The Christian life is a life of joy, but that does not mean that it is not a life full of struggle and difficulty. In fact, in Philippians, the “letter of joy,” Paul is imprisoned and might be facing the death penalty. Yet, he still rejoices (Phil 1:18–19).

Most Christians do not struggle with external worldly threats. Rather, the main conflict is with your own sinful inclination. Paul describes this reality as a battle between the flesh and the spirit, “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please” (Gal 5:17; NASB). As several know, this battle is not fun in the moment. Manifesting self-control, one fruit of the spirit, is anything but fun for your mind. This is especially true with habitual sin, such as gossip, lying, anger, pornography, and drunkenness. Rejoicing in the midst of these battles is extremely difficult. It will take practice and patience. However, once you reframe the temptation as a choice between loving our Redeemer or simply gratifying your own flesh, you will suddenly see the reality of the situation. In this way, the Truth will empower you to continue walking in the Spirit rather than seek self-gratification. Eventually, you will be able to happily suffer through temptation for Christ’s sake because of his love for us.