Why You Don’t Have to Live With Depression and Anxiety This Christmas

Depression is highly activated at this time of year.

Some people are feeling loss and grief over the previous death of a loved one. The holidays have a way of reminding us what we are missing, such as finances, friends and family. And seasonal depression sets in as we lose sunlight during this time of year.

Can we be delivered from this continuing cycle of depression? Is depression your fate? Is it something you have to live with and accept? The answer is no!

Jesus cares about your soul, and your soul is your mind, will and emotions. As you read the book of Psalms and study the Scriptures, especially in Psalm 16 and 19, you will discover that our Father God cares about our soul.

In the Bible, in John 10:10, it says the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus is the one who comes to give us abundant living. Isn’t abundant living done without depression?

We are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27). If we are created in the image of God, that means, perfect, whole and complete. We are not created with depression or to live with depression.

The Holy Spirit is within you, and He is in your spirit man. He is in your body, your flesh suit. Do you think the Holy Spirit wants to be enclosed in your body with depression? No! He wants you well. He desires you to be whole!

You can have a whole soul (see my book, Discerning and Destroying the Works of Satan). The Bible says, “He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness. ‘By His wounds you were healed'” (1 Pet. 2:24).

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of His dear Son” (Col. 1:13).

Jesus has delivered us from the powers of darkness, and depression is darkness. Depression is a dry place where you feel as if you are in a stalemate. There is a part of your mind that feels as if you are in the pit of Sheol, but Jesus came to deliver us from the pit.

Jesus Delivers Mind Ailments

In Mark 5, some people would label the man of the Gadarenes as crazy or schizophrenic. He was running around, howling, cutting himself with stones. We could say he was acting like a madman! However, in verse 15a, this man is delivered and sitting in his right mind. “They came to Jesus and saw him who had been possessed with the legion of demons sitting and clothed and in his right mind.”

My question is why would Jesus heal and deliver a man with a schizophrenic spirit and mind ailment and not heal depression? Why is depression considered a chemical imbalance or mental illness that Jesus can’t heal or deliver, or that we can’t believe for our healing?

Schizophrenia would also be considered a mental illness; therefore, if Jesus can heal a mental illness of schizophrenia, can’t He heal a mental illness of depression? I believe He can. I personally have witnessed and assisted people through the deliverance process of schizophrenia, depression and mental illness. These people have gone forward to lead normal lives and get off all prescription medication.

I believe the missing element is that we are not casting out evil spirits as Jesus did. We need to acknowledge that in some cases, not all, notice I said, some, there is a demonic spirit behind the mental illness or depression creating the same familiar circumstances.

Jesus came to release the ministry of deliverance. My question is, “What would it hurt to try and cast out a demon of depression or a spirit of infirmity and affliction?” If it’s not there, great, you lost nothing but the time of a few spoken words. But perhaps the condition is manifesting because of a demonic stronghold, and you cast it out, and it goes. Now, freedom has come forth, and after the spirit is cast out, now you simply have to walk out the behavior, patterns and mindsets that were instilled due to your condition.

Jesus wants you free! I want you free! Ask the Holy Spirit! Allow Him to come in and speak to you. Try it!

Jesus told the legion to go. Say, “Spirit of depression, strongman of depression, mental illness, I break agreement with you, and I command you to get out of me in Jesus’ name.” After you prayed that prayer, speak out some powerful declarations, such as 2 Timothy 1:7. Fight the devil. Don’t give into and accept something you were never meant to have. You were created in the image of God with a sound mind!

Kathy DeGraw is a prophetic deliverance minister releasing the love and power of God to ignite and activate people, release prophetic destinies and deliver people from the bondage of the enemy. She is the founder of Kathy DeGraw Ministries and Be Love Outreach. She is the host of the “Prophetic Spiritual Warfare” podcast. She is the author of several books, including Speak Out, Discerning and Destroying the Works of Satan, Unshackled and Warfare Declarations. You can connect with Kathy on Facebook at facebook.com/kathydegraw/ or visit kathydegrawministries.org.

For more on spiritual warfare, check out the Charisma e-book, The Spiritual Warfare Strategy Guide, available at this link for just $1.99.