Breaking The Chains Of Depression And Oppression. (part 1)

I was invited to preach for a pastor when his wife had their baby, so he could spend some time with his family. I prayed about the message several times. The week before, I was struggling with my own spiritual battle.

I know what I need to do when facing a spiritual battle, but sometimes the enemy gets a grip on you that feels like a chokehold. We begin to feel as if we cannot breathe, and everything seems to go dark. Before we know it, we begin to spiral down.

However, I had to remind myself that I have the strength to rise above, to push through the despair, and to find my way back to God and His promises.

As I kept praying about this message, I sensed God speaking to my spirit. Satan knows his time is limited, and he is trying to wear out God’s children.

There are many of us whom the enemy is trying to keep beaten down.

Here’s the thing: we all experience moments of depression, but today I am referring to a deep, dark, hopeless kind of depression. The kind that requires every ounce of strength just to put one foot in front of the other, kind of depression.

Where we feel as if we are broken, and cannot find the light at the end of the tunnel- depression- where the only prayer we can whisper is “God help me.”

The enemy wants to keep us depressed and oppressed until we cannot fight anymore.

I struggled a lot with trying to pray. It felt like my words were empty, drifting into silence without making any impact, as if they were falling on God’s deaf ears. I found myself questioning the very core of my faith.

Likewise, reading my Bible became difficult; the verses seemed to blur before my eyes, and I could not grasp their meaning or significance. It was as if a thick fog had settled in my mind, blocking my connection to God, prayer, and scripture.

I realize that I was not the only one going through these feelings and challenges.

But one of the verses that I clung to at that time was:

Psalm 42:5 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will praise him, my Savior and my God. (NIV)

There is an ongoing war that is often invisible to the naked eye.

It’s not just around you…

It’s in your mind, emotions, and your spirit.

You can be smiling on the outside…

Serving in ministry…

Showing up for family gatherings…

And still you feel heavy, tired, and overwhelmed on the inside.

Depression often whispers, “You are alone.” It wants to tell you, “God doesn’t care about you.”

Depression is not just sadness; it is a weight that tries to crush your identity.

Depression has a way of quietly whispering in your ear, convincing you that you are alone in your struggles, and God has turned His back on you.

It’s important to understand that depression is more than a temporary feeling of sadness; it feels like a heavy weight that seeks to surpass your true self and lower your self-worth.

Oppression wants you to withdraw from everything and to stay quiet.

Oppression causes constant feelings of hopelessness, echoing thoughts like. “You are not going to make it,” or “This pit you find yourself in is too deep to escape.”

It is important to realize that oppression isn’t just external pressure; it’s a deliberate attack on your spirit, meant to block your ability to pursue your purpose in life.

The enemy operates in both realms; he intensifies your suffering, distorts your perspective, and isolates you from the truth.

What you are feeling is real, but I promise you it is not permanent.

Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy…

If the enemy can’t destroy you physically, he will exhaust you mentally.

Struggling does not mean you are weak; it means you are human.

Part 2 will soon follow.