What are you paying attention to?
Whatever you pay attention to will become magnified in your eyes and in your life. Whatever you give heed to, will become more important to you. Let's take two people: John thinks about his past sins and how badly he is messed up his life. Adam on the other hand, keeps thinking about how he is a new creation, his past has been washed away by what Christ did for him on the cross and he is a new person in Christ Jesus. John, because his attention is constantly on the problem, the problem becomes larger in his eyes than the solution to his problem, and that is the Blood of Jesus. Adam on the other hand, does not even see his past, because he is always thinking about the Blood of Jesus, and how he is clean, it is as if he is never sinned! Which person is going around feeling guilt-ridden, defeated, and condemned? Which one feels clean, on fire for God, and grinning from ear the ear... overflowing with the love and victory of God? I hope this opens your eyes to see why so many Christians are living 'defeated' lives and walk around guilt-ridden and are lacking the joy of the Lord in their lives. And without the joy of the Lord, where is their strength supposed to come from? After all, as Nehemiah 8:10 tells us, "For the joy of the LORD is your strength."
That is why the enemy tries to get your mind and thoughts derailed and off of the truth that is in God's Word. He tries to get you to worry about things that in reality, you have no reason to be worried about!
Is it a sin problem? That has been dealt with in 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." In plain English, it does not matter what you have done, if you are willing to take it before the Lord, you can be forgiven of it!
Do you need healing? Has that not been paid for on the cross? Have not His stripes been given as ransom for your healing (Isaiah 53:5)? Did not Jesus demonstrate this by healing EVERYBODY who came to Him (Matthew 8:16-17)?
Perhaps one of the biggest differences between a victorious believer and a depressed or defeated believer are the very thoughts that go through their mind day after day. Yes, demonic spirits can and do play a big role in depression, fear, etc., but many times all you have to do is get your thoughts derailed and because of your ignorance of the truth, you begin to become fearful and depressed.
Fear and depression can also be caused by evil spirits, as Saul was tormented by evil spirits who caused fear and depression to sweep over him. 1 Samuel 16:14, "Now the Spirit of the LORD had left Saul, and the LORD sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear." (NLT)
