Victory Over the Void

by | Mar 9, 2026 | Answers Series, Articles

Depression is a common experience to many people around the world.  Women are more likely to experience depression than men.

Depression is a complex problem that has both physical and psychological causes but the vast majority of cases are psychological in nature.  By that, it is meant that depressive symptoms develop from within one’s thinking and personal experience rather than from a physical impairment or disease.  Secular psychology seeks to treat clinical depression as a disease requiring psychotropic medication for the control of symptoms but offers no real hope for a long-term cure.  

For the biblical counselor, the root cause of most depression (stemming from wrong thinking) is spiritual in nature.  A Christian suffering from depression has allowed himself to become preoccupied with himself, his circumstances, or his problems to the point where he can no longer adequately cope with these issues on his own.  The goal of the biblical counselor is to identify the counselee’s self-perceptions and life events that may be a trigger point for depression and seek to minister biblical principles to redirect the individual’s focus from self to Christ.  Because the biblical approach to healing is an internal issue of the heart (Proverbs 4:23, 23:7), the biblical counselor can offer both short-term hope and a long-term cure for most depression if the counselee is willing to live by established biblical principles (2 Peter 1:3).

So, what is depression?  Here are some general symptoms that sort of define what depression really is.  Notice the emphasis on making a diagnosis for depression is on symptoms, not physiologic causes in most cases. 

Signs and Symptoms of Depression?

  1. Emotional Symptoms
    1. Sadness, hopelessness, restlessness, worry
    1. Fear of future, fear of dying, fear of change, fear of failure
    1. Feelings of inferiority, pessimism, self-criticism, lack of confidence
    1. Unexplained mood swings
  2. Mental Symptoms
    1. Inability to concentrate
    1. Apathy (loss of motivation), difficulty making decisions and fulfilling responsibilities
    1. Changes in behavior such as daydreaming or fantasizing
    1. Withdrawal from people
    1. Thoughts, or words, or plans of suicide
  3. Physical Symptoms
    1. Lethargy, unexplained weight loss
    1. Unexplained headaches
    1. Changes in eating patterns (eating more or less)
    1. Changes in sleeping patterns (more sleep or insomnia)
    1. Loss of sex drive

What Causes Depression?

Secular/psychological View

  1. Depression is a mental disorder caused by decreased levels of brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters (serotonin or norepinephrine)
  2. Depression is a physical illness or disease that must be treated medically like any other disease such as diabetes, hypertension, or ulcerative colitis.  It may require more long-term medical and psychological therapy

Medical or Biological Factors

Any disruption to the physical processes of the brain can lead to chemical imbalances within the nervous system thereby leading to depression

  • Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Endocrine hormone imbalances in blood levels of estrogen and adrenaline
  • Viral infections (flu, mononucleosis)
  • Vitamin shortages
  • Drug misuse
  • Exposure to industrial poisons
  • Fatigue
  • Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
  • When to look for biological factors
    • Intense lack of interest or pleasure in normal activities
    • Withdrawal from people
    • Expression of excessive guilt or anxiety
    • Consistent insomnia
    • Loss of appetite (not an increase)

Biblical View (possible factors to consider)

  1. Self-Pity– a self-inflicted means of escape from responsibility in the real world.  The counselee makes himself/herself the victim:
    • Of his/her circumstances (job loss, rejection by others, financial hardship, difficult childhood, not respected by family or co-workers, etc.)
    • Of the mistreatment by others (uncaring, nasty, selfish, cold-hearted)
  2. Self-Centeredness- a preoccupation with one’s plight and or getting one’s own way
  3. Guilt– a refusal to make things right with God and others or to trust God for the forgiveness already granted when confessed
  4. Emotional Suffering – serious illness, loss of a loved one, marital problems, rebellious child, previous traumatic event
  5. Fear- of dying, of change, of failure, of future
  6. Grief – loss of a loved one
  7. Worry- allowing day-to-day life events to become consuming and overwhelming to one’s mind leading to depression 

Note:   How one handles these attitudes is the key to PREVENTING depression

Biblical help for depression – Steps for overcoming depression

  1. Realize that that God is greater than your problems (Psalm 5:11-12, 18:1-6, 32:1-5, 34:19-22, 46:1,10, 86:7, Jeremiah 32:27; Philippians 4:13; 1 Peter 1:3-7, 3:6-7; 1 John 4:4)
  2. Seek to turn all your problems over to God in prayer (Phil.4:6-7).  This takes discipline and courage to allow Jesus Christ to be your burden bearer as He mentions He is in Matthew 11:28-30.
  3. Realize that God has a purpose for our problems (Romans 5:3-5, 8:28-29)
  4. Come to grips with the reality that much of depression tends to feed on self-pity.  Change your focus to renewing your mind through meditating on God’s (Phil. 4:8, Eph. 4:23, Heb. 12:1-3)
  5. Make it your daily goal to Get Up, Get Out, and Face Reality in order to overcome the landslide of negative thinking that can keep you in a depressed mindset (1 Cor 10:31; Col. 3:23-24)
  6. Avoid major stressful events in your life (relocation moves, job changes, large financial decisions)
  7. Seek to get daily exercise to produce those good feeling endorphins that will help bring you out of a downcast mood (1 Corinthians 9:27)
  8. Seek to get involved with the needs of someone else to help you’re your focus off your current mindset and emotional condition (Philippians 2:4)
  9. Try to follow Philippians 4:4: “rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice…” to reorient your mind to positive and hopeful things instead of wallowing in negative thoughts.”