By Moses Oludele Idowu
But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, it is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” ( 1 Kings 19:4)”Then I thought that it is easier going out of the way when we are in, than going in when we are out.” – John Bunyan ( Pilgrim’s Progress) *INTRODUCTION*Today’s message is very important and you should master it and heed it. It is your life in the days to come.Before Introducing the message let me first preface it with two recent incidents this year, one happening just this last week which occasioned this message. *Case Study 1:*This last week in Lagos a, 45-year old lady and an accountant with Globacom living at Osapa, London, Lekki area committed suicide by drinking insecticide and died. Folake Abiola did not take her own life because she was poor or had no job or lacked professional fulfilment. According to a colleague of her she had battled depression for years. More baffling is the fact that she was a Christian the only Christian in a family of Muslims and her depression, according to this friend was not due to loneliness or even sex because she had been involved in romantic relationship with two men which she ended at her own instance because of her depression as she “did not want to bring someone else into her life when she could not take care of herself.”Thus a soul was lost. Her church could not help her.
It is really sad but when I look into churches today I see many people who are lonely even though they are surrounded by congregation. Many people in church today are suffering and the church does not even speak to their conditions. Because the church does not even understand them. *Case Study 2:*Ms Cheelie Kryst was a Miss USA, Miss North Carolina, a reporter and former attorney. She held an MBA from Wake Forest University and was doing well until this year. On Sunday at 6.00 am January 30, 2022 she committed suicide by jumping from her 29- storey New York City apartment leading to her death. She was only 30 and a victim of depression which she had managed to hide from others. The mother immediately confessed that it must be due to depression because her daughter had battled this problem for years.
*THE ISSUE*
Thus it is my purpose in this message to explain:* What depression is* Causes of depression* Danger of depression* How to escape depression* Answer to depressionThis message engages the principles of the Bible and the spiritual system of reality and not the medical or intellectual or physiological aspect as obtain in University training of Medical Science. All my knowledge and exposition here is purely on spiritual system and not academic or scientific. Those ones may help too but at certain stage of depression especially what Science itself calls “high- functioning depression”, Medical Science may not be of much help. *Elijah and Depression*Depression is a serious thing. It can end a man’s life as suddenly as anything. It is worse than bullets. It is one of the worst arrows of witchcraft and forces of darkness that could be fired against a servant of God or someone they want to destroy. Because once you succumbed to depression you are gone unless by the special intervention of God. At that time, your spirit begins to sink and your mind is in retreat and your body can absorb any sickness even your pores begin to absorb any germ or virus. Because technically and spiritually you are on retreat, you are sinking. Your spirit is sinking as in a mire. Run away from depression.What all the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Grove could not do against Elijah one single arrow of Depression fired by that Queen of Hell, Jezebel did it.
The prophets of the Grove and preachers of Baal in modern times who have abandoned the Cross and turned after prosperity and success who glorify and worship success more than anything are telling us to seek success and prosperity. Fine. The two ladies mentioned in the case studies were not failures, they were on the top of their careers and models of success. Elijah had just achieved the greatest success in ministry by slaying the prophets of Baal and putting Baal to open shame. Yet they succumbed to Depression and wanted to take their lives. They actually did and Elijah would have done so too but for God. Success is iot the answer to depression it may even be the trigger of it.That is why you must know this great weapon,this arrow of the enemy. *John Bunyan and Giant Despair*It is one of the tragedies of modern Christianity that Christians today do not read the great classics of Christian Literature. They don’t even know them. The average Christian today has never read a single Christian classic of all time. Most of what they read are the same glossy and soft materials based on pernicious logic and heretical principles constructed on wholly effete religion and shaky philosophy of the modern day. That is why we have not saints among us. That is why we lack exceptional universal Christians today. I recommend to you – if you have not read it – *Pilgrim’s Progress* by John Bunyan, a masterpiece of both spiritual logic and even the finest form of allegory in the whole annals of English Literature. In this book Bunyan typifies Depression as the Giant Despair who enslaves Christian and his companion, Hopeful as they journeyed from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. Bunyan devotes three pages to this enemy because of its importance. That is why we should take heed. The old Christians were wiser than us and they knew where the danger is.
