Being “filled with the Spirit'' has struck some controversy between believers of different backgrounds.
Despite the controversy surrounding Ephesians 5:18, it is important to know the proper meaning of what it means to be filled with the Spirit in relation to proper biblical exegesis.
Ephesians 5:18 reads, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” From this passage, we can ascertain what it means to be filled with the Spirit.
Being Filled with the Spirit
The discussion at hand will begin with the Old Testament before moving on to the main verse, as recorded in the New Testament.
In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit could descend upon people for a particular purpose, such as for the purpose of judges, prophets, or other instruments of God.
During this time, someone did not have to be a follower of God in order for the Holy Spirit to descend on them. Not only this, but the descending of the Holy Spirit was not permanent in the times of the Old Testament as it is in the New Testament.
In the New Testament, only believers can be filled with the Holy Spirit as it says in Romans 8:7-9,
“The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.”
As Paul tells us, only those who have the Spirit belong to God. In the Old Testament, anyone could be filled with the Holy Spirit; however, in the New Testament, only believers can be filled.
Is Being Filled the Same as Being Indwelled by the Holy Spirit?
The work of the Holy Spirit is different today than it was in the Old Testament time, and this is just one of the differences that we can see from the scriptures. This is crucial to understand prior to diving in the meaning of the verse at hand.
Furthermore, the filling of the Holy Spirit is a repeated experience that occurs over the course of the Christian’s life as the believer submits to the will of God. It can also be said that the filling of the Spirit helps the believer in their walk with the Lord.
As the believer continues to walk in the truth of the Lord and obeys Him, the believer will once again be filled with the Holy Spirit. It also needs to be noted that the filling of the Holy Spirit is different from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
The filling of the Spirit can happen many times throughout a believer’s life; however, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the permanent presence of the Holy Spirit living inside the believer.
In other words, the filling of the Holy Spirit can come and go; however, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is permanent. Once a person has the indwelling Holy Spirit, He can never be taken away from them.
Forever, the Holy Spirit will live inside the believer, instruct and guide them in the way they should go. As we can see, the filling of the Spirit and the indwelling of the Spirit are two distinct events. It is important not to see these two things as the same thing because they are two different things.
It is noteworthy to mention that Ephesians 5:18 is the only reference to being filled with the Spirit in the entire writings of Paul. This is a vital fact because it shows the importance and uniqueness of being filled with the Holy Spirit.
The first part of this verse talks about not being drunk with wine, but to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18a). In this way, being filled with the Spirit can mean that the individual is full of the Spirit just as when an individual is full of wine.
This is a metaphor Paul is using in order to connect the meaning of what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
What Is the Difference Between Walking with the Flesh and the Spirit?
Paul also makes this connection to help teach believers that they should not get drunk on wine because it can lead a person into sin. Instead, the believer should be attuned to the Spirit and be filled with the Spirit in order for them to not gratify the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).
The concept of being filled with wine or the Holy Spirit is to show the two contrasting sides of life. Paul conveys drunkenness as something that is dark, sinful, and of the flesh. However, He conveys the filling of the Spirit as light, self-control, and goodness.
A key aspect that is noted in this verse is the two opposite ways a person can take — either being filled with wine or filled with the Spirit. If a person is filled with wine, it will lead to sin; however, if a person is filled with the Spirit, they will be able to do much good for the Lord.
As believers, it needs to be our goal to walk in accordance with the Spirit instead of our sinful flesh. The Spirit leads us to life, yet the flesh leads us to death.
Can a Believer ‘Fill’ Themselves?
A believer cannot fill themselves with the Holy Spirit because only God can do this. It is only by God’s power to fill anyone with the Spirit just as it is He who calls individuals to Him. God is the One who gives us all good things, including the filling of the Holy Spirit.
We can pray for the filling of the Holy Spirit throughout our lives and choose to be faithful to follow the Lord. We cannot expect to be filled with the Holy Spirit if we are choosing to walk in the ways of sin.
We can be more mature Christians if we obey God and follow His teachings in the Bible. It should be noted that we cannot demand to be filled with the Spirit. This is a blessing given to us by God and something that comes as we continue to be faithful to the Lord.
Even though the filling of the Spirit can come and go, we can rest in the knowledge that the indwelling of the Spirit is always permanent. This means we will never lose the Holy Spirit, nor will He ever leave us.
The filling of the Holy Spirit is vital for believers to experience, and we should always be listening and obeying God.
The Holy Spirit already indwells all believers, so their major efforts should be geared toward following God, obeying what He says, and living out the Bible in their lives.
The filling of the Spirit is a beautiful thing and something that will happen to us at least once in our lives. Even if you have not experienced the filling of the Spirit in your Christian walk, know that it will come as you continue to follow the Lord.
Being filled with the Spirit will only happen as the believer continues to grow in their knowledge of the Lord and obey Him. It is something that can happen multiple times throughout our lives and it is something that is a great blessing.
The beautiful gift of the Holy Spirit is not something we should take for granted because He is a crucial part of our Christian walk. The Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity, which means He is God.
We need to give Him the respect He deserves and praise Him for the wonderful blessings of being filled with the Spirit as well as the permanent indwelling of the Spirit.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Wavebreakmedia
