How to Clear the Slate with God

Do you want to know the fastest way to feel better emotionally? Do you want to know how you can get rid of the dark heaviness that weighs you down like a clammy wet blanket for good?

Practice repentance.

Now you may be thinking, “Repent? For what? I haven’t done anything! My depression or anxiety isn’t my fault, why do I need to repent?”

Or you may be thinking, “What does that even mean?”

Repentance means that we acknowledge that what we are doing or believing is causing us to be out of alignment with God best for our lives. Repentance in the Bible quite literally translates as “to change one’s mind.” When we repent, we see that our previous way of acting or thinking isn’t the best way that God wants for us, so we tell God that we have changed our mind and ask God to help us change our behavior.

Repentance is 3 parts:

1. Confess that you are in a place either spiritually or physically that is not benefitting your life.
2. Believe that God loves you deeply and intimately, and knows what is best for you.
3. Ask God to help you change and to enable you to overcome this wrong mindset or lifestyle so that you can walk away with a clean slate: no stain of guilt or condemnation over you. (Psalm 86:5, 2 Chronicles 7:14, 1 John 1:9)

Before we move on, it needs to be stated that repentance is NOT the same thing as penance. Repentance cleanses and renews, penance holds you prisoner to your guilt, shame, and fear.

Repentance says, I was wrong, but Jesus died to save me and now I can walk in right standing before God because he is faithful to forgive me when I ask.

Penance says, I was wrong, and now must continue to pay the price.

Repentance is the free gift of cleansing salvation offered by Christ alone.

Penance is the curse of trying to earn your own forgiveness.

Christ died on the cross so that you could be free. Do not give up that freedom by believing the lie that your sins must be recounted over and over. Or that your failures have made you permanently inadequate. These are lies meant to hold you prisoner. The truth is that Christ took away our shame and guilt when he died so that we could come to him in repentance without fear (1 John 4:18).

This is why repentance is the first step toward becoming free from depression and why it is the most powerful. Because repentance wipes the slate clean with God and when you have a fresh start you find the courage to pick yourself up and keep trying.

Satan wants you to believe lies. He wants you to believe that you are not good enough, that your mistakes have forever ruined you, that what has been done against you can never be made new or redeemed, or that you are never enough and always too much all at the same time. SATAN IS A LIAR.

Now that you know about the power of repentance, you need to know how to use it.

When we are depressed, we tend to have a negative filter that all of our thoughts get sifted through. This means that it is really easy to believe lies and develop wrong mindsets/ thinking patterns. This is why the Bible tells us to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5), because God knew that if we didn’t work to align our thoughts with his truth, Satan could easily lead us astray.

So, to fight your way out of depression and the negative thoughts that are on repeat in your brain, we are going to learn how to identify lies and invite God to bring healing to our wounds.

The Bible tells us to “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). Later in that same passage, we are told to put on the belt of truth, I believe this is because we have an enemy who loves to tell us lies, and believing those lies is not God’s best for your life. God made you for a very special purpose, you matter to him and your life is so incredibly important. This is why he gave us the ability to be made right with him through Christ and he gave us the spiritual weapon of repentance.

Satan can only ever tell you lies. The negative thoughts going on in your mind that make you feel depressed, wish for death, or want to hurt yourself are a result of the constant mental attack Satan is waging on you. The first step you can take to stop this is to invite the Holy Spirit into your mind and how you live your day. Jesus said that he was sending the Comforter to all of his children. That Comforter, the one who can soothe your soul, is the Holy Spirit and he is a major warrior full of healing power (John 15:26, Acts 10:38)). He knows how to make your enemy flee (James 4:7).

The Bible says resist the devil and he will flee. What does it look like to resist? It means submitting your life and thinking to God, so that you can stand up to the lies Satan is telling you.

Here is a short list of lies I have had to resist by speaking truth over in my own life.

1. You have nothing of value to offer  >>> I can offer Christ who is in me. I have wisdom because God gives wisdom freely to those who ask. James 1:5
2. You will never do anything right in your life >>> God who began a good work in me is faithful to complete it. God will use even my weakness for his good plans. He will redeem everything that comes my way. Psalm 138:8, Philippians 1:6, Romans 8:28
3. You’re a loser who will never amount to anything >>> I am a winner in Christ. He died for my sins and his salvation has made me more than a conqueror. Romans 8:37
4. No one really likes you, they just want to use you. You can’t trust anyone. >>> Satan hates relationships and comes only to steal, kill and destroy. God has brought brothers and sisters into my life to love me and for me to also love.  John 10:10, John 13:34
5. You screwed up in the past and will never get it right. >>> I have failed in the past, but God is working all things for my good. He is using me and equipping me for his good works.  Genesis 50:20, Romans 8:28
6. The world would be better off if you were dead >>> 100% NOPE because God created me for a reason, he has a plan for me and he isn’t done with me yet. God didn’t make a mistake when he made me, he created me in his wisdom and I need only surrender to his redeeming love to find purpose in my life. Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalm 139:19, Jeremiah 29:11
7. You’re too weak and pathetic to overcome anything. >>>  The Holy Spirit is in me and he is not pathetic. He is strong and he is filling me and guiding me. God loves me so much he sent Christ to die for me so that I might become the righteousness of God.  Acts 10:38 John 3:16, 2 Cor. 5:21
8. You are broken beyond repair. >>> God makes all things new, and I am being made new. My future is not dictated by my past, God is at work in my life and is renewing it daily.  2 Corinthians 5:17, Revelations 21:5, Isaiah 43:19

Now it’s your turn. Take up your sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (the Bible) and wage war on the harmful lies attacking your mind. Take time to write them all down and ask God to help you find what his word actually says about you.

I created this guided reflection tool to help you start combatting the lies with God’s truth today.

May God bless your endeavor to seek his truth and may he guard your mind from all demonic lies, you are His miracle and a gift to this world. This is why Satan wants to rob you of your identity and worth. Rise up dear warrior, you are equipped for battle.