Weekly Devotion: Filled With the Spirit

“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;” Ephesians 5:18, 19

What it means to be “filled with the Spirit” has been a much-debated topic within Christendom over the years. Although this devotion will not be exhaustive, hopefully it will serve to refute some of the myths and explain how you can be “filled with the Spirit”. Since the Holy Spirit is a “He” rather than an “it”, you either have “Him” or you don’t. So, being “filled with the Spirit” will be measured by how much of you that “He” has! By cross-referencing this verse with its companion verse in Colossians, we see a direct connection between letting “the word of Christ” dwell in you and being “filled with the Spirit”; both produce “psalms, and hymns and spiritual songs” in the heart of the believer.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16

Jesus also said in John 6:63 that “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit” so we understand that we cannot be controlled by Christ’s Spirit without Christ’s words dwelling in us.

“Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.” Proverbs 1:23

The first man named in the Bible who was “filled… with the spirit of God” was Bezaleel (Exodus 31:1-5). His task was crafting God’s tabernacle for Moses, so that the “glory of the Lord” (Exodus 40:34) could dwell with his people for others to see. What I glean from knowing this is that if I want the “glory of the Lord” to dwell in me, I need to be “filled with the Spirit” by crafting my tabernacle with God’s words. Observe now, the comparison between being “drunk with wine” and “filled with the Spirit” and how Satan uses alcohol / liquor imitate God’s Spirit.

·         Alcohol / liquor are also called “spirits”!

·         Alcohol influences how someone walks!

·         Drunks are bold and not easily embarrassed!

·         Drunks like to share their bottle!

·         Drunks are not easily disguised!

·         Drunkenness is measured by the level of alcohol in the blood!

·         Drunkenness is a lifestyle that permeates almost everything a drunk does!

Is God’s Spirit controlling you to act like this for him? Being controlled by God’s Spirit can only be achieved by letting God’s word dwell in you, creating a less of you and thus, a more of Him environment. This process begins when you are given the Spirit (1 John 4:13) by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. What about you sir, or you miss, do you even have the Spirit? Friend, won’t you receive Him by trusting the “word of truth, the gospel of your salvation” today?

“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,” Ephesians 1:13