"Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning: my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak." Psalm 31:9-10 NIV
In a bittersweet story titled "Father running Marine Corps Marathon to remember late son" published yesterday, it was reported that 70-year-old Loren Murfield will be running the People’s Marathon on October 26 as a Blue Mile Runner. It will be his first time running the streets of D.C. and he’ll be doing it to honor his son, a Marine who died by suicide. “I have an image of Caleb receiving his globe and anchor in San Diego, one of the proudest days of my life. I have another date, in 2007, of two Marines dressed in their dress uniforms, presenting me with the flag that was on his casket,” Loren told WTOP.
His son, Caleb, was transitioning out of active duty to become a reservist Marine when he died by suicide.
“He was terribly smart, but I think he was plagued with depression. Never diagnosed, but that’s what we kind of suspect. And I think he was joining the Marines, the toughest of the (military’s) units, to exercise those demons,” Murfield said. Murfield told WTOP that he sees this marathon as a metaphor for the struggles in life, having to put one foot forward.
“I want to encourage people, say, just do one more. Just one more step. Just one more minute. Make one more phone call. Just keep going,” Murfield said.
The Floridian has had to use this mindset as he wakes up to train in his home state’s heat and humidity, often waking up just after 2 a.m. to beat the blazing sun for his longer runs.
“You know what? Life is a marathon. It’s an endurance test, and we have to do it. We have to keep going. We can’t quit. And that’s a marathon. You can’t quit,” Murfield said.
Sadly, Caleb isn’t the only soldier to have ever struggled with depression. Many people currently struggle or have struggled with this debilitating disease, including King David who was a soldier, a father, a brother, a friend to many and so much more. In looking through the Psalms David penned, we see that he was a man who had many highs and many lows. In Psalm 31, for instance, David declared that he was in distress, saying his eyes had grown weak with sorrow and his soul and body had grown weak with grief. To indicate that this wasn't a momentary feeling, David revealed that his life was consumed by anguish and years of groaning. This was a long time struggle manifesting in decreased physical strength and a general weakness that was bone-deep.
Unfortunately, as David’s story shows, being a Christian doesn't always shelter us from experiencing days, weeks, months, or even longer seasons of melancholy and sadness. It's estimated that seven million Christians in the US experience depression every year, and yet we rarely talk about it. But this is the deal, if believers who have the hope of Jesus Christ are grappling with feelings of intense sorrow and sadness, you can be sure nonbelievers are wrestling with these emotions as well.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:10-17
Which is the very reason you and I would do well to remember that we live in a fallen world and battle an unseen enemy who comes only to kill, steal and destroy. This was something Paul detailed in Ephesians 6 when he said, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Do you get that? It's no wonder that believers are losing the battle against depression and all of the other "devil's schemes" to take us down. Most Christians don't know how spiritual battle works. And mostly that the enemy works stealthily behind the scenes! If we could see him, we could take up our carnal weapons and fight like a good soldier does.
But the truth is, we can't see the demonic spiritual forces around us that are craftier and more cunning than we could ever imagine. Think about it… The devil has had thousands of years to study mankind and come up with more "schemes" to destroy our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls. This is the reason Paul was so adamant that we must NOT attempt to fight this battle without the Lord!!! And we must be strong in His mighty power, not ours—something we do by putting on the FULL armor of God so that we can take our stand against the devil's schemes. Just as a soldier puts on his battle gear, we must put on ours to wage war against an unseen enemy that never rests!
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7
“I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.” Psalm 31:7
“But I trust in you, LORD; I say “You are my God.” “My times are in your hands…” Psalm 31:14-15
Now while David still had his battles with depression (as many believers will and I speak from experience), David came to understand that the Lord saw his affliction and knew the anguish of his soul. This, in turn, prompted David to continue trusting in God even when the road was paved with sadness and sorrow and to be glad and rejoice in His love—knowing that, in the end, his life was in God’s hands and thus it would all be okay.
So, if you’re like millions of people who are struggling with depression today, take heart my friend. You’re not alone and there is hope in Jesus Christ. Stay immersed in the Word and fully clothed in God’s armor so that you can battle the devil’s schemes to bring you down. And don’t buy into the lie that believers don’t need professional help to battle their depression. Sometimes it’s exactly what they need and should never be embarrassed to seek it.
“I want to encourage people, say, just do one more. Just one more step. Just one more minute. Make one more phone call. Just keep going." - Loren Murfield
Happy Running!
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