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Why is it that some Christians experience spiritual depression? In this sermon on Romans 6:14 titled “Spiritual Depression,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones maintains that spiritual depression occurs wherever there is an ignorance of the Scriptures. He preaches this sermon, rooted in the apostle Paul’s text, to sum up a couple of his former sermons covering the Christian’s death to sin in Christ, as well as the Christian’s new life in Christ. Dr. Lloyd-Jones then expounds upon Paul’s application. If the Christian wants to live and enjoy the Christian life in victory, they have to realize the truths of their union with Christ. They are not commanded to act like it is true. They are told to realize, reckon, and regard that it is true. They are to be certain of victory over sin. The greatest comfort Christians can have in their spiritual depression is to know that because of the victory they have in Christ, sin no longer has dominion. Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this can only be because of God’s grace. The law condemns, but God’s grace delivers. Under grace, Christians are brought more and more into God’s glory, so that they yield to sin less and less until they are completely delivered.
Who can talk to God? Who can boldly enter His presence and communicate with Him in prayer? In this sermon on praying in the Spirit from Ephesians 6:18, Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones guides the listener through this careful study of how Christians are to pray. The blood of Jesus, His death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ gives His people unhindered access to the Father. But that open access to God in prayer is not an invitation to be casual, flippant, or fill prayers with meaningless repetition. Christians need the Holy Spirit's guidance to teach them how to pray. The spiritual battles of life, the weakness of the flesh, and the need for intercession requires careful attention to one’s communication with their king. Prayer that glorifies God and maximizes the spiritual life is prayer that is filled with reverence and respect for the Father who loves and is always ready to hear the voice of His children.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones admits that the problem of spiritual depression is so widespread that he could spend all of his time counseling depressed Christians. In this sermon on Ephesians 6:10–11 titled “Be Strong in the Lord,” he seeks to address the cause of spiritual depression. While the counselor should take strides to ease the immediate pain of depression, the problem lies deeper than the pain itself. The problem is spiritual. Living in a materialistic world, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that one forgets that the spiritual world exists. The tendency is to treat everything as physical. For some, this means arguing that all depression is the result of personal sin. For others, this means arguing that all depression is the result of the body or brain. These answers, however, do not go deep enough and leave the individual in their depression. The problem is that Satan wars against humanity. These depressed thoughts come from the devil himself. In fighting spiritual depression, Christians must engage in a spiritual battle. Dr. Lloyd-Jones examines the whole armor of God and calls Christians to put on this armor. This is their fight against spiritual depression: to take up this armor and fight against the devil. Listen and be encouraged that Christ has triumphed, He has defeated the devil. In Christ, His people will prevail.
“I’m a Christian, why am I depressed?” Too often, Christians believe that becoming a Christian eliminates all temptation toward despair and depression. While regeneration transforms the inner person, it doesn’t necessarily change personality or temperament. The Christian should not continue in depression, yet the Christian often does battle depression. Sanctification is not automatic––one must strive toward living a life of faith. In this sermon on Matthew 14:22–23 titled “Looking at the Waves,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines the personality of Peter, a disciple of Jesus, and his unstable faith which leads to despair. Peter’s initial faith in Jesus led him onto the stormy waters. Yet something changed. Circumstances didn’t change; the waves were not new. What changed was Peter’s faith. Instead of focusing on Jesus, Peter focused on his circumstances. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that this focus on circumstances leads to doubt, which leads to despair. While the circumstances of one’s life are enough to drive them to depression, the Christian has a savior in the midst of the storm. The Christian must not rely on past experiences of faith––they must practice faith now, as the waves crash around them.
Christians can find themselves discouraged or depressed in their faith, noticing that attempts to grow in knowledge are met with fatigue or busyness. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains in this sermon on 2 Peter 1:5-7 how this is not just a coincidence. Symptoms of spiritual depression are subtle and come creeping into the Christian life. Times like this remind the child of God of their life before Christ, one filled with uncertainty, shallowness, and misery. Causes for this spiritual depression come from having the wrong view of faith and sheer lack of diligence. Christians must safeguard their time with the Lord, be diligent to grow deeper in faith and in the knowledge of the Lord, and supplement faith with virtue. Faith grows when the pressures of the world are confronted with the truth of God’s Word. When this is done with patience and diligence, the Christian will not be as prone to fall away, and will begin to grow and enjoy the Christian life with abundance.
