When
you think of being filled with the Holy Spirit, you may
relate it to an emotional experience or a feeling of
euphoria. Something dramatic and memorable. But the word filled
can be translated as “controlled by.” Think of what happens
when the wind fills the sails of a boat and guides it along.
That’s the gist of what the apostle Paul is saying in
Ephesians 5. God wants you to let His Spirit fill you, power
you, and control your life.
Another
interesting thing about the word filled is that,
in the original Greek language, the verb tense that Paul
uses suggests something that is done continually. So you can
translate verse 18 as, “Be constantly filled with
the Spirit.” This is not a one-time event. Instead, it’s
something that takes place over and over again. Just as you
repeatedly fill the gas tank in your car to keep it running,
God wants to refill you with His Spirit. It’s a powerful
thing to say each day, “Lord, fill me with your Spirit.
Lord, fill me once again.” Every time you say it, and mean
it, you mature a little more in your faith.
One
more thing about this phrase from Ephesians 5:18 is that
it’s a command, not a suggestion. The passage isn’t saying,
“If it works with your schedule, and if you don’t mind,
would you please consider maybe letting the Holy Spirit fill
and control you?” Rather, God orders you to be filled with
the Holy Spirit.
You
may ask, “Doesn’t everyone who trusts Christ have the Holy
Spirit inside them?” The answer is yes. Paul says in Romans
8:9, “But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You
are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God
living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the
Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at
all)” (NLT).
But
there are things you can do that interfere with the Holy
Spirit’s work in your life. A boat sail that’s turned the
wrong way won’t be filled with wind. In the same way, when
you’re turned away from God—when you pursue your own agenda
instead of His, when you give in to temptation instead of
resisting it—you’re not being filled with the Holy Spirit.
That’s
why Paul warns, “Do not stifle the Holy Spirit” (1
Thessalonians 5:19 NLT) and “Do not bring sorrow to God’s
Holy Spirit by the way you live” (Ephesians 4:30 NLT).
When
you’re filled with the Holy Spirit, people will notice.
They’ll see evidence of it in your life. Galatians 5:22–23
says, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in
our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (NLT).
Those
qualities have the potential to change lives—not just yours,
but other people’s as well. If you will be filled with the
Holy Spirit, God will use you to accomplish amazing things.