Overcoming Spiritual Anxiety and Depression
In the recent series on God’s Kingdom, we talked about the many evidences that Jesus was, in fact, the promised Messiah who was to come. In Luke 4, He stands in the synagogue in Nazareth, and reads a well known passage from Isaiah 61, before announcing that He was the fulfillment of this promise:
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor…
Isaiah 61:1-2a
For the Jewish hearers in Nazareth, there would be no doubt that Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah, as this was one of the most famous passages concerning the work Messiah would do. They were so shocked by His proclamation, in fact, that they drove Him out and attempted to kill him for blasphemy!
Much to their surprise (and disdain), the gospels and history record that Jesus did all these works, and more. It is this “more” that I’d like to focus on today.
As you continue reading in Isaiah, the prophet goes on to give another very big promise, which I believe many of us need, today, more than ever. This promise was to give
…the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit…
Isaiah 61:3
Or as the old KJV says,
…the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…
Mental Health is in Focus
I am truly glad that we live in a day where the mental health of an individual is a priority in western culture. While I don’t agree with the over use of medications for every problem a person may have, I do fully support counseling and therapy for our issues. Still, I want us to understand that these emotional “diseases” are not new, and that the Bible does address them.
For those of us who follow Jesus completely, we would do well to understand that He promised to heal us mentally, as well as physically. With that in mind, I want us to understand what a “spirit of heaviness” is — a problem many of us face — and then look at the solution we have in Christ to overcome.
A Spirit of Heaviness
When the Bible uses this word “faint” or “heaviness,” it is actually the Hebrew “keheh,” which best translates to English as “colorless,” “dull,” or “dark.” This “spirit” has been associated, throughout Christian history in many scholarly works, with a number of mental disorders including depression, anxiety, and a constant feeling of overwhelm.
I agree with this connection, but I think it will be most helpful to understand why this understanding has come about. To do that, we must dig a little deeper.
The word “keheh” is taken from a root word (“kahah”) which means to “grow dim, faint, or go blind.” We must understand this root, so we are not just thinking of “fainting” feeling heaviness.
In other passages, we see the Bible using “keheh” in situational contexts1. It is first used to describe the “dimming” of the High Priest, Eli’s eyes.
At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to [keheh] so that he could not see…
1 Samuel 3:2
In another passage, the word is used to refer to a candle whose flame was going out.
a bruised reed he will not break, and a [keheh] wick he will not quench…
Isaiah 42:3
It is with these examples in mind, that I believe we get to the core effects of “a spirit of heaviness.” Namely, when a spirit of heaviness comes, it takes away your ability to see clearly in regards to what the Lord is doing in your life.
Spiritual Depression and Anxiety
When we talk about depression and anxiety in a spiritual context, I cannot think of a more clear picture of the fruit of these things than to say they make it impossible to see God’s hand at work.
Anxiety is blinding to what God is doing in our life. Whether its caused by work, relationships, finances, or any other number of issues, anxiety pulls us into the place of worrying about and working to overcome these issues. Rather than trusting God in these moments, when anxiety takes root, we begin looking to and trusting ourselves. Our view of God is diminished, and we are blinded to His hand at work.
For me, seasons of anxiety are often followed by depression. It is connected to a feeling of sadness, when the reality sets in that I am unable to control all the things going wrong.
I believe this is true for most people who deal with depression. It is situational. (I am not ignoring the cases of chemical imbalance, but that is not the majority of depression in the world.) For most people, depression usually stems from the feelings of overwhelm and being out of control of your life, until hopelessness sets in. Depression, at its core, robs us of the security and joy of knowing and trusting that the Lord has our best intentions in mind, and is working for us!
When we get lost in depression and anxiety, the effects are the same. We are blinded to the Lord’s work and leading in our lives. We “go dim” in our spiritual vision.
God’s Answer is Praise
When Isaiah talks about overcoming the spirit of heaviness, He doesn’t talk about it in terms of a process or learning acceptance. Instead, he writes that in the Messiah, we will have a complete replacement take place. He will remove the spirit of heaviness by giving us a “garment of praise.”
Literally, this Hebrew phrase means that we will be wrapped in “the mantle of songs of praise.” That means to overcome the spirit of anxiety, we cover our lives with out-loud, active praise for all that God has done and is doing in our life.
Praise takes the dullness in our spiritual eyes, and does replacement surgery by fixing our focus back on the hand of the Lord at work. Praise is the defense for the blindness that allows anxiety and depression to take hold!
