How to Live a Spirit-Filled Life

　　We hear about it from pastors, we learn about the fruits of the spirit in Sunday school, but what really is a Spirit-filled life? Recently, my husband and I have had conversations about the difference between having the Holy Spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit. It is honestly scary to think that a person could go his whole life headed for Heaven, but not encountering the fullness of the presence of the Lord on the way there. This topic can be confusing, so here is a breakdown of how to live a Spirit-filled life.

　　

What Is a Spirit-Filled Life?

When someone accepts Jesus as his personal Savior, he is sealed by the gift of the Holy Spirit. Candace Lucey from Christianity.com shares, “Biblically, to be 'sealed’ is to be verified as God’s child. Ephesians 1 says, 'When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit’ (v.13).” Let us be very clear, everyone who proclaims Jesus as Lord has the Holy Spirit. However, not everyone who has the Holy Spirit lives by the Spirit.

　　Paul makes it evident that we live by the Spirit or by the flesh. There is no hybrid. The call to all believers each day when they wake up is to surrender that day to the power of God working in and through them. When I forget to acknowledge the Lord is at work in my life and the people on my path, I miss out on the opportunities in front of me. Have you ever seen a person who you thought you should have helped? Have you ever run into an old friend and felt led to pray for her? This could very well be the pressing of the Spirit in your heart.

　　One of the busiest places to go is the grocery store. Even with a list, I am always derailed with the discounts. And please never let me go on an empty stomach. That trip will take longer than necessary. When I was growing up, my mom set a lot of incredible examples of selflessness to me, but one way in which my mother was led by the Spirit was at the grocery store. She would always be so kind to the workers and help the baggers, but what really stood out to me was when we would get to the car. At last, the moment came when we could finally leave. However, instead of jumping in the car and racing out of the parking lot, she would always intentionally look around her to find elderly or disabled people to take their carts back for them. This was not because my mom loved spending even more time at the store, but because she accepted the opportunity to be Spirit-filled. To this day, she still helps others, and I try to do the same.

　　Crosswalk shares a statement from the founder of CRU, Bill Bright: “When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are filled with Jesus Christ. We no longer think of Christ as One who helps us do some kind of Christian task but, rather, Jesus Christ does the work in and through us. Christ does not want us to work for Him. He wants us to let Him do His work in and through us. This is the glorious experience that the apostle Paul knew, as he described in Galatians 2:20, ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me’ (NIV).”

　　

Body, Soul, and Spirit

We are made up of three parts: we have a body, soul, and spirit. Our souls include our personalities, emotions, and minds. When we are surrendered to the Holy Spirit living inside of us, we also give Him the lead on our souls and our bodies. All of who we are is empowered by God. We are called to walk by the Spirit, think on things of the Spirit, and be led by Him.

　　For example, a physical way to live out being Spirit-filled is to not get drunk. Ephesians 5:18 says “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”

　　One way for our souls (in this case minds) to be Spirit-filled is through asking God to lead our thoughts. Romans 8:6 says “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”

　　A way to have our spirit filled by the Lord is by living lives of love. Colossians 1:8 says “and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.”

　　

Other Bible Verses about Living by the Spirit

Romans 8:5 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.”

　　Romans 7:6 “But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.”

　　Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

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