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Answer
In Ephesians 5:15–20, the apostle Paul instructs believers on how to cultivate a sacred relationship with God—how to live for Him, obey Him, and discern His will as we serve Him. He advises, “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. . . . Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (NLT).
The pagan inhabitants of Ephesus worshipped their deity in drunken revelries: “They believed that to communicate with their god and to be guided by him, they had to be intoxicated. In this inebriated state, they could discern the will of their god and determine how best to serve and obey him” (Anders, M., Galatians–Colossians Holman New Testament Commentary, vol. 8, Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999, p. 172). In contrast, Paul urged believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We are filled with the Holy Spirit when we carefully consider our actions and submit ourselves to the Spirit’s power, allowing Him to lead, influence, and govern our conduct. We conscientiously align our daily choices and decisions with the wisdom and truth that Scripture imparts.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit as outlined in Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 5:18 differs from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit at salvation (see John 14:16-17). Those who believe in Jesus Christ and accept His gift of salvation receive the Holy Spirit’s indwelling.Fe-giving, eternal “Living Water” of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39; see also 1 Corinthians 12:13; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Galatians 3:14; Ephesians 1:13). Everyone who belongs to Jesus Christ has the Spirit of God living in him or her «But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. », (Romans 8:9). Nevertheless, we can hinder or stifle the work of the Spirit in our lives «Quench not the Spirit. », (1 Thessalonians 5:19) and even “grieve the Holy Spirit” «And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. », (Ephesians 4:30).
Sin and rebellion against God’s will hinder us from being filled with the Holy Spirit. When we give in to sinful temptations and worldly desires, when we lose control and do what we know is wrong, living as we did before accepting Christ’s salvation, we prevent God’s Spirit from guiding, influencing, and governing our behavior. The Holy Spirit is grieved and quenched because He is not allowed to reveal Himself in our lives as He wants to, with expressions or “fruits” of “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). When we sin, we should confess our transgressions to God as soon as possible «If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. », (1 John 1:9) and renew our commitment to being filled with the Spirit.
Jesus was filled with the guiding influence of the Holy Spirit according to (Matthew 4:1; Luke 4:18; Luke 10:21). John the Baptist was also filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb, as stated in (Luke 1:15). His mother Elizabeth experienced being filled with the Holy Ghost when she heard Mary’s salutation, as mentioned in (Luke 1:41), and his father Zechariah prophesied filled with the Holy Ghost, as recorded in (Luke 1:67). In the Old Testament, individuals like Bezalel (Exodus 31:3; Exodus 35:30), Joshua, who was filled with the spirit of wisdom «And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses. » (Deuteronomy 34:9), Samson (Judges 13:25; Judges 15:14), and Micah, who declared his power by the spirit of the LORD «But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin. » (Micah 3:8), were filled with the Holy Spirit. The believers at Pentecost were also “filled with the Holy Spirit.”
and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” «And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. », (Acts 2:4). Peter «Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, », (Acts 4:8), Paul «Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, », (Acts 13:9), and “the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” «And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.», (Acts 13:52). In contrast, Ananias allowed himself to be filled with Satan «But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? », (Acts 5:3).
When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we “walk by the Spirit” « This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. », (Galatians 5:16) and are “led by the Spirit” «But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. », (Galatians 5:18), “live by the Spirit,” and “keep in step with the Spirit” «If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. », (Galatians 5:25). According to the apostle Paul, being filled with the Holy Spirit makes the difference between life and death.We belong to Jesus, “the power of the life-giving Spirit” frees us “from the power of sin that leads to death” «For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. », (Romans 8:2, NLT). “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace” «For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. », (Romans 8:6). Instead of living in bondage to sin and fear of death, we live as God’s adopted children (Romans 8:14-15).
Spirit-filled believers trade in “fear and timidity” for “power, love, and self-control” «For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. », (2 Timothy 1:7). They sing “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs . . . and [make] music to the Lord in [their] hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:19-21;NLT). A heart overflowing with music, joy, and thankfulness to God usually signals a believer who is filled with the Holy Spirit. Finally, Paul described Spirit-filled believers as those who “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” «submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. », (Ephesians 5:21, NLT).
We can be filled with the Holy Spirit daily by yielding our will to God in submission and obedience to His Word. There is no formula to follow other than to allow Him to fill us and control every part of our lives—our thoughts.
God created us as complex beings with thoughts, emotions, bodies, and actions. Only when we surrender to Him and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us can we encounter a harmonious relationship with God and with each other.
