Joy Is Coming

I’m beginning to hear more and more of my Christians brothers and sisters talk about battling the demon of depression. I know that it may be hard to believe due to how happy I always appear but I recall a time not too long ago when I began to battle depression myself. I was so down because of some things that others had done that I just couldn’t seem to get over my pain. I had never felt depression before but after about two days of walking around in defeat the Holy Spirit quickened me and exposed the spirit of depression that had crept into my life. I know that two days doesn’t sound like much but it was a horrible two days. I pity anyone who battles this demon. However I believe I was given an opportunity when the Holy Spirit exposed the depression in my life. I was given a choice to trust God and overcome this or doubt God and remain overcome by it. I immediately rebuked the devil and gained the victory. But I was only able to do that because I am filled with the Holy Ghost. Galatians 5:22 says that Joy is a fruit of the spirit. Now think about this. The spirit will always bear fruit, right? Well if you are filled with the spirit you will experience the fruit of the spirit because the spirit is always bearing fruit. The problem is that we think just because we have the Holy Spirit that comes with salvation that we have the baptism. Wrong!!! We must be baptized by the spirit to posses all his gifts and bear all of his fruits. How does someone become baptized by the Holy Spirit? Well one must surrender everything to God first and through obedience, prayer, and sometimes fasting, yes and even by the laying on of hands. So if the fruit of the devil is all over you and in you, try re surrendering your life to the Lord. Then practice what Jesus did. For Jesus kept His eyes on the Joy that was set before Him and then He was able to endure the Cross.(Hebrews 12:1-2) Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (2) Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.