by Dr. Gary Derickson, Professor of Biblical Studies
How do we know if we are filled with the Spirit? What part do we play in the process, and how does it actually take place? Is there a way to know it has happened, apart from some undefined feeling? These common questions have puzzled Christians for years, and a wide variety of answers have been offered.
Key to understanding what it means to be filled with the Spirit, and how to let Him do it, is recognizing the correlation between two parallel passages, found in Ephesians and Colossians. Both were written by Paul at about the same time, to two different churches, and cover the same basic material.
In Ephesians 5:18-21 he writes, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (NIV) Then, in Colossians 3:16 he says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” (NIV)
It is important to note similarities and differences evident in these two epistles that point to how they relate to one another. While they reflect a similar focus—relationships in the church—the emphasis of each is distinct. Ephesians addresses the Christian’s walk of faith, while Colossians is built around Christ’s supremacy. Each book begins with doctrinal instruction followed by practical application. The verses above are imbedded in exhortations to the church as a whole, which are followed by instructions on relationships in the home. The connections between the passages, in both vocabulary and location in the structure and argument of the epistle, indicate they are related, describing essentially the same concept. In both texts, the effects are the same—psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, and giving thanks to God.
Thus, based on their common roles and placement in Ephesians and Colossians, we can see that these passages are somehow linked. However, the Word of God, Scripture, is not the Holy Spirit. So why is it that two apparently different causes produce the same outcome? In Ephesians Paul emphasizes the agent of our filling—Who does it—while in Colossians he emphasizes the means of our filling—how He does it.
In Ephesians, Paul compares the results of wine and the Holy Spirit to tell us how to let the Spirit guide us in wise living. In the same way wine affects a person who becomes drunk (filled with wine), so too the Holy Spirit impacts the person filled with Him. A drunk does not become a robot while under wine’s influence. Rather, his decision making changes from when he is sober. He may not be able to tell the difference while under the influence, but those standing around him can. He is no longer thinking clearly. His reflexes slow. His inhibitions are often released. And, his personality may be noticeably altered.
Similarly, the Spirit-filled person does not become a robot any more than someone who has come under the influence of wine. But, as wine changes the kinds of decisions he makes, along with his general disposition and attitudes, the Holy Spirit influences our choices and changes our thinking. The Holy Spirit does not make our decisions for us. Rather, His influence is seen through our changed motives, in our emotional disposition, and in the decisions we make. But what, we then ask, what is His tool (means) to accomplish this? God’s word. He makes God’s word “dwell” in us, as noted in the Colossians instruction to “ … let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.”
And how does the Holy Spirit cause the Word of God to dwell in us? The New Testament concept of something dwelling involves the idea of influence. It slips into our thoughts, and affects our desires. When Paul says to let the word “richly” dwell, he means it is supposed to have powerful influence over us. Everything we think is influenced by Scripture. It makes us a certain kind of person—with a certain kind of attitude—as characterized in the remainder of the verse.
Putting the Ephesians and Colossians passages together, we see that the Holy Spirit has chosen to use God’s word as His tool for influencing us. When faced with a moral decision, the Holy Spirit reminds us of the Bible verse we have memorized or read recently. Often it seems that the verse just “pops” into our thoughts at a decisive moment. The Spirit causes us to remember the character of God as revealed in the Old and New Testaments, and the kind of person God chooses to bless and use. Or we suddenly think of some Bible character who faced a similar trial and remember how he or she responded. Then, having received the Holy Spirit’s guidance, it is up to us to decide whether to obey God’s revealed will or choose to sin against Him.
The Holy Spirit, even as He fills us, does not make us immune to temptation or sin. He simply gives us the option, through God’s word, to make the wise choice rather than the foolish. Only when we choose to obey does He further empower us to resist. We see this lived out perfectly in Jesus’ dealings with Satan in the three temptations (Matt. 4:1-11). He responded on the basis of the Word of God because, even as the Word of God (John 1), He filled His mind with God’s word, the Scriptures. We are to do the same.
So, these two passages make it clear that the Holy Spirit fills us to the extent that God’s word dwells in us. He fills us to the extent that we know God’s word and choose to let it influence our thinking and actions. And, it is through God’s word that He guides us. We are filled with the Spirit to the extent that we are filled with God’s word. The relationship between the word dwelling in us and the Spirit filling us leads to another key truth. The more Scripture we know, the more guidance the Spirit can give.
Why can’t the Holy Spirit guide us through impressions in our spirit apart from God’s word? He can, and sometimes does. But, His primary means of guidance is God’s word, not impressions. And, more importantly, we must remember that a spiritually immature Christian who does not know Scripture often cannot discern whether an impression comes from the Holy Spirit, who never acts apart from God’s revealed will in His word, or if it comes from selfish or foolish desires. These desires can easily be disguised as the Spirit’s leading by the deceitfulness of sin-tainted human minds. But, the more God’s word richly dwells in us, the more it influences our thoughts by serving as our standard of what is right and wrong. The more thoroughly we know God’s word, the more clearly we can sense our own sinful desires encroaching on the Spirit’s leadership in our lives.
What is the key to being a Christian who is truly guided throughout life by the Holy Spirit? It is to know God’s word and consciously obey it. Let it form our values and inform our decisions. To become spiritually mature we must read, study, memorize, and meditate on it so that it fills our thinking. As we do, the Holy Spirit will use the Word to influence our decisions. He will cause us to remember key verses at critical times and thereby enable us to do God’s will.
How can we know when we are filled with the Spirit? And, what part do we play in the process? When we remember God’s Word and act according to it, trusting God to enable us, we know we are filled with the Spirit. Yes, we should pray to be filled with the Spirit. But, never stop there. Also read and study God’s word and consciously choose to obey and follow its principles. Do this in dependence on the Holy Spirit, whom we trust to remind us of God’s will through God’s word remembered at the appropriate time. Ask Him to motivate obedience. Do not passively sit by after asking to be filled. Grab hold of God’s word and let it guide, knowing that it is the Holy Spirit who is active in making it all come about. He impresses us with God’s word, but only those portions we have hidden in our hearts (Psalms 119:11).
To grow into spiritual maturity and a life of consistent filling by the Holy Spirit, I suggest reading the Bible through annually. Also, develop a lifestyle of studying the Scriptures, especially the New Testament, but not neglecting the Old Testament. Memorize key verses as we discover areas of our lives we know God wants to change. When we are tempted, we must recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking and follow the counsel of the verses we remember at that critical time. We must choose to obey God, saying “no” to temptation and “yes” to that which blesses others or glorifies Him. In so doing, we will be submitting to the leading of the Holy Spirit and He indeed will be filling us. We will be Spirit filled Christians, living wisely.
