Ephesians 5:18-25; 6:1-9
In Ephesians 5:18, we find the important command to be filled with the Spirit. Having considered how to be filled with the Spirit, we started our meditation on the question: How can I recognise whether or not I am filled with the Spirit? In other words, if I am filled with the Spirit, how will this be recognised? Paul, in Ephesians 5:19-21, gave us three results of being filled with the Holy Spirit, and we considered the second of them, namely, Giving Thanks for Everything to God the Father last week.
Today, we want to consider other results of being Spirit-filled, but before we go into these, I want to remind us again why being filled with the Spirit is an absolute necessity for the believer in Christ. You see, every believer is either filled with the Spirit or controlled by the flesh. Either God is controlling the person’s life, or SELF is in control. In Galatians 5:16 we read, “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” If you are living by the Spirit, then you will not be gratifying the desires of the flesh or your sinful nature, and if you are gratifying the desires of the flesh, then you are not living by the Spirit. There cannot be two people steering the ship at the same time. Either the Spirit is in control, or the flesh is in control. Either God is guiding and leading, or self is steering the ship according to the strong desires of the old nature.
As believers, we thank God that Christ lives in us by His Spirit, but the problem is that we do not always allow Him to steer the ship. We like to be in control. And often we refuse to yield to His control, and thus we refuse to submit to His leading and quench His working. This is why the Bible makes it clear that we should be able to recognize whether or not a person is filled with the Spirit. In Acts chapter 6, the believers were told to select seven men who would serve tables: “Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them” (Acts 6:3). In choosing these seven, the men had to meet certain qualifications, and one of the qualifications was that the men had to be filled with the Spirit. It is apparent from this passage that it is possible to recognize whether or not a person is full of the Holy Spirit. They were to select such a person, a person who gave evidence that the Holy Spirit was controlling his life.
The Bible also makes it clear that we should be able to recognize when a person is controlled by the flesh or the sinful nature. Galatians 5:19 says, “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious…” The word “obvious” means “open to sight, visible, evident.” If someone is walking in the flesh or according to their sinful nature, you should be able to easily spot this. It is something that is clearly seen. It is dirty laundry hanging out for everyone to see. The works of the flesh are often manifest and visible. They are listed in Galatians 5:19-21: “sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.” If you are guilty of adultery and unfaithful to your spouse, then we can safely say you are not filled with the Spirit. If you go out and get drunk (verse 21), then you are not filled with the Spirit (compare also Eph. 5:18). If you are walking in the flesh, you are not filled with the Spirit. The two are contrary one to the other. The flesh produces certain things; the Spirit produces certain things, and as you see the results, then it should be evident what the source is.
If the believer is walking in the Spirit and if the Spirit of God is controlling the life, what should be the result? “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). This is what the Spirit of God produces, and we should be able to recognize this fruit, first in our own lives, and also in the lives of others. The fullness of the Spirit is evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit. If there is no fruit, then there is no filling. The filling results in fruit, that fruit which only God can produce. Fruit is something that is visible and easily seen. It is easy to see the grapes or the apples or the pears. Fruit is not something that is hidden; it’s out in the open. The eyes see it, and it is obvious to all. The disciples were to select servants or deacons who were filled with the Spirit, and this qualification should have been very evident to those with spiritual discernment.
Now, going back to our Ephesians 5 passage, what are the other results of being Spirit-filled? In the first place, Ephesians 5:19 teaches that when God is in control, He gives a song in the heart. The Spirit-filled believer is a joyful believer. The Holy Spirit is the Master Musician who creates beautiful melody in the heart of the trusting believer. It matters not if you can carry a tune. You may never be able to sing in a choir. There are believers who cannot carry a tune, but they are able to make melody in their hearts to the Lord. The fruit of the Spirit is joy, and the Spirit-filled believer is able to sing and to rejoice in the Lord always, even when passing through deep trials. God gives songs in the night.
We will skip the second result of being Spirit-filled, namely, giving thanks for everything to God the Father, since we have considered it, and go on to the third, which is submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ (v. 21). God is looking for a submissive heart (Eph. 5:21; 6:1-9). But what does submission mean? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, submission is the action or fact of accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the will or authority of another person. Submission, in the biblical context, signifies willingly yielding or surrendering one’s will to God or those in authority. It is an act of humility, obedience, and reverence that acknowledges God’s sovereignty over our lives. This involves recognizing our role as created beings and aligning ourselves with God’s divine order and purpose.
