Slaying Dragons in the Dark: Crushing Depression and Building Hope for Your Story

Who is the hero in your story? In many plots of our favorite films and books, we witness the present challenge of a hero or heroine who doesn’t recognize the scope of his or her power. He or she may sense some form of irreversible impending doom or depression, curious and eager to help, yet later question their ability to do so.

As the tension mounts, circumstances shift, placing a sense of responsibility on them to rise and answer with action. This call to conquer is often something that only our central character can respond to, as they have been chosen and equipped to advance, despite emotion and appearance.

David had experienced a conqueror’s journey of his own between the time he tended sheep, beheaded Goliath, and eventually became king (1 Samuel 16-17; 2 Samuel 2)). Like the leads in many fictional stories, his tenacity, talents, and training were sharpened in secret. God designed David’s destiny like the wild card that defeated Israel’s enemies.

At the time Samuel anointed the future king in the presence of a family who’d forgotten about him, the destiny of a people and a nation outweighed his present distress. Like many heroes and heroines, David as shepherd, psalmist, warrior, and king perceived that the fights he endured were worth preserving Israel and Judah’s legacy on the earth.

The struggles were essential to being the “man after God’s own heart.” Many of the Psalms read as his diary, a songbook of lamentation and rejoicing, where he turned to God in seasons of triumph and despair. We can study David and his writings to encourage ourselves in the Lord, as he did (1 Samuel 30).

Despite depression and present circumstances, we need to recognize that the most significant hero in our story is the Holy One who lives in us. This is who and what empowers us with the ability to conquer and slay dragons in the dark.

The traumatic incidents and resulting difficulties that we have confronted persuade us that we lack the capacity to advance against a virulent enemy. However, that is part of the devil’s smokescreen. He wants us to embrace a notion that suggests that we can’t partner with God to experience uncommon victory.

The battlefield of the mind is the place where we pursue, overtake, and recover all. That is what David did, though weary and wounded by depression, shifting loyalties among his troops, and the threat of permanently losing all he loved and valued.

Sometimes, we view God through the same jaded lens as others who have wounded us in life. Those misguided notions often come through a past rooted in pain. It affects our current perception of God.

When we partner with the enemy’s influence to label Him as unkind or unfair, we amass hurt and offense. We multiply the intensity of those uncomfortable emotions and negative experiences when we disconnect from God and those who can help us through our darkest times.

Connect with God to help with depression

God loves us more than we could love ourselves. Instead of retreating into the shadows to nurse our hurt, He wants us to bring it boldly into the open with Him. Part of reasoning and growing in relationship with Him means that we engage instead of running away in anger, sadness, or offense.

Even where our uncomfortable emotions are in response to a sovereign decision He made and we disagreed, He wants us to haul those same disruptive thoughts and feelings to His feet. He longs for us to engage with Him to pour out instead of holding on to what has been building up in our hearts.

When we allow Him to wash the sin and residual hurt, He exchanges, redeeming and restoring us with His pure blood (Isaiah 1:18). Sometimes this takes time and assistance for us to recognize.

It may disturb our theology to consider sharing the depth and expanse of what we truly feel with God. However, this is the kind of intimacy with Him that He created us to experience. We can only heal to the degree that we are willing to allow the Spirit of God to redeem hidden hurt.

When we avoid expressing the raw feelings that God already knows, we unnecessarily internalize them and sometimes project them onto others. We may not realize that our attempts to withhold our pain from the Lord treat Him as a stranger and not as a loving Father.

However, it is through the low points, the darkness, and difficulty that we exchange weakness for His strength (2 Corinthians 12:9). We grow in reliance and relationship. He empowers and uplifts, transforming us from merely surviving in our hurt to thriving and healing.

It is difficult to see through the thick smokescreen of circumstance. There are times along our journey when the threats against our mental and emotional states seem palpable. We may not even see a glimmer of hope, let alone feel empowered to pursue what lies beyond the present. This is precisely where Satan toys with our minds, seeding unbelief to sabotage the destiny we were created to reach.

For those of us who have a trauma history that has leveraged ill effects, we need to recognize that our investment in healing not only offers a long-term coping strategy but also engages us in effective warfare against the spirit behind debilitating depression.

Calling for counsel for depression

While we partner with God, we must realize that we don’t live in a vacuum. Encountering triggers is an inevitable part of our journey, but we must also have a strategy to cope with those moments.

Working with a therapist to resolve lingering pain can help us get to the roots of surfacing pain. Counselors guide and engage us with techniques to handle our physiological responses while addressing the intrusive thoughts and uncomfortable emotions that present when triggered. Getting help is an important step in holistic healing and growth.

Reminders of trauma will certainly position themselves between our present and unknown future. As we stumble upon challenges that trigger the thoughts and feelings of past encounters, we will feel vulnerable. The enemy will work against us in a few significant ways.

Fear will try to wrestle us out of walking in our authority, pinning us to a past that is powerless against the power of the Almighty. The voice of shame that operates in accusation and torment, will try to fill our minds with lies and limitations.

Here, we must recognize that we are not our own worst enemy. We are not fighting ourselves, but rather standing in triumph against the demonic forces that contend with us (Ephesians 6:10-12).

There is an ongoing battle in the unseen realm, but it is one that Jesus has already conquered. We are armed with the practical and spiritual tools to advance His light into the darkness of our depression. We are powered by His conquering grace that reinforces the victory in Christ, from the inside out (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Cultivating community

Having a supportive circle of friends and family can help. When we are physically worn out from the drain on our minds and emotions, we will need encouragement. relationships with people who embody the Father’s love, with their patience and kindness, can be safe spaces to refresh.

While we encounter a dimension of healing through the human touch, the hands of Jesus extended through the Body of Christ, we also may establish boundaries. Being wise and selective about what we share and with whom is another protective factor to preserve and support our mental and emotional well-being.

Crushing depression’s grip

Depression doesn’t get the final say in our mental wellness journey. We might have a diagnosis, but it doesn’t have to hold us captive. Our spiritual weapons are designed to wage war in the realms where we cannot see (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

Although we stand against an invisible enemy, the results of what we pray and declare are manifested in where we can see. God gives us spiritual and practical strategies to accomplish His aims, enforcing His finished work through dark seasons.

We crush the talons of depression as we make good use of an array of our available resources. Having an integrated approach puts our faith to work, led by God’s Spirit and actualized through our efforts (James 2:26).

When we meet with a sound therapist, safely treat with pharmaceuticals under doctor’s care when necessary, adopt healthy practices, and receive relational support, we embrace a comprehensive approach to navigating a diagnosis with mindfulness and courage.

God meets us where we are. He’s committed to equipping and enabling us to plow through the enemy opposition and leap over the obstacles mounting against us, including depression (Psalm 18:29).

We will go through difficulties in life, sometimes simultaneously and sometimes successively, causing us to be aware of the weight associated with life in this world. As we encounter these experiences, we can cultivate joy and peace to elevate and encourage us in our present circumstances. Sometimes another trial emerges as the current one fades, but Jesus is our true constant. He sustains us, remaining the same.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. – Hebrews 13:8, NIV

Next steps to battle depression

Take a moment to assess your life. If you are battling depression, please know that you are not alone. Realize that you can avail yourself of God, as our true source, and the resources He’s furnished for you to thrive amid difficulty. Explore our site to locate and contact a counselor who matches what you need. Then, make your next bold move that crushes depression and builds hope, one supported step at a time.