Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
The various ingredients of the fruit of the Spirit here mentioned in this passage, refer to the harmonious and well rounded growth in grace that should be manifested in the lives of all true believers. This growth and development does not happen by chance, nor does it occur suddenly, but is the result of continual submission to the will and work of The Holy spirit, as He teaches us greater and yet greater truths. There are battles to be fought and victories to be won that can only be accomplished by a daily crucifixion of the lusts of the flesh which clamor for preeminence in out hearts.
At times in our Christian experience there are fierce battles in which anger and resentment over real injustices crave a humanistic resolution and these feelings, emotions, and thoughts can only be effectively suppressed and uprooted through the power of The Holy Ghost.
One day I personally experienced what these battles with self look like, for I was being threatened by someone who had done me wrong, and although I had tried by the grace of God to deescalate the situation, the individual kept pushing me to the point where stormy thoughts were taking root in my mind.
At that point there was nothing else that I could do so I prayed and asked the Lord to handle the situation for me lest it get out of hand. That same day while I was driving, someone in front of me seemed to be in no rush to go where they were going, and as I questioned why this was so, in addition to my internal turmoil, my eyes rested on what seemed to be a bumper sticker with the name of Christ on it. So I drove up closer to take a look, and there it was, a statement which read: "Michael The Archangel protects us from all our foes". As soon as I read it I literally felt a heavy burden lifted from my mind, and I was then able to go through the rest of the day in the best of spirits. And furthermore the situation was permanently resolved without any altercation.
The fruit of The Spirit does not grow overnight, nor does it come to us by accident, but day by day as we behold the purity and perfection of Jesus Christ, we are changed into His glorious character, as we choose to serve Him. The entire experience was a learning curve for me, and therefore, to all who are struggling under similar or different burdens, the promises of God are made, that He will bring to completion that which was started by Himself. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to be patient and hopeful, while the delicate process of fruit-bearing continues in our minds. Let's read:
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
May we rest securely upon the promises of God, for the battle is not ours, but The Lord's. "Good night" and God bless!