Mental Health Month: The Battle Behind Your Eyes
"For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ." -2 Corinthians 10:4-5
Via TJC
Men in this country account for roughly 79 percent of suicide deaths. About one hundred American men end their own lives every day. Most of them never tell another man they are drowning. Pastor reading this. Father reading this. Husband, brother, son. The front line for most Christian men in this country runs through the eight inches between their ears.
Conflict Is Evidence
"For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other" (Galatians 5:17).
If you woke up torn this morning, that tension is grace. The Holy Spirit is still in the fight for you. Conviction is mercy. The man who feels nothing should be more afraid than the man who feels at war. Romans 1 describes men "given up to a debased mind" (Romans 1:28). Past the point of caring. Past the point of arguing with themselves. The day a man stops feeling torn over his sin is the day to be afraid. The ache in your chest, the pull toward the thing you know is wrong while another voice in you says no, that is the Spirit holding the line.
Elijah Under the Broom Tree. Paul Names the Battlefield
He had just won the biggest spiritual victory of his career. Fire had fallen from heaven. Four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal lay dead. The drought broke on his prayer. Three days later, he sat down under a broom tree in the wilderness and asked God to kill him.
"It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers" (1 Kings 19:4).
The man who called fire wanted out. God did not rebuke him. God let him sleep. God fed him twice. Then God met him on the mountain in a still small voice. The collapse came after the victory. The father of the prophets got bread, rest, and the voice of God.
Read 2 Corinthians 10 (above) again. Strongholds. Arguments. Lofty opinions. Every single thought. The arena of spiritual warfare for the average American Christian man runs through his commute, his pillow at 2 AM, the lie that loops in the shower. Christ already named the fight. So, we need to show up where He named it.
You are conflicted because you are still loved, but you don’t face conflict alone!
The man who fights alone never has his back covered. There are brothers who are also in need. Be the first one to speak. Be the first one to seek the help of others. Your pastor is supposed to be able to lead the flock, especially those that need help. Be the first to reach out.
Daily Battle Order
Name it out loud. Tell another man this week what is actually happening in your head. Silence is the enemy's favorite weapon against men.
Take the thought captive. When the lie hits ("you are worthless," "no one would notice," "you've gone too far"), name it as a lie and answer it out loud with a specific verse.
Stop preaching damnation to yourself. Romans 8:1 stands. Conviction calls you home. Condemnation tells you not to come.
Use the means God gave you. Sleep. Sun. Movement. A counselor. Your pastor. Your doctor. Elijah got bread and a nap before he got the voice of God. None of that is unspiritual.
Stay on the field. The fact that you are still fighting is proof the Spirit has not left you. By grace, fight on.
Find Others. Don’t Do this Alone. Even if you aren’t comfortable seeking help from a third party, make it a point to start speaking about struggle. You may find that so many people are in the same situation.
Pray
Father, thank You that You do not abandon men in the dark. Thank You for fighting for us when we cannot fight for ourselves. Train our hands for war and our minds for truth. Where we are conflicted, remind us that Your Spirit is still on the field. Where we want to quit, set our feet on the rock again. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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