While the Christian life is to be one of joy, it is common for Christians to feel depressed. Why is this? In this sermon “That Your Joy May Be Full” from Ephesians 3:14–21, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues exploring the reasons for spiritual depression. One reason many fall into spiritual depression is that they fail to realize what they were meant to be, what is available for them, and what God intends. Relying on initial experiences of forgiveness, this person fails to go on in their faith and grow in their knowledge and understanding. This leads the individual to their biggest problem: they don’t really know the love of God. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains God’s intention for the Christian and how one might receive what intended for them. This should not leave the believer with a feeling of hopelessness, but rather an eagerness and joy as they see what they can become. When they understand the truth that Christ dwells in them, they are ravished by Him and love Him. What is the Christian destiny and where are they heading? The Christian will spend eternity enjoying God. Today, the downcast soul must fight spiritual depression through regaining this robust view of who they are and where they are heading.
It is possible to be so gripped by fears of the future that the Christian becomes ineffective in the present. In this sermon on 2 Timothy 1:7, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses fear of the future as a contributor to depression. Satan’s primary goal is to discredit Christ, and therefore, he attacks Christians. To do so, he tempts us to dwell on the future and then fear of the unknown becomes paralyzing and the result is depression in the present time. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that one’s natural temperament, characteristics, and make up can contribute to depression as inclinations do not disappear once a person becomes a Christian. Therefore, the Christian must recognize personal fears and tendencies, and strive to deal with them. For all who are gripped by this fear of the future, they must fight as a new creature, filled with new life. God has not given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. The future may indeed be filled with sorrow, challenges, and suffering, yet the Christian should trust the Lord and boldly step into the unknown with confidence placed in Christ.
Should the Christian continue in sin so that grace may abound? God forbid. Aided by their natural minds, some in Paul’s day made it a habit of using grace as a cloak for sin. Paul argues against this mindset as he refutes those who charged him with preaching antinomianism—the belief that the gospel absolves any obligation to keep moral law. In this sermon on Romans 6:1–2 titled “Dead to Sin,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones contends that anyone who lives according to that belief has not yet begun to understand basic biblical doctrines. Instead of rightly living by grace, there were some in Rome who lived in depression as they sulked in their continual failures. Dr. Lloyd-Jones applies the timeless text in Romans to the many Christians who suffer from a sin-laden depression today. In this Palm Sunday sermon, he shows that the beautiful remedy for such a miserable depression is a true understanding of the cross of Christ and the union of the believer with Christ. Everyone is either in Christ or they are not. They have either been crucified with Christ and died to sin, or stand condemned in their sin.
This sermon is for the Christian who is unhappy, feels heavy burdens weighing them down, and cannot escape feelings of despair. In this sermon on Psalm 42:5 titled “General Consideration,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows how God’s word addresses depression. A depressed Christian is not a contradiction of terms; it is a reality the church must learn to address with the hope-filled truth of Scripture. Dr. Lloyd-Jones addresses the extrovert and introvert, both with their tendency to overanalyze one’s self which leads to weariness and dejection. His challenge is to “get to know yourself” and understand personal triggers. Physical conditions also play a part in spiritual depression, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones. The Christian must be aware of this so as to readily push back against the devil. The enemy cannot control the Christian, but he can and will use exaggerated circumstances to further discourage. The psalmist in turn encourages two things: first, speak the word to oneself instead of allowing the mind as it wander into despair. Second, remind oneself of God and His love. He encourages the Christian to defy themselves and the world by putting hope in God.
Sincere Christians face real problems in life. The idea that someone might become a Christian and never deal with doubt, discouragement, depression, and suffering is unbiblical. It’s possible for genuine Christians to be miserable. While Satan cannot rob Christians of their salvation, he can make them miserable Christians. In this sermon on 1 Timothy 1:16, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines one particular strategy which Satan may use in depressing Christians: reminding them of past sin. Something one did, or said – “that one sin” – can haunt them years later. While this Christian certainly believes God saves sinners, they feel that that sin is in a different category; that the gravity or volume of past sin places them outside of God’s grace. Listen in as the Doctor explains that depression caused by looking at past sin stems from a poor understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus did not die for a certain kind of sinner–He died for the greatest of sinners. The grace required to save the most respectable person in society is the same grace which saves the least. As Satan tempts to despair, God’s chosen must look to the cross of Jesus Christ and see He who died for all of our sin.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones served as one of the greatest preachers of his time; however, before he was called to the ministry, Dr. Lloyd-Jones was one of the most respected medical doctors of his time; at one point being the head doctor to the Royal family. In his sermon on body, mind, and spirit, Dr. Lloyd-Jones expresses his concern over the increasing number of psychological illnesses in the medical field. As a speaker at the Christian medical fellowship conference, Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides his solution to the rising depression rates that are crippling the British nation. He first states how the relationships between doctors and their patients is not what it used to be. Doctors no longer visit the homes of patients and therefore, do not have the same intimate relationships with them. This lack of intimacy between the doctor and patient severely hinders the doctor’s ability to diagnose the root cause of one’s psychological illness/depression. This often results in doctors having to take a universal stance on psychological illnesses. According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones there are four opinions on psychological illness that doctors can hold to. The first is that mental illnesses aren’t actually real and that patients must simply toughen up (Muscular Christianity). The second holds that people can take medication’s to help with their illness but are ultimately doomed to a life of depression. The third holds that every Mental illness is spiritual and can be mended with spiritual acts. The fourth believes that Mental illness is spiritual but cannot be solved by Christianity. With this said, Dr. Martyn Lloy-Jones summarizes the four opinions with two basic questions. Is mental illness physical or spiritual? He then expands on these two questions in part B of the sermon.
