. Time and again, I return to one of the most powerful resources I have ever encountered: Martin Lloyd-Jones’ sermon series on Spiritual Depression. His insights have become a lifeline, helping me navigate the darkness with renewed hope.
By Dr. Tim Orr
For as long as I can remember, I have struggled with depression. It has been an unwelcome companion, appearing like an uninvited storm, often without warning. Though it lingers in the background, about three times a year, the storm intensifies into something acute, so overwhelming that it leaves me physically ill for a day or two. In those moments, I grasp for something steady, something true. Time and again, I return to one of the most powerful resources I have ever encountered: Martin Lloyd-Jones’ sermon series on Spiritual Depression. His insights have become a lifeline, helping me navigate the darkness with renewed hope.
Martin Lloyd-Jones, a Welsh minister and former physician, had an uncanny ability to diagnose the human soul. He observed that many Christians, though redeemed, live in spiritual gloom. In his sermon series, he addresses the “miserable Christian”—a believer weighed down by sorrow, guilt, or frustration despite knowing the truths of the gospel. To him, this was a contradiction. As Christians, we are meant to live in the joy of the Lord. Yet, many of us, myself included, find ourselves frequently overwhelmed by despair. This paradox, he argues, is neither necessary nor inevitable; it stems from a misunderstanding of our position in Christ (Lloyd-Jones, 1965).
One of the foundational truths that Lloyd-Jones emphasizes is our union with Christ. He expounds on Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” He insists that much of our spiritual depression arises from forgetting who we are in Christ. Too often, we live as though we are still enslaved to sin and failure, even though Christ has already set us free (Lloyd-Jones, 1965).
I remember a season in my life when this truth became tangible. It was during one of my lowest episodes—one of those stretches where depression made even the most mundane tasks feel insurmountable. A simple email felt like climbing Everest. Conversations were exhausting. During this time, I listened again to Lloyd-Jones’ words. He urged his listeners to hope that they were free and to reckon it as fact. In other words, I wasn’t fighting for victory over despair; the victory had already been won. My job was not to strive but to believe and walk in that reality (Lloyd-Jones, 1965).
This realization was like standing in a dark room and suddenly having someone switch on a light. The oppressive weight of despair did not instantly vanish, but the room was no longer as terrifying. I could see the walls; I could navigate. Depression often tells us that we are trapped in a pit with no way out, but the gospel tells us that Christ has already lifted us out—we need to stop acting as though we are still in the pit.
Lloyd-Jones’ training as a physician gave him a unique perspective on mental and emotional struggles. He understood that the mind plays a crucial role in spiritual health. He makes a statement that stopped me: “Most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself” (Lloyd-Jones, 1965, p. 20).
That insight struck me deeply. Depression often feels like a relentless, negative monologue running through my head—accusations of failure, reminders of past mistakes, whispers of worthlessness. Lloyd-Jones argues that instead of passively absorbing these thoughts, we must actively speak truth to ourselves. Just as the psalmist in Psalm 42:5 asks himself, “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” we too must challenge the falsehoods that depression feeds us. Instead of allowing despair to dictate our perspective, we must remind ourselves of who we are in Christ.
A friend of mine, a fellow believer, once shared how he battled this tendency. He had a habit of writing down every lie that depression told him—I am alone, I am unloved, I will never change—and next to each one, he wrote a corresponding biblical truth. For every falsehood, he countered with Scripture: I will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5); I have loved you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3); He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6). Over time, he learned to stop listening to himself and start talking to himself with truth.
Satan is called the “father of lies” (John 8:44), and depression often thrives on deception. Lloyd-Jones points out that sin—including despair—is an enslaving force. We believe a lie when we live as though we are still under its power. He urges Christians to reckon themselves as free because they are free (Lloyd-Jones, 1965).
Romans 6:11 says, “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The word reckon is crucial. It means to count it as fact, to consider it true even when it does not feel true. This is a radical shift in perspective: I do not have to feel victorious to be victorious. My feelings do not determine reality—God’s Word does.
Perhaps the most liberating truth that Lloyd-Jones preaches is that we are under grace, not law. Many Christians are bonded to legalism, believing that their standing before God is based on performance. But grace means our failures, shortcomings, and depression do not define us (Lloyd-Jones, 1965).
I have found immeasurable comfort in knowing God’s grace is not dependent on my emotions. On the days when I cannot lift my head, prayer feels impossible, and Scripture seems distant, God’s grace remains unchanged. I am still His, still loved, still secure.
One evening, after weeks of feeling spiritually numb, I found myself simply whispering, "God, I have nothing to give you." At that moment, I realized that grace meant I didn't have to. I could rest in knowing that God’s love for me had not changed even when I felt empty.
Depression is real, and for some, it is a lifelong struggle. But returning to Lloyd-Jones' sermons reminds me that my feelings are not the final word—God’s truth is. Depression may come, but it does not have the last say. If you, like me, struggle with depression, I encourage you to listen to these sermons, not just once, but regularly. Let them remind you of what is already true: You are not under the law, but under grace. Sin shall not have dominion over you.
And in that truth, we find hope.
Lloyd-Jones, M. (1965). Spiritual depression: Its causes and cure. Eerdmans Publishing.
Tim Orr is a scholar of Islam, Evangelical minister, conference speaker, and interfaith consultant with over 30 years of experience in cross-cultural ministry. He holds six degrees, including a master’s in Islamic studies from the Islamic College in London. Tim taught Religious Studies for 15 years at Indiana University Columbus and is now a Congregations and Polarization Project research associate at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at Indiana University Indianapolis. He has spoken at universities, including Oxford University, Imperial College London, the University of Tehran, Islamic College London, and mosques throughout the U.K. His research focuses on American Evangelicalism, Islamic antisemitism, and Islamic feminism, and he has published widely, including articles in Islamic peer-reviewed journals and three books.