This is War: Will I Win or Lose?
In his book, I Declare War, Levi Lusko shares these powerful words.
“Stop letting life happen to you, and start happening to your life.”
Every day that we are alive as Christians, we face a battle. It may not be a battle that others see. Rather, one that we fight against with all of our might. A spiritual battle against the enemy. And let me tell you, he doesn’t give up very easily.
The enemy is cunning, deceitful, and intelligent. It seems he knows just when we are at our weakest, and he pulls us to the darkness even more. It seems to me that if he gets a foothold, it's harder and harder to make him leave.
I’ve shared a lot lately about my real struggles with anxiety and depression. When I say it has been a battle, it has been just that. Some days are easier than others, but nonetheless, when I put my guard down, that is often when the enemy tries to prevail.
I’ve found that when I am alone or in periods of isolation, I am more prone to attack. The COVID pandemic was not good for this part of my struggle. Now, let me clarify. Some time alone for self-care is necessary and vital. I am referring to an extended period of time away. Isolating from any sort of community whether friends, family, the gym or church.
It seemed to me during times of prolonged isolation that I was more focused on the negative. Always making excuses for myself. Feeling tired and run down all of the time. No interest in anything. Becoming more anxious and depressed with each passing day.
It was a train heading straight to a derailment, and I was in the driver’s seat.
As I have been picking up the pieces of my train wreck, I am thankful that God never counts us out. No matter how many times we mess up and realize what we’ve done and how we need to start over. God is always working to mold us into an image of Him so that we can proclaim His Image wherever we go.
This doesn’t discount the work I have to do on my end. As we grow up, the same is true - anything we want is going to require work. The same is true for our mental and emotional health. There are things we can do to strengthen our minds and soul. It should be just as important as going to the gym for your physical body if that is your thing.
The reality is that anxiety and depression may be a part of your story, but it doesn’t have to define you. You can make the choice to reign it in and fight to gain back your life. If you choose to fight, I want you to know it will be a fight. But it’s okay, you will have everything you need to fight well.
No two battles will be the same, but I want to offer some strategies I have used. I’m in the battle right now. Maybe you are too. How we choose to fight this war and spiritual battle makes all the difference.
Here’s what I’ve been learning and a little into how I’ve chosen to fight.
You have to make the choice to fight every single day. And sometimes you have to make the choice multiple times in the same hour.
You cannot walk out of the house (or stay in your house if you work from home) unequipped. When you get up every morning you’ve got to hit yourself with the positive. You must then put on the armor and carry it all day. You can see Ephesians 6 for more in-depth about this armor. As Christians, we need this more than ever.
Realize that you may have moments during the day that are tough but choose to sit in them and keep fighting. Take a bathroom break, a short walk, or do a few stretches or deep breaths to clear your mind. If you get overwhelmed, remind yourself that you cannot do everything, but you can do something. You are only one person and can only do one thing at a time.
You must learn to give yourself grace and extend kindness to yourself before you can extend it to anyone else. To love others well, you must love yourself first.
You must learn to pray for a community that will support you. This may be a prayer for one friend that will come alongside you, where you are and support you in the journey. Building your community (it doesn’t have to be an extravagant friend group), will build your confidence and help you defeat the anxiety that can creep up inside of you that wants you to isolate yourself instead of enjoying life.
Now just because you complete the above points does not mean that everything will be perfect for you. The choice is yours. You must decide how hard you are going to fight. No one else on earth can do this for you. No matter how much we are loved. Embrace the season, no matter how difficult. I have found gratitude for my team of doctors, medication, family, counseling, friends, and activities that are joining me to fight. Each serves a unique purpose. None on their own can help me, but all together they strengthen my armor and my fight. I am choosing to fight every day, what about you? We can do this friend! We can believe and pray for days in which anxiety and depression no longer define us, but rather have helped shape us into the unique fighters that we are. Let’s build our army for the bigger we are, the smaller the enemy will become!
Exodus 14: 10-14 NIV - As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”
Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
