Sin Lies at the Door: How I Learned to Lock Out Depression

Is Depression a Spiritual Attack?

It was 1999, and my world was crumbling. I had dropped everything to fly home and take care of my dad, who had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. If you’ve ever watched a strong man wither away while you stand by helpless, you know the kind of gut-wrenching pain I’m talking about. I fasted. I prayed. I pulled out every spiritual stop I knew. But he still went to be with the Lord.

After the funeral, I didn’t just grieve; I fell into a pit. A dark, suffocating cloud of panic attacks and debilitating depression settled over me. It wasn't just sadness—it was a stronghold. I felt beaten, defeated, and completely unable to get back to "normal." I was stuck looking in the rearview mirror, replaying the trauma over and over again.

Then, a little lady from Colombia changed my life. She didn’t preach a sermon. She just took my hands, looked me in the eyes with tears in hers, and sowed a simple seed into my spirit: “Don’t look back.”

That moment was the key that unlocked my chains. It reminded me of Jesus saying that no man having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom. I realized I had left a door open, and the enemy had set up camp in my living room. Today, I want to show you how to shut that door for good.

The Door of Temptation

In Genesis 4, right before the first murder, God gave Cain a warning that chills me to the bone:

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. (Genesis 4:7)

Notice that God treats sin like a living entity—a predator crouching at the doorstep. It desires you. It wants to come inside. But God also gave a command: thou shalt rule over him.

I realized that depression isn't just a chemical imbalance or a "bad mood." Often, it is a spiritual intruder waiting for permission to enter. Like the vampires in those old movies, the devil can’t just waltz in; he needs an invitation. He stands there knocking, whispering, “Mother, may I?”

The Cat and the Subconscious Trigger

I recently faced this battle again. We had a family cat I was very attached to, and he started getting sick. I knew he was going to die, and I could feel that old, familiar spirit of grief hovering nearby, waiting for an opening.

It’s funny how our minds work. For years, every time I walked into my house, I would subconsciously slip through the door and shut it quickly so the cat wouldn't get out. Even after he passed away, I found myself doing it—a muscle memory of protection.

But then the Lord flipped the script on me. Now, when I grab that doorknob, I don't think about the cat getting out. I think about Genesis 4:7. I think about sin lying at the door, trying to get in. That physical trigger has become a spiritual checkpoint. It reminds me to ask: "What am I letting in right now?"

The Danger of an Empty House

Jesus warned us about the danger of just "getting better" without getting filled. In Matthew 12, He talks about an unclean spirit leaving a man, wandering through dry places, and then returning to find the house "empty, swept, and garnished."

What happens? He brings seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

When I was battling that grief in 1999, I couldn't just "stop" being depressed. I had to fill the void. You cannot leave your spiritual house empty. If you kick out the spirit of heaviness but don't fill that space with the presence of God, you are just prepping the guest room for a demon and his seven friends.

Personal Reflections

I used to think that "wielding the sword of the Spirit" meant I had to be a Bible trivia champion. I thought I had to have a concordance in my back pocket to fight the devil. But the Holy Spirit showed me something deeper.

Ephesians 6:17 calls it the sword of the Spirit. Who wields it? The Spirit. My job is to give the Spirit something to work with.

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (Psalm 119:11)

If I don't have the Word hidden in my heart, the Spirit has no sword to draw when the attack comes at 3:00 AM. I remember waking up in the middle of the night, sick and under spiritual assault. I didn't have time to Google verses. I had to rely on what was already inside me. I knelt down and let the Spirit pull out the swords I had stored up. "It is written," I’d say. And the sickness left.

Biblical References

We need to remember and hold firmly to the truth that our battle is not against flesh and blood—not against people, circumstances, or physical forces.

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. (2 Corinthians 10:4 KJV)

We must remain vigilant and alert at all times, because our enemy is not passive or dormant—he is actively prowling and constantly searching.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8 KJV)

Notice carefully that he is described as "seeking." This means he is intentionally checking every door, testing every lock, trying every handle, and looking carefully for the individual who has carelessly or unknowingly left the door standing ajar, even just a crack.

Key Takeaways

• Grief is a Doorway: While natural grief is healthy, refusing to be comforted (like Jacob in Genesis 37) opens a door for a spirit of heaviness.
• You Have Authority: God told Cain he could "rule over" the sin at his door. You are not a victim of your emotions; you are a victor in Christ.
• Fill the House: Deliverance leaves a vacuum. Fill it immediately with worship, the Word, and the Holy Spirit.
• Subconscious Triggers: Use your daily habits (like opening a door) as reminders to check your spirit.

Conclusion and Call to Action

Friends, my passion is for you to have a spiritual relationship with the biblical Jesus. He doesn't want you living in the basement of depression. He wants you to rule over it.

If you hear that knocking today—that familiar heavy whisper of "give up" or "look back"—don't answer it. Or rather, let Jesus answer it. When the enemy sees Him at the door, he’ll run.

If this post helped you, please share it with a friend who might be struggling. And be sure to subscribe to ConradRocks.net for more rocks of revelation.

Action Items

• Audit Your Doors: Identify one recurring negative emotion (anger, grief, lust) that feels like it "visits" you regularly.
• Stock the Armory: Find 3 specific scriptures that counter that emotion. Write them on sticky notes and put them on your physical doors.
• The 3-Second Rule: The next time you feel that emotion trigger, speak the Word out loud within 3 seconds. "It is written..."
• Fill the Void: If you have recently overcome a struggle, commit to spending 10 minutes a day specifically worshiping God to fill that space.
• Get the Guide: Download my free ebook on overcoming depression if you haven't yet. (Link on the website).