Christians can become spiritually depressed, perhaps not experiencing the joy of their salvation. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that they often do not realize the greatness of the gospel. In this sermon on Romans 6:17 titled “Mind, Heart, and Will,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows that the Christian message involves the whole person, and the whole person is to be affected by it. Christians cannot rejoice in the gospel if their doctrine is unbalanced or lopsided. Some Christians emphasize merely the morality of the Christian message. Others believe Christianity is only about forgiveness of sins. This is due to the fact that many preachers embrace doctrine that lacks balance. Converts often look like the people God used in their conversion, picking up their characteristics. Thus, for many, their understanding of the Christian message is lacking. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that the gospel transforms the whole person, not simply part of them. A Christian is one who knows why they are what they are. A Christian must be ready to give a reason for the hope within. As a Christian battles spiritual depression, it is imperative that they know the whole gospel and have been affected by it. In this way, one may, once again, experience the joy of their salvation.
Christians can suffer from bouts of unhappiness in their faith. One contributing factor may be conflict and confusion due to false teaching within the Christian church. The main problem of spiritual depression lies within the church, not outside. In this sermon on Galatians 4:15 titled “False Teaching,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones focuses on the apostle Paul confronting false teaching within the church. Today, false teaching can be very subtle and creep its way into the believer’s life. Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that false teaching sometimes detracts from the Christian message. Other times, as in the case of the Galatians, it adds to the Christian message. Either way, false teaching leaves the believer conflicted and confused. Maybe the believer hasn’t thoroughly embraced false teaching, but they are disturbed by it. In either case, the believer has lost their first happiness. How might the church safeguard herself against these dangers? Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones calls the church to embrace and cling to the original apostolic message. It cannot be subtracted from, and nothing can be added to it. There is joy in the Christian message.
What role does prayer play in spiritual warfare? In this conclusion of his sermons on spiritual depression, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones declares the prominent role prayer must have in a Christian’s life. In this sermon on Ephesians 6:18 titled “Praying Always,” he expounds upon the words of the apostle Paul, who told the church in Ephesus to pray at all times with all prayer and supplication. Dr. Lloyd-Jones tells why Christians pray and to whom they pray. He asserts that prayer is a test for all that they claim to believe. The high road of prayer is self-examination—that Christians would discover how weak and ignorant they are so as to drive them to God. Prayer is vital, essential, and necessary because Christians have a capable enemy in the devil; thus they continually need the armor and power of God to do battle. Jesus and the many saints that have come before proved that prayer is the supreme achievement of the soul. Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages to “keep your armor bright!” Prayer leads to knowledge of God, which leads to love of God, which defeats the enemy.
In one’s fight against depression, a person must deal with an incredible power: their feelings. In this sermon on 2 Timothy 1:6 titled “Feelings,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones deals with the problem of feelings in the Christian life. Everybody wants to be happy. The problem is that no one can make themselves happy. The human is not a master of self and cannot produce feeling. Try as hard as one might, a person cannot generate true emotions. One’s feelings are dependent on factors seemingly outside of one’s control. As a matter of fact, feelings seek to control the person. The world refers to this as a mood. A person controlled by their feelings may be referred to as a “moody” individual. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the Christian need not be controlled by their feelings. While feelings come and go, there is a great difference between rejoicing and feeling happy. Dr. Lloyd-Jones calls his listener to seek not happiness, but righteousness. The person seeking happiness will never find it. However, seeking after righteousness, the believer often discovers they are happy. The listener is encouraged to discover that Christians are called to seek Jesus Christ above all, and in Him is found lasting joy.
