Anchored Website File

Job, a righteous man in the Bible, experienced profound trauma that affected every part of his life. By all accounts, Job was depressed.

Depression – A range of conditions in the human soul that involve regret over the past, helplessness in the present, hopelessness about the future. It may begin as a temporary rut, but can provide a way of perceiving and living that feeds on self focus, self-pity, and frustrated desires for pleasure and preservation.

It seems pretty conclusive from science that some people are more prone to depression and melancholy than others. Not all sadness is depression. There is a time to grieve (Ecc 3:4), and there is a way to grieve (1 Thess 4:13-14).

For sadness/depression that persists, the 2 pillars and core solutions of biblical counseling are: Who is God? And who am I?

Eph 6:12-18 – Our identity in Christ is the weapon we wield to resist the attacks of the evil one.

  • Satan is the accuser of the brothers (Rev 12:10, Job 1). He is constantly attempting to defeat us through discouragement. “the flaming darts of the evil one” (6:16).
  • Therefore, put on the full armor of God!
    • 14 – belt of truth
    • 14 – breastplate of righteousness
    • 15 – shoes…readiness given by the gospel of peace
    • 16 – shield of faith (Rom 10:17)
    • 17 – the helmet of salvation
    • 17 – the sword of the Spirit
    • 18 – praying at all times in the Spirit 

Biblically, who are we?

  • Saints – Core Identity
    • 1 Cor 1:2 
    • Eph 1
      • 4 – Chosen; holy and blameless before him
      • 5 – Predestined; Adopted
      • 7 – Redeemed through his blood; Forgiven
      • 11 – Obtained an inheritance
      • 13 – Sealed with the Holy Spirit
      • 19 – powerful 
  • Sinners
    • Martin Luther “simul iustus et peccator” — Latin for “at the same time righteous and a sinner.”
    • Gal 5:16-17 
  • Sufferers
    • Rom 8:18-25 – we groan with creation waiting for the new heavens/earth. Redemption of our bodies.
    • 1 Pet 1:6-7, James 1:2-4 – trials will come and perform their purifying work

Applied to the 3 temporal aspects which contribute to depression:

  1. Regret over the past.
    1. 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Ephesians 2:1-5
  2. Helplessness in the present
    1. Ps 121:1-2, Rom 8:28-29
  3. Hopelessness about the future
    1. Heb 2:14-15 – fear of death, 1 Pet 1:3-4 – hope of heaven, Rom 8:31-32 – Gives hope for current/future struggles and problems

The spiritual disciplines are vital for fighting depression: Meditating on the Word, Church, Fellowship, Prayer, Giving, Etc.

Resources

  • Tautges, Paul. Remade: Embracing Your Complete Identity in Christ
  • Welch, Ed. Depression: Finding Christ in the Darkness
  • Welch, Ed. Depression: The Way Up When You Are Down (mini book)
  • Lou Priolo. Discontentment: Why Am I So Unhappy?
Anxiety Trauma