Hear how John Bunyan captures it and see the power of his language:” Now there was not far from the place where they lay, a castle, called Doubting Castle, the owner whereof was Giant Despair, and it was in his grounds they now were sleeping: wherefore he getting up in the morning early, and walking up and down in his fields, caught Christian and Hopeful asleep in his grounds. Then with a grim and surly voice he bid them awake, and asked them whence they were, and what they did in his grounds. They told him *they were pilgrims and that they had lost their way. Then said* the Giant, You have this night *trespassed on me, by trampling in and lying on my grounds, and* therefore you must go along with me. So they were *forced to go because he was stronger than they.* They also had but little to say, for they knew themselves in a fault.” [ My emphasis]Christian and Hopeful were imprisoned and they would not come out until days after without food. How did they find the key that finally released then? Go and read the book.That is the power of Depression. We must salute the creativity of Bunyan that he represents this fiend as Giant Despair because indeed he is a giant – a giant that has slain many giants and inside whose grounds were the broken bones of many pilgrims on their way to the Celestial City. In all the journeys of Christian and his sufferings right from the Wicket Gate through the Slough of Despond to the City of Vanity, they met with many temptations but not in a single place did it occur to them to take their lives through suicide except when they were imprisoned by Giant Despair. So even as far back as more than 400 years ago Bunyan already connected Depression with suicide which modern medicine and experience are just discovering.Here is the wonder of wonders by the hand of that English Craftsman and author: after escaping from the prison of Giant Despair they immediately got to the Delectable Mountains from where they could see and behold the Celestial City – the Land of Emmanuel “where there are no passing seas nor interposing mountains.” ( apologies to John Fletcher)Thus from the moment of Depression, if you can be patient and endure and do the right thing the Mountains of God are not far away. Every time I have heard the Voice of God have been immediately after a period of deep depression when I almost lost hope. What if I had taken my own life then? Then I won’t hear His Voice because He does not speak to murderers and those in hell never hear His Voice. I want to share with you what I know on this subject.1. *What is Depression* It is a state or conditions either natural or of spiritual attack directed against a person during which his vital and critical functions of reason, faith, hope and connectedness with the environment are shrinking. During Depression it is difficult to pray or read the Bible. It is like your spirit has fallen deep down; it is like you have no spirit. Your spirit has been shot at and it will be going down unless brought up by the Word of God and gracious actions of the Holy Spirit. At that time even your prayers can’t rise through the ceiling because your spirit has sunk. *1. What Causes Depression*Depression, I am speaking from the Platform of spiritual reality not medical or scientific reasoning or permutations, can be caused by various things:1. *Boredom.* When you have done the same things over and over for years with no possibility of changing, it could lead to depression.
The white men knew what they were doing when they say you should go on leave once in a year to try something else. Why lecturers should go after 7 years of teaching to do something else and allow the mind to rest and roam. Unfortunately our love of money erode that possibility because even in that sabbatical year many still go and teach to get double salary. Greed. Rather than research or go into writing books and journal articles refreshing the minds with other creativity. These things can cause depression.Even praying and fasting if that is all you do will lead to boredom. Preaching always and nothing more will lead to boredom and ultimately depression. Change the route. Shift the focus once a while. Read the Bible, but not only the Bible and Christian Literature, read other things. Let your mind too exercise.
2. *Unfulfilled expectations of long- term desires*” Hope deferred maketh the heart sick…” That is how the Proverbs said it and it is so.You have seen others of your classmates getting good jobs and you are still at home tending babies like rabbits. Other are married and only you in your age group is still single in the church…These can lead to depression.3 *. Enjoying what is not meant for you*When you have started toying with what is not meant for you then it will bring guilt and ultimately condemnation. Example, because you are not yet married you feel sex is necessary to keep you warm. Well sex is designed for marriage not outside. This may bring guilt and condemnation and later depression. *4. As arrow of witchcraft*Elijah received an arrow of witchcraft that brought him to isolate himself from others and led to depression that ended his glorious Ministry. Arrows are regularly fired from the covens of darkness against servants of God and if you are not rightly positioned and understand what is happening you will succumb. The danger is you won’t know where it comes. At that level you will take foolish decisions based on cognitive dissonance. You are at that stage opened to all manner of attacks and even diseases because your body only receive orders from your spirit and once your spirit is no longer in control and power and Dominion then your body will receive counter order from your enemies. The sting of witchcraft is the worst form of arrow that can generate depression.
And it will not go away unless cleared by the Spirit of God through anointed spoken words or preaching. 5. *By the actions of the Holy Spirit* Depression can also come by the actions of the Holy Spirit. Usually this may be for one or two days and it is not dangerous. Sometimes the Holy Spirit uses our human spirits for His purposes and operations without us being aware of it just as evil spirit too can use your spirit without your awareness if you give them room. That is why the Bible says if you hate your brother in your heart you are a murderer because the evil spirit can take your spirit and through the hate in your heart construct a bridge to that person and murder him but it will be charged to your account as I was explaining to the School of Divine Healing yesterday. The Holy Spirit can pray through your spirit and even bless people. Some persons have told me they saw me in their dream praying for them or giving them instructions. Now that is not me, that is the Holy Spirit taking my spirit form to do that exercise. God can also look through your eyes to people and deliverance will take place. I have witnessed this happening. Now at such a time when the Spirit is praying through your spirit you may feel depressed and bogged down. This feeling won’t last for more than few days. If it is more then it is not the Holy Spirit…I will continue next week.Keep a date.
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June 5, 2022 All Rights Reserved