Feeling somewhat heavy after a wholesome meal is normal because your stomach is full. However, there is a form of heaviness that a Christian feels, which is sponsored by a spirit. This form of heaviness directly affects the spiritual life of that Christian and then reflects physically in other areas of their lives. Interestingly, this feeling usually comes when situations do not favor you and life is not going as planned. In times like these, most Christians feel very downcast and intensely troubled. Praying or studying God’s word becomes burdensome, and they experience disappointment.
The spirit of heaviness is a spirit that exists to separate Christians from God by making them experience intense sorrow and despair. There is often the question of whether the spirit of heaviness is different from what scientists refer to as depression. With depression, the sadness that a person feels is often personal or situational, controlled and powered, and can be taken away by certain human efforts.
However, the spirit of heaviness is an entity that attacks a Christian with the intent of pulling such a person away from God. More often than not, most Christians experience attacks from this spirit and find themselves struggling to keep their faith alive. Keep reading this article to know how to deal with the spirit of heaviness.
Where Did the Spirit of Heaviness Originate From?
All through the scriptures, there is only one mention of the spirit of heaviness, found in Isaiah 61:3. From that verse, we can see that it is possible for a Christian who loves and believes strongly in God to also have a spirit of heaviness. The passage also affirms that the spirit of heaviness is not of God as it mentions God’s desire to take the spirit of heaviness from the believer.
As to the source of the spirit of heaviness, there can be only one answer: the Devil. Why is this so? First, a Christian, by faith in Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit, is meant to have joy at all times. Thus explaining why joy is listed among the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22. In addition, Bible verses like Isaiah 12:3, 1 Thessalonians 1:6, and 1 Peter 1:8 all point towards the essence and functions of joy in the life of a Christian. Knowing this, the Devil designed a mechanism known as the spirit of heaviness to counter the joy of a Christian, which in turn would affect their faith walk.
The spirit of heaviness comes from the place where all bad spirits that attack the church reside: hell. It is often carried on the wings of other demons who fashion out terrible circumstances and events that cause sorrow, pain and tears.
What Is the Spirit of Heaviness?
It is often one of the most underrated enemies of Christians and the church in general because of its subtle form of operation. It is an evil spirit designed to attack the faith life of a Christian. Interestingly, most Christians ignore the spirit of heaviness and often dismiss it as a feeling of being downcast or depressed. But the presence of this spirit in a Christian can be catastrophic.
The spirit of heaviness is a demonic entity that strives to drive a wedge between a Christian and God under the aegis of sorrow and sadness. It begins by amplifying all the negative circumstances and events happening to a Christian and projects a deep feeling of hopelessness into such a person’s heart. With such sad feelings, you begin to forget God’s faithfulness and goodness in the past, thus leaving room for ungratefulness. In this ungrateful state, worshiping God becomes a burdensome and tiring exercise.
The next thing that happens is that such Christians start to view prayer as a chore and slowly begin to lose reasons to pray. Once you stop praying, the spirit of heaviness plunges you into a deeper and more intense level of sorrow such that you might slowly lose your will to live. Also, the spirit of heaviness is a subtle spirit that takes a Christian’s focus from Jesus and causes them to worry about the storms of life around them. It then lets fear of several things like the unknown, the future, death, and failure fill the believer’s mind, and just like Simon Peter in Matthew 14:30-33, such a Christian begins to sink.
In addition, the spirit of heaviness is a spirit that steals the joy of a Christian and replaces it with an intense discontent with life. One reason why the spirit of heaviness focuses on the joy of a Christian upon entry is that your joy as a Christian is one of the major proponents that fuel your faith walk. Amazingly, most Christians have, at some point in their walk with God, been plagued by the spirit of heaviness, so knowing how to overcome it is necessary.
How To Overcome the Spirit of Heaviness?
In your faith walk, there are some spirits you cast out and demons you bind. However, the spirit of heaviness doesn’t fall under such a category. To overcome the spirit of heaviness, you must be strategic and intentional about it. Here are a few tips that can help you overcome the spirit of heaviness:
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Do Not Give In
This may sound unscriptural or motivational, but it is a simple way to resist the spirit of heaviness. Once the heaviness creeps into your heart, there is always a desire to keep quiet, wallow in your sorrow, focus on your problems, reduce the time spent in worship, and stop praying in general. Do not give in to these feelings. Fight them as hard as you can. Do the opposite of whatever you feel. Pray when it feels like you should be quiet. Sing out loud and worship when there is seemingly no reason for such action.
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Prioritize Thanksgiving
It is easy to lose sight of God’s faithfulness towards you, especially amid life’s chaos and troubles. However, make thanksgiving a priority. Give thanks twice as much as you ask God for blessings and favor. Please make it a duty to practice what Paul commanded in 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
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Rejoice in the Lord
The Bible in Nehemiah 8:10 points out that the joy of the Lord is the strength of a Christian. Also, in Philippians 4:4, Paul advised believers to rejoice in the Lord always. Rejoicing in the Lord is an easy way for you to be strengthened and overcome any feeling sponsored by the spirit of heaviness.
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Develop a Habit of Praise
Although God in Isaiah 61:3 promised to give you a garment of praise, receiving such a garment begins with making praise a lifestyle activity or a habit. The more you praise, the easier it is to avoid being plagued by the spirit of heaviness.
Conclusion
As a Christian, when you start feeling heaviness in your spirit and intense sorrow, please do not dismiss it as a regular human feeling or natural occurrence. It could be the spirit of heaviness knocking on the door of your heart. The spirit of heaviness is a dangerous spirit that often catches believers unawares. It elevates feelings of despair, sorrow, pain, and sadness above the love of God and your dedication and your loyalty to him in your heart. It also causes believers to grow into ungrateful and unthankful people, thereby creating a distance between them and God.
