One of the signs of demonic presence or influence is unhappiness. If demons are present, you may never know it, because the Devil does not always show himself openly; many times, he operates quietly. One of his names is "serpent". The Bible says, "...that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan..." (Revelation 12:9). Where a serpent is, you will hardly know, because it hides quietly. You can be in the same house with a snake for a month and never cross paths. What am I talking about? The Devil is real, but stealthy.
It is painful for one who has received Jesus to lack joy. You don't know who Jesus is if you don't know what joy is. Joy, as simple as it is, means a lot in this Kingdom. Two things that Jesus gives you the moment you are born again are joy and peace-you don't get them later. The Bible says, "...the kingdom of God is ...righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Romans 14:17). These two things are important and big in our Kingdom. Nothing in this world should destroy your peace. Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:..." (John 14:27). To be honest with you, nothing actually destroys peace-Satan does.
Every Christian has these gifts inside them. The Bible says, "...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace..." (Galatians 5:22). Peter calls our kind of joy "...joy unspeakable and full of glory:" (1 Peter 1:8). James said, "...count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;" (James 1:2), and Paul added, "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice" (Philippians 4:4). When a Christian lacks joy and peace, two things could be responsible. First, a Christian who is immature, who has not learned God's Word, and whose mind has not been renewed (Romans 12:2). Such a person does not know he already has peace and joy, so he is looking for them. He may even be praying, "Oh God, give me peace. I need joy in my life". He is a babe and may not know much in Christianity, so he is asking for what is already inside him.
The second instance is when a born-again Christian-perhaps even a leader in the house of God-has learnt God's Word but seems troubled all the time on the inside. When they lack peace and joy, there is a demon present; there is a devil influencing that condition. Until those devils are cast out, nothing will change. The Bible already said, "...Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). Peace and joy are not small things; they are Kingdom realities. They are inside you the moment you are born again.
Don't live below your reality. Recognize what Jesus has given you. Refuse to tolerate anything that tampers with your peace and joy. Walk in the consciousness that joy unspeakable and peace are already yours in Christ.