Every believer is to be submissive to Him. Wives are to be submissive to their husbands. Children are to be submissive and obedient to their parents. The employee is to be submissive to his boss. But as human beings, we often struggle with the concept of submission. Our innate desire for independence and self-determination can make it challenging to submit ourselves to God’s will or to the authority of others. This struggle with submission can be traced back to the fall of humanity, where the desire to be “like God” led to disobedience and rebellion. This is where the Spirit of God comes in to help us. When we yield to His control, He helps us to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ or respect for His will as expressed in His Word.
Where then should we look to find a submissive, Spirit-filled believer? Not at church on Sunday morning when everyone tries to be on their best behaviour. Not during a prayer/praise session when everyone seems to be on a spiritual high. The best place to look is right where the believer lives during the week. For example, how does the believing employee react when the boss is having a bad day? When the husband comes home from work after a long and hard day and interacts with his wife and children, do we see him under the influence and control of the Holy Spirit at that time? How does the wife do after she has had a challenging day with the children, when she’s totally worn out, and her husband comes home in a grumpy mood and complains about the supper? Is she longsuffering (“the fruit of the Spirit is…longsuffering”) or does she explode like a volcano? So the place to see the filling of the Spirit is right in the home, right in the workplace, right where the rubber meets the road.
A fourth evidence of the filling of the Spirit is boldness to speak God’s Word without fear of consequences. The Holy Spirit gives the believer power to be His witness, to point to Christ, by life and by lip. We find this repeatedly in the book of Acts (see Acts 1:8; 4:8-12; 4:31— “They were all filled with the Spirit, and spoke the Word of God with boldness”). The filling of the Spirit resulted in very bold and fearless preaching. In Acts 13:9-10, Paul had boldness to confront the enemies of the gospel, and, in Acts 7:55, Stephen had boldness in the midst of persecution, and steadfastness even when being put to death by stoning.
A fifth evidence of being Spirit-filled is faith (Acts 11:24). The fullness of the Spirit and faith go together. When God is in control, the heart of the believer is trusting and resting in a great God. The Spirit-filled believer is known by his faith; the fleshly believer is known by his unbelief, his failure to trust God. The Spirit-filled believer is protected by the shield of faith, and by the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.
When God is in control, the heart of the believer is trusting and resting in a great God. The Spirit-filled believer is known by his faith; the fleshly believer is known by his unbelief, his failure to trust God. The Spirit-filled believer is protected by the shield of faith and by the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
This brings us to the main ministry of God the Holy Spirit, which is to glorify the Son, that is, to lift up the Son of God (John 16:14—”He shall glorify me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you”). When the Spirit of God is at work in my life, what will be the result? The Lord Jesus Christ will become more precious to me, and so will His Word, the Bible.
The Spirit-filled person is the person who is filled with Christ, that is, occupied with Him, delighting in Him, rejoicing in Him, resting in Him, and trusting in Him. A Christ-centered person is a Spirit-filled person; a self-centered person is one who is walking in the flesh. The flesh wants to glorify self; the Spirit wants to glorify Christ.
If the results of the filling of the Spirit are not found in your life, you may need to ask yourself the following questions: Is there unconfessed sin in my life? Is there any sin that I need to confess to others? Am I grieving the Spirit by persisting in certain sins? Am I refusing to let go of certain sinful pleasures? Am I clinging to certain habits which I know are not pleasing to the Lord?
Am I spending quality time with the Lord each day by searching the Scriptures and meeting with God in prayer? Am I using my leisure time in profitable ways that will enhance my walk with the Lord, or am I spending too much time with television or with my computer in ways which feed the desires of the flesh? Am I walking in the Spirit?
Am I depending upon the Lord for His help and ability, or do I go through the day trying to make it on my own? Do I recognise my need for His resources, or do I depend upon my own resources? Do I recognize that without Him, I can do nothing? Do I recognise that except the Lord build the house, my labours are in vain? Do I recognise that it’s not by my might or by my power, but by the Spirit and by Him alone?
Am I quenching the Spirit? Am I hindering God’s working in my life? Am I refusing to say “YES” to what God wants? Am I willing to do God’s will, no matter what it is? Is there an area of my life that I am not surrendering to Him? Does He have all of me, or am I holding back in some areas? Do I surrender to Him each day and say, “Lord, here I am, mold me, fill me, use me.”
Rev. Kayode Ilupeju,
Good News Baptist Church,
47/49, Olufemi Road,
Off Ogunlana Drive,
Surulere, Lagos.
Tel.: 0803-302-1008
