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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Christians must realize that they are engaged in perpetual spiritual warfare. In this sermon on Ephesians 6:16 titled “The Shield of Faith,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reminds that Paul exhorts believers to take up the “shield of faith.” He referred to other pieces of the armor of God as things to “have,” but Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that this action changes to “take.” The shift is because the first three pieces of armor are fixed firmly to the body, but the shield must be taken up. People do not fight some general evil, but a particular spiritual person and others he commands. What are the “fiery darts”? Commonly, they are doubting thoughts, blasphemous words, and phrases that fill the mind and come to mentally discourage, depress, and defeat. Other darts inflame desires and passions, destroying peace, and contentment. Some are fiery trials of persecution, antagonistic people, or adverse circumstances. The “shield of faith” is the ability to quickly apply belief in answer to everything the devil does or attempts to do. Faith is not merely an intellectual belief or theory, but is always practical to apply truth. Faith never points to itself but to its object. The object of genuine faith is God, His character, and His promises. When attacks come, faith is actively dependent upon God and His grace in Christ.
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 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.
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.
Christians may grow weary of well doing. Despite being on a correct path, all Christians have experienced spiritual depression. Much of this can be attributed to a “middle period” of the Christian life; a time that comes after much growth and momentum, with the struggle to continue despite feeling routine. In this sermon on Galatians 6:9 titled “Weary in Well Doing,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones outlines some common pitfalls and dangers during this period. Negative voices encourage giving up, resigning to the feelings of hopelessness and artificial stimulants such as alcohol or drugs that provide no lasting hope. For Christians who feel like they are just putting one foot in front of the other, Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages that such feelings are normal. Instead of stalling, look to the word to discover “Why am I weary? What has caused me to feel this way?” Energy for serving Christ and growing in maturity is not from feelings, but from the Savior. Acknowledge that this life is a time of preparation for what is to come, and rest in knowing the Lord will rescue and redeem in due time. Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages the listener that the walk will have ups and downs, but they can stand in their faith and not grow weary in doing good.
Many Christians live burdened by a misunderstanding of what it means to be tempted by sin. They think that because they experience involuntary evil thoughts that they have sinned. In this sermon on temptation from Ephesians 6:10–13 titled “Temptation and Sin,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones uses the example of the temptations of Jesus to refute this belief. Jesus was repeatedly tempted by Satan when He was in the desert, but he never sinned. The temptation that Jesus faced was not because He wanted to sin but it came through external promptings. In the same way, Christians may have thoughts that they do not desire to have and that are not their own. Many times these thoughts are the result of Satan and his demons who tempt the children of God. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones proclaims, the only way to truly fight the devil and sin is to flee to Christ who alone has the power to overcome sin and temptation. Christ died for all who believe so that though they are still in the flesh, they will one day be free from all sin and temptation when Christ returns to finally destroy death, sin, and the devil. This great hope is the remedy against all sin and spiritual depression.
Christians should pray Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:16–19 for themselves and for the church. In this sermon on Genesis 26:17–18 titled “Revival Sermon: To Know Him,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains how today’s church is like the Laodicean church, thinking they are rich when they are poor. All are blind to their true spiritual state. But, as Dr. Lloyd-Jones states, “we must have a true concern for the glory of God.” Preliminary to revival is a thirst for God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones reveals the church’s need for vital living water, much like the need of water Isaac had from the wells of Abraham. The church must be careful of serious hindrances to that flow of water such as dead orthodoxy, and the failure to seek God, to know God, and to apply the truth. Christians must also examine themselves in light of Scripture. There is a right and a wrong way of self-examination and one’s orthodoxy determines which way they will go. The Christian should never be depressed or miserable, but some Christians are because of a wrong self-examination. When a person truly knows Christ, their sins will drive them to Him, not further from Him. Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes that this comes with a desperate need for prayer, for a person who is burdened is one who prays.
This great appeal comes to Christian people: “Stand therefore.” In this sermon on Ephesians 6:10–13 titled “Stand Therefore,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains about the power God gives His people to remain faithful. First of all, he says that Christians must not feel disappointed or unhappy because this causes a conflict. Christians should never feel sorry for themselves. The moment they do, they’ve already lost the battle. Secondly, they must recognize the power of what they are up against but not be frightened. Because of the power of God in them, they can resist the devil. Thirdly, they are not to be half-hearted. When they doubt, they are already defeated. Fourthly, do not consider retreat. Thinking or talking too much about personal weaknesses (or those of others) is depressing and an enemy tactic to sap the Christian of strength. Fifthly, always be ready. Spiritually, Christians are to be well balanced and not carried about by every wind of doctrine. Sixthly, realize the privilege of being in this great battle. Consider the captain and leader — Jesus Christ Himself. Lastly, think of the glory that is coming. Paul said, “There is henceforth a crown of righteousness laid up for me [.…] And not to me only, but to all who have loved his appearing."
When a Christian thinks all things seem against them, and they’re blinded by despair, they are called to have faith in Jesus Christ. Often, the storms of life lead to feelings of hopelessness. A person is scared and believes they are lost, not knowing if they can survive this next storm. They may even be afraid that God does not care. In this sermon, "Where is Your Faith?" from Luke 8:22–25, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues to tackle this issue of spiritual depression through an examination of the disciples’ own fear. As a storm at sea threatens their lives, Jesus rebukes first the storm, and then the disciples––they lack faith. The lesson is simple: Christians should never live in a state of terror. Yet, too often, they do. Today’s Christian’s problem is no different than these disciples’ as they question Jesus’s commitment to them. The call is the same. Christians must not question God’s goodness, but trust Him. They must have full confidence in Jesus. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains the nature and character of faith. Faith is not an automatic response in the believer, but something one must exercise. Does Jesus care about His people? Yes, He does. He will always receive them, bless them, and give them peace. Trust the God who calms the storm.
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