How can I be filled with the Spirit?

The use of wine is to be guarded — in it is excess, profligacy: the rather are we to be filled with the Spirit. This is a different thought from being sealed with the Spirit. The latter is God's work entirely, the Spirit being His gift to the believer, founded on redemption; but to be "filled" rests with ourselves in self-judgment and looking to Christ. How far do we hinder His operation within?

How, then, may we be filled? Just by being free from everything which would grieve or obstruct Him. There are two other exhortations in Scripture to the Christian in regard of the Holy Spirit, and both are negative. One is, "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God;" do not grieve Him by unseemly or unsuitable behaviour. The other is, "Quench not the Spirit;" do not hang back when He urges you to some act in daily life, service, or ministry. To quench the Spirit is to refuse to obey some leading. You yield to human motives or listen to natural reasonings, and the thing is not done. On the other hand, if you obey, you get all His divine power to carry you onward. But He will always carry you along on well-defined lines laid down in Scripture. He never leads contrary to it, therefore let us study the Scriptures ever.

Verse 18 puts in sharp contrast the intoxication with things physically pleasurable and the pure, precious joy of being filled with the Holy Spirit. There are many things with which one may become intoxicated -- the love of money, prominence, self-importance (even in a religious way), sports, excitement, etc. These things will tend to take away the sobriety of ruling our own spirits (Prov.25:28). But one who is filled with the Holy Spirit has his own spirit in subjection (1 Cor.14:32). Every true believer is always indwelt by the Spirit, but to be filled with the Spirit is to allow Him full place in every department of our lives. Let no one ever dare to claim this to be true of him, but rather let it be true. In the measure in which Christ is really our Object, such will be the measure of the filling of the Spirit at any time.

Again, we sometimes hear, from those too of whom we should least expect it, of our having received only a measure of the Spirit. But where does Scripture say this? Where do you find it? It is said that "the Father giveth not the Spirit by measure:" unto him is in italics, and therefore not in the original. (See John 3:34.) And if one only thinks of it for a moment, it becomes apparent, that if it be only a measure of the Spirit we have received, then the Holy Ghost Himself has not come. It is also thought that the idea of our having the Spirit only in measure is strengthened by the expression in Ephesians 5, "Be filled with the Spirit," because they suppose to be filled with the Spirit is to have a greater measure. Such, however, is not the case. The apostle there puts it in the form of an exhortation or command, saying, "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." That is, do not feed on that which excites the flesh, do not strengthen it, for that grieves and hinders the Spirit's working in us; as Peter says, "Abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul." "Be not then drunk with wine, wherein is excess;" or do not strengthen, but abstain from fleshly lusts, but "be filled with the Spirit." Or, so let that which is carnal be reckoned dead by you, that the Spirit may be ungrieved, unhindered, so that He may fill every faculty of your heart and mind. Thus to be filled with the Spirit is not having more of the Spirit, but the Spirit of God who indwells you, so ungrieved as to fill all your mind and heart with Christ.

Thus it is with the believer to-day who desires that all his spiritual needs may be met, and that he may enter upon the fulness of life. He has the power for this life in the gift of the Holy Spirit, of whom oil in Scripture is the constant type. There is the exhortation, "Be filled with the Spirit." However, to be filled with the Spirit, God must have empty vessels. There is oftentimes with us the allowance of unjudged flesh. The heart is filled with so much that is not Christ. The world in different degrees, and the flesh in varied forms, is allowed, and thus there is little room for the oil. We need to shut the door upon the world, and the flesh, in order that the Spirit that we possess may fill our hearts and, thus walking according to the Spirit and minding the things of the Spirit, we may find life and peace, "for the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit life and peace" (Rom. 8:6, N.Tr.).

We cannot expect to return to the days of Pentecost, or to have the privileges specially granted to Peter and Stephen, but it is still possible for us to be “filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18), and this is given to us as an exhortation. If we are to be filled with the Spirit there must be the refusal of everything of self, of man’s world, and of everything inconsistent with the holiness or of anything that is not of God, cannot be under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Christ will only have His true place in our hearts, dwelling there by faith, as we are under the control of the Holy Spirit.

The perusal of this brief extract should produce in the heart of every true believer the desire, that the precious soul experience, portrayed by the writer, may, through God's grace become his own. Thank God, if such is the case. Every Christian is born of the Spirit, and indwelt by the Spirit — God's work and God's gift — but the exhortations to "Grieve not the Spirit" (Eph. 4:30), to "be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18), to "Quench not the Spirit" (1 Thess. 5:19), and to "Walk in the Spirit" (Gal. 5:16), surely imply that the hindrances to the attainment of this "blessed state" mentioned by the writer lie with believers themselves.

I would add a few words on the difference of being sealed with the Spirit and being filled with the Spirit. On reading the Scriptures on sealing, we find, "Ye are sealed;" it is an accomplished fact and always true; it never alters. God never takes His Spirit away from those He has sealed unto the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30). But we read, "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18). We are only filled with the Spirit in the measure in which we abandon the things that grieve Him and walk in the Spirit allowing Him to have full control of us. At Pentecost all were filled with the Spirit, then again later in Acts 4:31, but this did not continue as soon afterwards we find there was murmuring among them. We read of Peter and others on several occasions being filled with the Holy Spirit, but we read also of Peter on another occasion that he had to be withstood to the face by the Apostle Paul because he "walked not uprightly" (Gal. 2:11-14). He was not then filled with the Spirit; though he was still sealed with the Spirit. The Spirit was still dwelling in him, but he was not at that moment full of the Spirit. "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 4:30; 5:18). —Arranged.

Ephesians 5:18: "Be filled with the Spirit" — nothing but the Spirit. It is a vessel filled with one thing — the Holy Ghost, the spring and source in the soul of all you do; and Christ will be the object. The Spirit may give understanding, and the mind still be working, but when "filled with the Spirit" the whole man becomes the instrument in His hands, so that he thinks, feels, utters only what the Spirit gives. The word of God will govern; for, mark, I speak here of power, not of revelation. Thus "filled with the Spirit," the flesh would not meddle with the things of God. But too often we mix up our own thoughts, and we introduce things at the wrong time. We want to be as clay moulded by Him. What a deliverance is this from self! what a consciousness of the power of God in s when thus filled with the Spirit! All must acknowledge how little of this there is in us. All is so mingled. There is so little of the complete setting aside of all that is of man. If we fail, the conscience has to be dealt with; but our normal condition is to be walking with God, "filled with the Spirit;" our proper joy is in God. So, Eph. 5:19, "Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." While looking up, looking down, "giving thanks to God and the Father." What, for tribulation? Yes! because the Spirit gives me to see God in the tribulation. "Filled with the Spirit," I am ever giving thanks to God. See how Christ rejoiced in spirit, saying "I thank Thee, Father" (Matt. 11), when still, as to circumstances of sorrow around, His heart was breaking. The secret of this was, that while grieved at Israel's rejection of Him, He was in perfect communion with His Father, and with the glorious thoughts of God about His Son.

If we are filled with the Holy Spirit, such concern for the eternal blessing of souls and for the building up of God's church will deeply affect us. For though the Spirit of God dwells in the church, this does not mean that the church is “filled with the Spirit”. And though all believers have the Spirit of God dwelling within them, none can dare to say that they are always filled with the Spirit. If so, we should not need the exhortation, “be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and chanting with melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:18-19). Notice, we are told to be filled with the Spirit, not to claim to be.