Verse 18 can rightly be called the heart of Paul's message to the Ephesians. Every exhortation he gives to the Christian would have to be fulfilled through the power of the flesh with reliance upon our own resources and strength were it not for the Holy Spirit.

For a fact there are a lot of differing thoughts and opinions concerning this command, so it might be helpful to know what Paul is not saying; First, being filled with the Holy Spirit was not meant to be an experience whereby a believer is graduated to an advanced level of spirituality. Second, being filled with the Spirit is not simply trying to do in our own power what we think God wants us to do, with the Holy Spirit’s blessing. Third, being filled is not the same as being indwelt by the Spirit, because He indwells every believer at the moment of salvation. Fourth, being filled with the Spirit does not mean receiving Him by degrees or in doses as if He could somehow be divided into various segments or parts. Fifth, the filling with the Spirit is not the same as the baptism of the Spirit, because every believer has been baptized with and received the Spirit the moment he becomes a Christian and is placed by Christ into His Body. And finally, Scripture does not command us to be indwelt, baptized, or sealed by the Holy Spirit, only "to be filled."

Now, "to be filled" means "be continually filled to overflow" which includes the idea of a conscious, willful act. In other words, we make the decision to "be filled" or not. But being filled with the Holy Spirit is not an option for believers, it is a mandate. No Christian can fulfill God’s will for his life apart from being filled with His Spirit.

There is no more practical and necessary command in Scripture than the one for believers to be filled with the Spirit. All believers are subject to divine authority and are called to obedience as the most basic element of Christian living. Our submission to the will of God, to Christ’s lordship, and to the guiding of the Spirit is an essential part of saving faith.

The continuous aspect of being filled involves day-by- day, moment-by-moment submission to the Spirit’s control, but this in not something we do- but something we allow to be done in us. The filling is entirely the work of the Spirit Himself, but He works only through our willing, daily submission to Him. We cannot rely on a past filling nor live in expectation of future fillings.

Finally, the command carries the idea of total control. If we allow our lives to be filled with sorrow, depression, fear, anger, hatred, or Satan- we are no longer under his own control but under the total control of that which dominates us. So, "to be filled" in this sense means to be totally dominated and controlled by Spirit of God through our willful submission to Him.

Privacy Statement: This is a private list intended for the sole purpose of spreading the truth of God's Word.  Every attempt possible will be made to ensure that it will never be sold, given away, or used in any manner inconsistent with its stated purpose.  We respect your right to privacy and will do everything within our power to ensure that any information sent to this ministry remains confidential!