Spiritual Depression – Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

No one escapes life's trials, tribulations, or depression. The heaviness and darkness of life can surround us and leave us feeling without hope. As Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains 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 our lives? 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, our 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 our faith, to prove that we, by God's power, can withstand the test. There is no need to despair! We are able to endure such times because the Lord loves us and we can trust Him. These trials are only for a season and we understand that the Lord is faithful to us 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 faultless.

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.

Oh, Christian, have you grown weary of well doing? In your hopelessness and despair, how have you been carrying on? Despite being on a correct path, we have all 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, and we struggle to continue despite feeling routine. Listen close as this sermon from Galatians 6:9 outlines some common pitfalls and dangers during this period. Negative voices encouraging us to give up, resigning to the feelings of hopelessness and artificial stimulants to keep us going such as alcohol or drugs provide no lasting hope. If you are feeling like you are just putting one foot in front of the other, Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages us 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?" Our energy for serving Christ and growing in maturity is not from our feelings, but from our Savior. Acknowledge that this life is a time of preparation for what is to come and rest in knowing our Lord will rescue and redeem us in due time. In this sermon on Galatians 6:9, Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages us that our walk will have ups and downs, but we can stand in our faith and not grow weary in doing well.

Are you suffering from bouts of unhappiness in your Christian faith? Could it be that one contributing factor may be conflict and confusion due to false teaching within the Christian church? The main problem of spiritual depression lies within, not outside, the church. In Galatians 4:15, the Apostle Paul confronts false teaching within the church. Today, false teaching can be very subtle and creep its way into the believer’s life. Dr. Martyn 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 he is 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. Martyn 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. Listen and know the simple truths of the Bible and rediscover the joy of your salvation as you build your life on this rock.

Who can talk to God? Who can boldly enter His presence and communicate with Him in prayer? Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones guides us through this careful study of how are we to pray. The blood of Jesus, His death and resurrection of Jesus Christ gives us unhindered access to the Father. But that open access to God in prayer is not an invitation to be casual, flippant or fill our prayers with meaningless repitition. We need the Holy Spirit's guidance to teach us how to pray. The spiritual battles of life, the weakness of our flesh, and our need for intecession requires careful attention to our communication with our King. Prayer that glorifies God, prayer that maximizes our spiritual life, is prayer that is filled with reverence and respect for our Father who loves us and is always ready to hear the voice of His children.

Praying Always

The Shield, Helmet and Sword

There are many who fail at the Christian life because they have not recognized they are involved with spiritual warfare. The scriptures tell us we are involved in a spiritual conflict, and our spiritual enemy is subtle beyond description. That’s the warning Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones gives us as he begins this sermon on verses 13-15 in Chapter 6 of Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians. He continues by revealing the hope that is found in the Bible in the whole of Ephesians 6. There, Paul tells us there is a way of victory through the armour of God. In our spiritual conflict, how can we avail ourselves of the strength of the Lord and the power of His might? By taking the full armour of God prayerfully, piece by piece. Each piece of the armour of God is important for us to have access to the full strength of the Lord.

As Christians, we sometimes face times of spiritual depression—times of trouble, worry, even misery. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones tells us in this sermon that it is profoundly important for us to recognize that the Christian life is a life of spiritual conflict with the powers of evil. As he focuses on Ephesians 6:10-11, he reveals the Christian’s hope: Jesus Christ has conquered our enemy. Since we are in Christ, His mighty power comes into us. We can be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. It is with that power alone we can triumph and prevail, finding complete victory over the spiritual forces that are arrayed against us.

In Adam; in Christ; dead unto sin - our need to live in realisation of this fact; the danger of psychological experiences; the certainty of our victory over sin; God is bringing us to glory; God chastises His children; don't yield to sin.