When we cease to cover ourselves with praise — focusing on what God is doing — we lose our correct sense of vision. What we should see spiritually (God working on our behalf) is replaced by a hopelessness and overwhelm as we feel the need to work for ourselves in God’s place. However, when we reestablish ourselves in the garment of praise, that heaviness leaves!
This Is Not a Process; It Is a Habit
Since we are used to thinking about mental health issues in terms of disease and treatments, most of us default to looking for incremental change. That is not how things work when dealing with the spirit of heaviness. Remember, when we draw close to God, resisting the enemy, he flees (see James 4:7). It is an immediate release from bondage! Praise will bring an immediate breakthrough to our “dimness.”
Freedom from the spirit of heaviness is not a process of overcoming. Rather, it is a process of remaining free by building a habit of praise into our lives!
So what does that look like?
It could mean many things!
For some people, this means surrounding themselves with praise-reminders. It could be keeping worship music on in the background throughout your day, so those songs will remain on your lips. It might mean posting scriptures or other items around your office or home, that draw your heart toward the Lord, and bring you into a posture of thanksgiving.
For other people, writing their praises down is the most effective way to build the habit. We see this habit in David, as he wrote so many of the Psalms in scripture. Song writing or writing poetry are great ways to write out our praises to the Lord. If you aren’t that artistic, it may simply mean keeping a journal, recounting every blessing God has given you throughout the day. Beware, though, the list will be loooong, once you get started!
I think the simplest way to wrap yourself in the garment of praise, is to make it an ongoing part of your daily prayer times. Tell Jesus “thank you,” out loud, for every single thing that comes to mind to be grateful for. This is especially true if you are in a season of anxiety and depression right now.
When God really began to teach me this lesson a few weeks ago, I was dealing with the spirit of heaviness, and after studying and praying and doing everything else, I realized the necessary step was to just get started. I stood up, lifted my hands to the Lord, and just began to say “thank you.” My breakthrough came quickly.
Praise Him for the Anxiety-Inducing Items
When I find myself in anxiety, it is usually wrapped up in a lack of finances for our missionary works in East Africa. There is always so much to do that our bank accounts usually remain near $0. So to do away with the spirit of heaviness, I must praise Him for the fact that He has always provided for us when we have a need. I thank Him for the opportunities we have to minister to people, churches, and communities. I thank Him for our donors and financial partners. Not in a vague way, but by name! I go through the list, and say “thank You” for as many people as He has allowed us to serve or to partner with us.
Other times, my anxiety comes with family issues — my wife and I arguing or my kids being disobedient and not listening to us. I can either let the frustrations take hold and the heaviness build, or I can turn my gaze back on the Lord, and begin to thank Him for my wife, my kids, our home, our friends, the fact that we have electricity, running water, hot water! (Remember, I live in East Africa). I thank Him that we are healthy, that my kids are growing, are smart, are learning to love Him, and more!
My point is that when a spirit of heaviness attacks, the quickest way to overcome is to praise God, immediately and out loud, and specifically for the areas of our lives where the heaviness is attacking!
Rebuke the Enemy
As one final reminder, after you have put on the garment of praise, don’t forget to take authority in the name of Jesus, and rebuke the spirit of heaviness (spirit of depression, anxiety, etc.) and command it to leave you alone. It has no place in your life, and you have the right, in Christ, to command it to go.
The Lord does not want you to live under the oppression and heaviness of the enemy. He doe not want you to live blindly, oblivious to the ways He is moving and working on your behalf. You simply must become more aware of it, moment-by-moment, day-by-day, and you do that by clothing yourself in praise.
Don’t wait. Do it now…
Let’s Connect
If you are enjoying what you are reading, you can make sure never to miss a post by signing up to receive my weekly newsletter below. I promise never to SPAM your inbox or share your information with others.
You can also join me on various social media platforms for more #ChristianLife and #GospelLeadership insights throughout the week. I can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Parler, and LinkedIn, and would love to see you there.
1 Note: although some people try to bring a connection between the “spirit of heaviness” and the “harmful spirit from the Lord” placed on Saul (1 Sam 16:14), there is no connection in the Hebrew language.
If you’re enjoying the content I produce, a little caffeine to keep me going would be appreciated!
© Anthony Scott Ingram 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Photo by Stormseeker on Unsplash
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
Please note that I do get a small kickback from Amazon for any purchases made using the links on this post. Should you choose to purchase from them, I just want to say thank you for further supporting my work in ministry!