The Rules of Engagement

The Rules of Engagement

when the spirit of hopelessness sets in. As the word implies, it creates an overall feeling of heaviness. This spirit attacked Elijah, David, and Jesus. While Jesus overcame His depression through prayer and David through the reading of God’s Word, Elijah overcame his depression though divine inter vention. God instructed him to get up and get going. D eprivation Deprivation is the condition of being extremely poor, destitute. (See 2 Kings 6:25.) It divests a person of his or her God-given dignity and a good quality of life. Deprivation falls under the following categories: social (being restrained from enjoying interaction with certain people based on social or economic differences), sleep (extended periods of wakefulness or a decrease in sleep over an extended period), privacy (the divestment of the right to be free of unsanctioned intrusion), parental (physical and emotional detach ment of parents from children), financial (withdrawal of financial support; loss of income; unemployment; underemployment resulting in a lack of money for food, housing, clothing, and transportation), early childhood (insufficient or lack of food, housing, clothing, safety, nurturance, love, guidance, care, concern, or direction), and emotional (privation of affection, attention, direc tion, empathy, nurturance, strength, and understanding) D iscouragement Many believers suffer from feelings of hopelessness in their Christian walk and ministry. These emotions are characteristic of the spirit of discourage ment that occurs when a particular expectation is unmet. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance” (Ps. 42:5). D isillusionment Disillusionment is a powerful weapon of divination that causes a feeling of deep, sorrowful unhappiness and woe. This psychological weapon was forged and successfully used against Elijah, one of the most powerful prophets in the Bible. After experiencing a great victory over the infernal enemies of Israel, Satan retaliated with a death threat issued through the mouth of Jezebel.

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