While the spirit of bondage and fear is a work of the Holy Spirit, it has a specific and limited role in the life of the Christian. It is to awaken the person to their desperate condition. However, as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones argues in this sermon on Romans 8:15 titled “Freedom from Fear,” the spirit of bondage and fear cannot coexist with the spirit of adoption. The former is always replaced by the latter. But how can Dr. Lloyd-Jones claim this when the New Testament has much to say about fear in the Christian life? Are there not numerous examples where Christians experience what could be called a spirit of bondage and fear? Are these examples that prove the spirit of adoption does not replace the spirit of fear? Dr. Lloyd-Jones walks through objections to his understanding of the apostle Paul, detailing how his understanding of Romans 8:15 is compatible with the rest of Scripture. In so doing, he engages a number of pastorally pressing concerns such as depression in the Christian life, demonic aggression against believers, and the Scriptures in counseling. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones hits on a wide-range of topics in this fascinating teaching on Romans 8:15.
What do Christians do when they face spiritual depression, and their feelings and emotions forsake them? How do they react when they are unsure in their Christianity and are filled with doubts and questions? The answer to these questions are in Ephesians 6:14, where the Christian is told to put on the breastplate of righteousness. How exactly does this breastplate of righteousness help when Christians go through times like these? In this sermon on Ephesians 6:14 titled “Righteousness of God by Faith,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones speaks on the importance of putting on the breastplate of righteousness and how it protects the Christian from the lies of the devil. Rather than relying on feelings and works to feel secure in one’s salvation, the breastplate of righteousness reminds the Christian that it is the righteousness of Christ through faith that saves them. When a Christian is unsure and full of doubts during the dry seasons of life, they can lean upon the righteousness of God for strength as they wait on and rest in Him. As believers, it is essential to put on the breastplate of righteousness because it will carry the Christian through any forsaken feelings, questions, or doubts they have and keep them safe.
When the future is unknown, how should one live in the present? Anxiety about the future leads to time wasted, frantically attempting to discover the answer to “what will happen?” It also leads to impatience. In this sermon on Hebrews 11:8 titled “By Faith Abraham,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones exclaims that all of one’s thinking about the future will not affect the future. He examines the faith of Abraham who lived his life not knowing what would happen. He wasn’t preoccupied with questions on the future. In contrast, Abraham went out only with the promises of God. The early Christians were depressed and discouraged. They had reason for worry. The writer of Hebrews gives them this great picture of faith to remind them: Abraham believed God. He was a man of great faith, and needed not worry about the future. It does not matter how one will spend the next few years of their life, but how one will spend eternity. Whatever may happen in the future will not affect God and His promises to His people. If God is truly with them, they can face anything in this life.
What fear should the Christian have? In what ways ought the believer be gripped with worry or anxiety? Unruly fears, anxieties, and worries lead the believer to spiritual depression. This need not be. In this sermon on Romans 6:5–8 titled “Alive Unto God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones declares the believer’s sure hope: they are raised with Christ. What one believes must be driven by facts. The fact is that Jesus was raised from the dead, and all who have died with Him have the confidence that they are raised with Him. In the face of temptations, these facts lead the Christian to an unshakable certainty: death has no power over them. As the believer is dead to sin and alive to Christ, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that their future is absolutely certain. They cannot continue in sin, and will never again submit to the slavery of sin and death. Worry, fear, and anxiety are wrapped up in death. Death is rooted in sin. If Jesus has dealt with sin, He’s dealt with death. If death is no more, everything changes. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones leads to the truth that calms all fear: Christ has been raised from the dead, and the Christian life is hid in Christ with God.
No one escapes life’s trials, tribulations, or depression. The heaviness and darkness of life can surround and leave people feeling without hope. As Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains in this sermon from 1 Peter 1:6–7, it is natural for Christians to feel grieved and sorrowed. But why do trials and tribulations happen to Christians? What is God accomplishing by allowing difficult circumstances into the lives of his children? Each situation is designed by God to refine the precious character of our faith. Just as gold is refined by the fire to remove impurities, the Christian faith must be refined to remove the impurities of sin. Lloyd-Jones proclaims the words of Peter, that trials are essential in order to show the genuineness of faith, to prove that by God's power, His people can withstand the test. There is no need to despair. Christians are able to endure such times because the Lord loves his children and they can trust Him. These trials are only for a season and there is understanding that the Lord is faithful in all circumstances. The day of revelation is coming, and those who have been refined and are proven faithful will be delivered on that day. The Lord will present those who have been refined as faultless before God.
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