September 20, 2012
“It is not “thinking” when a thing grips the mind, but when the mind grips the thing. Their “thinking” goes beyond the line of pure mental
action.
Herein lies the real cause of depression as experienced by many believers, apart from purely physical conditions. The victim of depression and melancholia has admitted thoughts suggested by the deceiving spirits, until the mind is unable to shake them off, or else the enemy has obtained such a footing, that he holds the mental faculties in a grip of passivity, so that they cannot act. The victim feels as though his mental faculties were in a vice, or weighted with some heavy pressure which obscures all light, and prevents him grasping the facts around him, or using his reason at all. The malignant powers of darkness ofttimes succeed in keeping those who have given them opportunity to get them into their grip under the most harassing clouds and shadows. They rejoice over their own wicked deeds, and love to bind their victims, and keep them in bondage.
This is truly the “oppression” of the enemy (Ps. 42: 9), and is the outcome of the earlier stages of the attacks of deceiving spirits upon the mind, which could have been quenched had they been dealt with at the beginning.
That the enemy takes advantage of any mental feebleness, or overstrain, or disease, is, of course, to be recognized; but in persons of normal health, with no disease of the mind, inherited or induced, much of the “depression” may be attributed to the inroads of the enemy, through ground given unconsciously at some previous time. The cause of “brain-fog” too, needs to be examined in this light, lest many attribute to natural causes what may have been supernaturally brought about.” (Jessie Penn-Lewis; War On The Saints, Chapter 7)
Dear God, please help us to be willing to co-operate in our liberation rather than unconsciously working to resist it. Help us not to be defensive and not to brush aside all of the things you are bringing to light that has given Satan grounds to work in our lives. Thank you for blessing us with faith and humility and a teachable attitude. Help us to examine ourselves and everything in our life in your light. Amen.
Recovered In Christ 
Layla I thank God for grace He has given you to pursue His perfect will in your life. Stay the course and increase in His GRACE😊💛☺
“he holds the mental faculties in a grip of passivity, so that they cannot act.”- that describes me lately.
I’ve been struggling so much with depression. I am in recovery. In early recovery I was hopeless. after going through the steps it was lifted a lot. Lately its been creeping back in, telling me not to continue to do positive things in my life.I’ve been lazy and a little bit hopeless lately. I keep praying and meditating, and keep at it. I know it gets better. But I am on meds and it’s tough to shake sometimes along with my alcoholism. I can only pray/meditate/ and exercise. The doubt that God is not with me creeps in along with other negative thoughts. I sometimes think its a curse to have depression/alcoholism. Sometimes I think it’s a blessing because it brings me to seek God more. Yesterday was very tough, today I woke up and prayed/meditated this morning it got a lot better. I keep working at it at though. Thanks for the post.
I totally relate. Here is a more in depth article by the same writer on the same topic. I agree with you that it’s a blessing in that it drives us to seek out the God we need – but it was quite a shock to the system when the veil lifted and I began to see how so much of what I took for granted as “my” depression and “my” thoughts were actually part of an intelligent diabolical attack against me. I have met many people who have been fully delivered from what you describe. Feel free to email me privately anytime. ishiwoman@hotmail.com
http://laylanadda.wordpress.com/2014/01/31/the-battle-for-the-mind/
And here is an excellent book describing it further. There are a lot of chopped up/badly edited versions….but this is an original.
http://www.the-tribulation-network.com/Deception/war_on_the_saints/wots_contents.htm