1:6)
The classic allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress, describes a scene where Christian was held captive in Doubting Castle by the Giant called Despair. Christian had the key of Promise tucked in his shirt and had forgotten about it. But once he remembered that he had it, he opened the doors of his prison and was freed to continue on his journey to the Celestial City. I too sometimes forget that I have the key to freedom from my own captivity to the Giant called Depression. When I embrace God’s promises found in His word, the lies of Depression become weak and lose their grip on my heart. My own prison doors open and I am set free.
When visitors like Depression, Shame, Anger, Pride, or Anxiety arrive at the door of your heart carrying luggage filled with lies, remember that you’ve been given the weapon to defeat them. The book of Hebrews tells us that God’s word is sharper than any double-edged sword (4:12). There is no lie that can stand in battle before the word of God and win.
And because Jesus perfectly fulfilled what Adam and Eve could not, we’ve been set free from our eternal prison. We are no longer hopeless and lost in sin and shame. Jesus’ perfect life has been given to us. With that life comes the power of the Holy Spirit who strengthens and empowers us to live for God. Our standing before God is secure; there is no lie that can threaten us. For “if the Son has set you free, you are free indeed.” (John 8:36)
“So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” Romans 8:6
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Updated from the archives
This is such a beautiful post! There truly are so, so many lies that threaten us every day, but His Word really is sharper than a double-edged sword. His Truth does unbelievable things, including blow away all the lies we’re told we ought to believe. Thank you so much for sharing this! Such truth here!
Thanks, Mary! His word is a weapon we have with us wherever we go. It’s alway available and will never fail. So glad you stopped by!
I love your vulnerable heart…those lies start creeping in when we are too young to even know it…I am walking through a time with my daughter…unknotting the lies already tied in her thoughts…God is faithful…He will renew our minds…give us truth in the depth of our souls…blessings to you and thanks for being honest here.
She is blessed to have such a kind and loving momma to help her through it. Yes, He is faithful to renew our minds. He never lets go. Blessings!
Hi Christina - wow, such a powerful post. For me the visitor is “you are not good enough” and “you are not worthy or acceptable” I also have to remind myself of God’s truth. Sometimes I have to say to myself that “right now, right here, faults and all, God loves me, so who are you (myself or anyone able to hurt me) to not accept me! Your post is a great encouragement to me
God bless
Tracy
Thanks, Tracy! So thankful that He loves us no matter what. The lies can tell us otherwise but it doesn’t change what is true about God’s love. May we cling to Him. Thanks for visiting!
Ps, I’m adding this post to my list of favourites on my blog
You are sweet!
Christina,
You are so right. The battle is won or lost daily in our minds. I suspect that’s why God told us to hide his word in our hearts so we might not sin against him. When we allow lies to defeat us, we are sinning, because we are rejecting TRUTH — the Person of truth, Jesus Christ. Thanks for the reminder to put on TRUTH today. visiting from Be Not Weary and glad I did
lovely post today. very well written!
Thanks for sharing your heart, Christina. Every single one of us deals with “luggage filled with lies” (love the way you worded that). I just finished a devo on this and the importance of taking those thoughts captive.
Blessings to you today!
Linking up from GDWJ,
Susan
I needed to hear this today. Thanks again, my friend!! “The Voice of Truth tells me a different story; the Voice of Truth says do not be afraid.” Love you!
The other one
wow - so powerful. Beautifully written!! thank you for sharing these truths today, my heart needed this
!
I so resonate with this, Christina. I’ve been focusing on it a lot in the past days and even weeks. And even though this has been my focus, your words are like honey-sweet to my soul! Thanks for reminding us of God’s truth in the middle of our circumstances and feelings!
I can relate to this, wrote a similar post about fear, your words brought it back to my remembrance. I know there will be many that find comfort and solace in your honesty about depression. I’ve learned to recognize the warning signs, the lies I tell myself and my husband is oh so good and reminding me of the truth.
Great post, depression is one of those things that can creep in on me or come up out of nowhere. Remembering that I have power over it with God’s word is power, and the only thing that sets my thinking right. Lots of great verses here too to help with the battle of the mind!
Blessings to you!
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I love reading your blog every day. Your posts are always so real and great reminders. Thanks for reminding me that God loves me always. I also thought it was really neat to see the first verse that you posted. I’ve been teaching that verse to my kids and it is our memory verse for the week. Blessings!!
I know that you know this, but I’m going to say it right here, once again, confirming God’s Truth about you:
You are beautiful. You are wanted. You are loveable. You are cherished. You are significant. Through Jesus. Through Jesus. Through Jesus.
It’s good for friends to remind each other, to beat back the voices that try to convince us otherwise.
Love you ….
Great post! We need those reminders quite frequently, don’t we? I clicked on your link at Denise in Bloom because I just posted a book review today of Perfect Lies by Jennifer Crow. She writes about how believing the lies crippled her emotionally and how she was healed. Thanks for your thoughtful post!
My frequent visitor is probably pride: the belief that I can do it myself. That 2 year old mentality. Insisting I can pour the milk myself all the while spilling it everywhere. Then when I don’t get it right, come the lies that I can’t measure up. This is why it’s so important to know Scripture in our hearts…as you said, His word is our sword. That’s what we have to fight the lies with!
Thanks for linking up with WIP Wednesday!